RIC and ASG Tackle Controversial Topic

By January 28, 2013

Associated Student Government and RIC senators will soon propose legislation to support concealed carry of firearms on the UA campus. In response, another senator has planned to propose a resolution to support the UA’s current policy that makes the UA campus a gun-free zone.

Joe Youngblood, RIC senator and author of two pro concealed carry bills that have been presented to both RIC and ASG, said that he hopes this legislation will contribute to the growing momentum of the campus carry movement at the UA.

The first proposed bill is a resolution of support for Ark. State Representative Charlie Collin’s bill that seeks to change state law to allow faculty and staff with an Ark. concealed handgun license to carry their weapon on and inside university buildings, which is currently against state law, Youngblood said.

The second bill requests that the UA allow licensed concealed carry holders to carry their weapons on university property and within parking garages, which is currently banned by university policy, and the bill also requests that state legislature introduce a bill that would change state law to allow students to carry inside of university buildings as well, Youngblood said.

“Though it is illegal to carry a concealed weapon inside a university building, state law currently permits licensed concealed carry holders to carry their weapons on campus and in parking garages,” Youngblood said. “However, universities can enact policies that ban lawful concealed carry on all of their property, and so the bill asks the UA to rescind this ban because it is misguided and creates an unenforced ‘gun free’ zone that only disarms law abiding citizens.”

ASG Sen. Autumn Lewis is currently writing a resolution in support of the current UA policy that prohibits concealed carry on campus, she said.

“Upon hearing about the legislation introduced by Representative Collins, I knew that the issue would immediately begin being discussed more on our campus,” Lewis said. “I decided to write this legislation to express the opinions of the many students, faculty, staff and administrators who do not support concealed carry on our campus.”

Lewis supports Chancellor G. David Gearhart and other administrator’s decision to have a gun free campus, she said.

“Their leadership on our campus is incredible and I firmly believe that they have the best interest of all students in mind.  If the Chancellor does not support such a policy I have difficulty believing it would be beneficial for students,” Lewis said. “Also, both the faculty and staff senates are in the process of writing resolutions in support of the current policy. The two groups on campus who this would most directly affect are against it.”

Youngblood supports concealed carry on campus because it has been proven to be a safe and effective measure throughout the US, he said.

“Over the last 25 years, state laws have changed dramatically on the issue and now 49 out of the 50 states allow some form of concealed carry,” Youngblood said. “In that time, crime has continued to drop dramatically, studies have shown that concealed carry has helped in this and statistics continue to show that concealed carriers are some of the safest and most law abiding citizens.”

In contrast, the presence of groups such as Razorbacks Against Concealed Carry have seen huge surges of support as more students expressed their concern about guns being allowed on campus, Sen. Lewis said.

“As a student who comes from a family of hunters, I think it is important to recognize that many students who oppose concealed carry are not against guns.  We simply believe that they should not be allowed on our campus in order to promote a safe learning environment,” Lewis said. “If Ark. were to pass such legislation, we would be joining only five other states in the nation who mandate that campuses must allow concealed carry. The majority of states have recognized that this policy will not lead to safer students.”

As evidenced in his legislation, Youngblood supports that licensed students, not just faculty and staff, also be allowed to conceal carry on campus, he said.

“It is utterly ridiculous that only faculty and staff would be allowed to carry inside of university buildings when they receive the exact same training and certification from the state of Ark. as any other person licensed to carry a concealed weapon,” Youngblood said. “Why should a 45 year old professional be allowed to carry a weapon and not his 26 year old student who is a combat veteran of two wars? I can tell you right now, if something bad was going on, I’d be getting behind the student and not the teacher, and I believe that the vast majority of people feel the same way once the argument is framed in this perspective.”

Shaelyn Vinson, an ASG senator sponsoring Youngblood’s legislation, agreed that she would feel safer with more concealed carriers on campus.

“Not being a concealed carrier myself, I would like knowing that there are trained people surrounding me that if need be, could protect me,” Vinson said. “Police, no matter how effective and great they are, are not always there when a crime is being committed. In a situation that could mean life or death, every second counts.”

Youngblood stressed that this proposal would not affect just any student, he said.

“I want to make it eminently clear that these bills do not allow just any student to carry,” Youngblood said. “The only persons this bill would affect are those persons with a concealed handgun license from the state of Ark.”

Arkansas’ concealed handgun license holders undergo an extensive screening process, including state and federal background checks for both criminal and psychiatric records, attending an 8 hour training course dealing extensively with topics such as conflict resolution and handgun safety, passing a firearm qualification test, demonstrating proficiency with their weapon and being over 21 years of age, among many other requirements, according to Ark. code.

