College Republicans seeking to allow handguns at Old Dominion University
By JR Hoeft | Thursday, November 11th, 2010 | Catch-All
Old Dominion University is a reasonably safe place to work and go to school, but the campus police are not omnipresent (nor should they be) and crime still happens. Since August 30th of this year, there have been 64 cases of larceny, four robberies, and eight cases of assault (as of September 29th, 2010).
That’s why the ODU College Republicans have started a a petition to allow students, faculty and staff the choice to be able to carry handguns on campus.
“They can ban us from concealed carrying, but a regular joe blow like you can conceal carry anywhere you want on this campus and they can’t tell you you can’t,” said Tyler Spiers, spokesman for the CRs.
Students, faculty and staff face disciplinary action from the university if they carry a handgun on campus.
Here in Virginia, we’re obviously sensitive to campus shootings. From examiner.com:
In April 2007, a shooting spree at Virginia Tech carried out by Seung Hui Cho resulted in the loss of 32 innocent lives. Regardless of his motive or grim determination, had one or two students or teachers been armed–his murderous attack in Tech’s Norris Hall could have been stopped.
In 2006, a Va. Tech student was disciplined for carrying a gun on campus, even though he possessed a concealed weapons permit. Va. Tech officials were quick to point out that their school was a “gun free zone.” That assertion has not only proven to be naive but deadly as well.
In January 2006, House Bill 1572 was introduced in the Virginia General assembly. The legislation would have allowed students who possess a concealed weapons permit to carry their guns anywhere on campus. Most schools in Virginia have policies against students and faculty carrying guns on campus, Va. Tech is of course one of those schools. The bill failed to pass through the Committee on Militia, Police, and Public Safety.
Va. Tech Vice President Larry Hincker gave the following statement shortly after the aforementioned measure died in committee: “I’m sure the university community is appreciative of the General Assembly’s actions because this will help parents, students, faculty, and visitors feel safe on our campus.”
I wonder if Mr. Hincker has the courage to sit down with every family who lost a son or daughter in the 2007 attack and explain that statement?
The school administration at Old Dominion, like Hincker, has equally turned a blind eye to taking a serious approach to promoting a culture of security on campus. In a statement to WAVY.com, the university writes:
“At Old Dominion University, our primary mission is education. Our campus is a place where students come to exchange ideas and bring their goals to life. Like the vast majority of universities across the Commonwealth and the country, Old Dominion University does not permit firearms on campus. The university has a wide range of safety measures in place to provide an environment where members of our community are free to learn and grow.”
And it would likely be a lot safer if students, faculty, and staff had the capacity to defend themselves.
Forgive me if I am a bit underwhelmed by the rainbow, unicorns and puppy-dogs statement from the university.
Of course your primary mission is the education of students. And of course students attend the university to “exchange ideas” and talk about their “goals” (*gack*).
Where the university is wrong though is their approach to security.
ODU states that it is their responsibility “to provide an environment where members of our community are free to learn and grow”.
That responsibility is not solely theirs. While I applaud them as an organization for wanting that to occur, it has been and always should be an individual’s responsibility to seek out their own security and the security of others.
By not permitting students and faculty their fundamental right to defend themselves, while anyone else who cares to walk around campus packing is fine, the university completely undermines their goal of creating a culture of safety on campus.
The current campus policy is senseless and ignorant.
Once again, liberal elites take an ideological approach to the world while ignoring a fundamental truth: it’s a dangerous place and people have the inherent right to protect themselves – not have their liberties taken away by an organization with its head-in-the-sand.
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About the author
Conservative to the core; liberal with his opinion! J.R. has been involved in politics for over a decade and has worked on several campaigns in Hampton Roads. He has served on the Executive Committee of the Republican Party of Chesapeake and the Central Committee of the Republican Party of Virginia. He is also the director of “Blogs United” in Virginia. E-mail J.R.. Follow J.R. on Twitter.
