Charlottesville editorial on campus concealed carry
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<http://tinyurl.com/26a4ox>;

BY CHRIS BRENA
C-ville newsweekly

Capitalizing on fears from high-profile school shootings, a national
grassroots organization has formed at universities and colleges that
advocates for the right to carry concealed weapons on campus.
According to their website, Students for Concealed Carry on Campus
(SCCC) <http://concealedcampus.org/>;, citing events at Columbine and
Virginia Tech, contend “the only way to stop mass murders is to have
responsible citizens in the classroom and on campuses carry their
licensed handguns.” Sixty schools have active chapters of the SCCC,
including four Virginia institutions: George Mason University, James
Madison University, Christopher Newport University and Northern
Virginia Community College.

So what about UVA? The University prohibits students or employees
from bringing or carrying firearms on any University-owned or
-operated property, without express written permission by the
University Police Department. So far, no one has stepped up to
spearhead an SCCC chapter.

Andrew Ferring, an undergraduate student in the School of Nursing and
president of the Virginia Rifle and Pistol Club
<http://tinyurl.com/2azs5f>; at UVA, says his organization has no
official view on the campus gun ban at this time. He can only offer
his personal view: “I think that concealed weapons on campus is a
definite possibility, there are two sides to every argument. But I
think you would have to look at how it is done.”

“I think a lot of people see concealed carry [weapons] as a
deterrent. If you don’t know [if] somebody is armed, maybe that will
deter people,” Ferring says. “You look at a college campus, how
different is that from any place else? What draws the line between
college campuses and malls – where concealed carry permits are
allowed?”

Lieutenant Melissa Fielding of the UVA Police Department feels that
introducing concealed weapons on Grounds would complicate her job and
create dangerous situations. [Oh, please - complicated? How about
disarmed students being in dangerous situations, Lt.? - PVC]
“Concerns with concealed weapons on campus would arise when officers
arrive on a scene with an active shooter and are faced with
determining the good guy from the bad guy,” says Fielding. [What
kind of cop is she? Lt. - the bad guy is the one who is pointing the
gun AT YOU! - PVC]

Last year, the National Rifle Association <http://www.nra.org/>;
supported a failed legislative effort in Virginia that would have
permitted students with concealed weapons licenses to carry their
firearms on campus, though the organization has toned down its talk
since the tragedy in Blacksburg. [I don't know about that, but VCDL
isn't toning down anything! - PVC]

SCCC stresses the fact that they support only licensed concealed
weapon holders to carry handguns on campus. The group encourages its
members to become locally active with elected officials and media
outlets to “overturn University ‘gun-free’ campuses” and lobby
for
licensed persons to carry their concealed firearms on campuses.

The Second Amendment IS Homeland Security !