Senators Lewis, Youngblood and Vinson are prepared to argue their cases in senate meetings during the next couple of weeks and encourage students to become more involved in the debate.

  • A Soldier

    It appears those against CC in campus facilities believe its better to endure a VTech-style massacre than to permit an armed few to quietly provide some measure of defense against such a tragedy. For those opposed to CC it’s really less about guns on campus and more about the comfort of being in control and feeling morally superior in that control.

  • A Professor

    Those opposing conceal and carry are happy to leave security logistics on college campuses to the professionals rather than teenagers who have no training in crowd control or in killing civilians. Additionally, in a state with decidedly poor mental health care, I’d rather the state NOT permit students or faculty to conceal and carry. And, given the massive amount of violence against women on college campuses, allowing guns on campus provides the opportunity for more guns to be used in campus crimes, particularly those against women. Finally, sensible people do not allow weapons in ANY OTHER civilian workplace. The university should be no different.

  • Cassiek22

    I don’t feel safe knowing my peers are carry in guns on their person. I would have to deal with that fear on a daily basis. I’m not scared of some unstable person coming in and a mass shooting occurring. I’m scared of that guy who gets mad and takes things too far because he has a gun on hand. I would no longer attend this campus if this legislation passed. I love this campus but I would no longer feel safe here.

  • Stevenaj91

    Gun’s aren’t needed to commit violent crimes against students – men are stronger. However, it would sure be nice if a woman could use a gun to protect herself from violent crime (I believe that’s one of the strongest arguments for campus carry). Originally you said you’d rather leave campus security to the professionals? You’d sure think differently in the 2 minutes it took for a UofA officer to arrive to an active shooting situation. Finally, your definition of “sensible people” may not be so sensible.

  • Stevenaj91

    One last thing – teenagers cannot get Concealed Handgun Carry Licenses :). For being a professor, you certainly didn’t do your research.

    (Note: the word “students” in my earlier comment was supposed to be “women.”

  • CHCL PhD Student

    Please note that we are talking about CONCEALED carry. You will not see any changes on campus should this pass. Even hinting to someone that you are carrying a fun is a misdemeanor resulting in jail time and losing your permit and probably your gun. 

    The process to get a permit includes an FBI background check with fingerprints, a long waiting period, and a hefty fee. If you are worried about a person with a temper bad enough to pull out a gun, they will probably not get a permit because they would fail the background check from previous outbursts being on this theoretically troubled individual. 
    If this troubled individual gets super pissed off and decides to bring a gun, he/she will not care about breaking the law forbidding guns on campus. 

    And before someone argues about a drunk with a gun, our permit is invalid if alcohol is consumed and we cannot carry in bars. 

    I do not carry a firearm because it is my right. I do not carry because I am afraid. I do not carry because I am paranoid, and I don’t carry because I am trying to make a statement. I am not being political, and I am not being religious. I do not carry a gun because I want to frighten, intimidate, or kill. I carry a gun because there is genuine evil in this world. I carry a gun because most people are not equipped to deal with that evil. I carry a gun because the police mostly respond to crime, they do not prevent it. I carry a gun because there are some that can not defend themselves. Some threats are too fearsome, too strong, and too evil. I carry a gun because I am willing to stand between you and that evil. I carry a gun, expecting that someday I may have to use it, and praying that I will never have to. I carry a gun because when seconds count, the police are just minutes away.

  • CHCL PhD Student

    *gun not fun in second line 

  • Guest

    Everywhere else you go other than school, there are people carrying guns on their person. Do you refuse to go to WalMart because customers can carry a firearm there? If you cannot feel safe where you know guns are present then your best bet would be to stay home, because anywhere you go there will likely be responsible gun owners legally carrying concealed firearms to protect themselves, their family, and you from those who have no regard for the laws.

  • emerevac

    CC is not hard to get for those of age. A large portion of the campus population isn’t eligible for a CC due to the age restrictions on handgun possession. There may be waivers for enlisted military or law enforcement but these would only apply to a select few. CC does not require the recipient of the license to receive any CQB training. What is someone with zero urban combat experience or training going to do in a crisis? Citizens legally carrying isn’t mutually exclusive with safety. It also enables a would-be assailant the ability to legally get guns on campus without question. I don’t think allowing CC on campus would make a difference, the chances of someone being the right age for CC, having a permit and a weapon and just happening to be in the right place at the right time and being able to pull the trigger efficiently are extremely slim.

    Introducing CC on campus is the introduction of an unnecessary risk.  http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/abs/10.2105/AJPH.2008.143099.
    From 1982 to 2012 there have been 62 mass shootings with 3/4 of the weapons used in those shootings being obtained legally. The cases of guns being used for self defense are anecdotal.