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18 Responses to "College Republicans seeking to allow handguns at Old Dominion University"
What’s the definition of campus? When I lived in West Ghent, one of my roommate went to ODU and got the crime text alerts all the time. The majority of incidents occurred off the campus proper, but on property owned by ODU. Since everything within like 10-15 blocks is ODU property, does that mean that students cannot carry a gun there? A good middle ground would be continuing to not allow guns on the campus proper, but allowing it in the surrounding areas where all the crime happens.
I’m fully a gun rights supporter, but having lived in the area, I can certainly see a large chance that someone is going to get shot because some drunk starts getting rowdy towards the wrong person. Walk around 40th street at night and you will know what I mean. There are roving bands of drunks all over the place walking from house party to house party. I’d venture to say that more than half the crimes are committed against drunk people or by drunk people. I don’t think that is a good enough reason to not let students carry guns, but ODU certainly has good reason to be concerned about it.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Bearing Drift, ODU CR'S. ODU CR'S said: Great article by Bearing Drift about our Petition for Concealed Carry on campus.Good to see a fellow Old Dominion… http://fb.me/ySUe6ame [...]
“Old Dominion University is a reasonably safe place to work and go to school…”
Really? The campus is about the same size and population as the town that I live in in Fairfax County. I can guarantee you that if we had four robberies and eight assaults in one month, we would be demanding to have cops patrolling every street and no one would leave home unarmed, at least after dark.
As for some drunk getting rowdy with the wrong person, it would only have to happen once.
This is a classic example of the arrogant paternalism so common in liberals, as the vast majority of college administrators tend to be. It is similar to their occasional attempts to silence student newspapers and blogs and to squelch public protests. Why do liberals hate the Bill of Rights so much?
As a former police SWAT team leader, the current and active owner of an executive protection company, and a Florida concealed weapons permit instructor, I think colleges should OFFER concealed weapons classes.
The VT shootings should have proved this. Wake up people, and you idiots who live in academia should take your heads out of your… textbook and look around.
Hey, how about campaigning for right to carry by truck drivers?
We truck drivers transporting hazardous materials are forced to put placards on the sides of our trucks making it obvious to terrorists exactly which truck they need to hijack to do the most mayhem. If we are forced to advertise what we are carrying shouldn’t we have the right to defend both ourselves and the load we are carrying?
HisRoc…truth in advertising – my Bachelor’s degree is from ODU, I’m getting my Master’s from there, my wife is an alum too…so, I have a natural proclivity to defend the university. But, you’re right, the current crime rate is way too high. Hence, the petition.
LD – please don’t hijack the thread and change the subject. No one who writes for this blog is going to disagree with a truck driver’s right to also carry.
I remember when I was younger and a convenience store was located across the street from a gun shop. Employees in the convenience store were unarmed. The convenience store got robbed all the time.
No one ever bothered the gun shop.
I learned everything about this issue right there.
I agree with J.R. and with Jeff – encouraging students to be proactive in their self-defense is the best way to stop these kinds of opportunity crimes from happening.
It would also help if people didn’t walk around at night with iPods on, too.
OK JR,
But I thought my post was germane. We’re talking about the rights of students to carry weapons into classrooms where the only thing needing protection is ideas. Us truck drivers need to protect things like 40,000 lbs of gasoline, poisonous gasses, radioactive materials etc. We can also mention that we want the right to protect our lives, we’re going to get a bullet in our head when the load is hijacked because terrorists will want to keep the fact the load was hijacked secret as long as possible.
If no one disagrees with me then why isn’t my right to carry an issue in front of our government? Oh, that’s right, some politician identified the issue and us truck drivers need to shut up. It is more important for students to carry in the classroom then it is for truck drivers to carry on the road.
What a world I live in!
LD your issue sounds like it’s with the federal government, not Virginia. Interstate commerce and all that.
Brian Kirwin,
“No one ever bothered the gun shop.”
Thanks a lot, Brian. Your comment made me laugh so hard that Diet Coke came out of my nose. The mental image of some ding-a-ling walking into a gun shop and whipping out a piece was too funny! I can just imagine two people behind the counter and half a dozen customers drawing down on him and lighting him up with laser sight dots.
What a major “uh-oh” moment that would be.
D.J. Spiker,
Yes, you are right, this is a national issue. If we allow California to dictate, all truck drivers would be required to wear pink leotards in order to carry a weapon.
All truck drivers with a hazardous material endorsement on their license are required to undergo an FBI background check to get the endorsement. If they pass this check, why can’t they be trusted with a weapon? Oh that’s right, they’re not wearing pink leotards.
It is a federal issue and a federal answer to the problem is necessary.
LD,
I’m having a hard time following you here. Is the issue that you want to carry a handgun or that you don’t want to have to wear pink leotards when you go to California?
BTW, when was the last time a hazmat truck was hijacked by terrorists? On the other hand, 12 felonious attacks occurred on the ODU campus in September where students, staff, and faculty are denied their Second Amendment rights.
Lets get back to the subject of this thread–concealed carry rights on urban campuses. Virginia is a Dillon Rule state and has a “must issue” concealed carry law. Why are the state universities allowed to thwart state law?
Paging Ken Cuccinelli: forget about gays as a protected class on state university campuses. Who cares about that phony issue anyway? How about some gun rights on campus?
If I were wanting to raise awareness of this issue I would ask supporters to wear an empty harness or holster every day.
For protection on campus at night in the mean time carry a mini pepper canister.
FWIW ~Virginia AG leaves discretion to colleges regarding firearms policy, so ODU gets zero shelter (from lawsuits) in state law. IF ODU allows concealed carry, and a student is later harmed or killed (by another student) … negligence lawsuit is guaranteed, with President Broderick named as the first of many defendants.
Do we have an absolute right to defend ourselves? Yes. But do we have the right to force ODU to implement policy that puts the university in jeopardy?
If ODU CRs want to change firearms policy, they will have to do it via Richmond. Until then, pepper spray and stun-guns are not banned (or lethal).
Here’s a really bleak footnote to the issue: Virginia HB1572 died in committee January 2006.
HB 1572 provided that no board of visitors or other governing body of an educational institution shall have the authority to establish rules or regulations limiting or abridging the ability of a student with a valid concealed handgun permit from lawfully carrying a concealed handgun.
The previous spring (2005), Virginia Tech made news when it disciplined a student (with a concealed handgun permit) for bringing a gun on campus. Virginia Tech spokesman (happy to hear the bill was defeated) said: “I’m sure the university community is appreciative of the General Assembly’s actions because this will help parents, students, faculty and visitors feel safe on our campus.”
One year and 3 months later: Virginia Tech Massacre took place – 32 dead and many, many wounded.
HisRoc,
I can not point to a HazMat truck hijacked by terrorists but I can point to numerous truck drivers murdered on the road and I can assure you the tally will dwarf Virginia Tech. Google Jason’s Law for an example.
Will you be convinced when the first HazMat truck is hijacked successfully? Well hind sight is always 20-20 and after it happens people will then question why steps weren’t taken in advance to prevent it. Intelligence has indicated Al Qaeda is interested in using HazMat trucks for terrorist attacks.
I had to go through a more thorough background check to get my HazMat endorsement then the average gun purchaser has to go through but I am not allowed to carry a gun in my truck. I had to give up my fingerprints to get my HazMat endorsement. I also had to pay the government to do my background check and it wasn’t cheap.
But enough, I’ve had my say and J.R. is irritated enough with me. Thank you for your tolerance J.R.
If non-students can carry on campus, what about armed escorts by volunteers to highlight the issue? Just throwing that idea out there.
@ LD – If you want your issue to get attention, that could probably be done. Plenty of organizations like the GOP, VCDL, even the TLP that might be interested in helping. Not hard to find 2nd amendment and national security advocates around here.
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