We got a rather lengthy—and comma-packed—press release today about a group of UA students who are forming a local chapter of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus. The release begins:
STUDENTS FOR CONCEALED CARRY ON CAMPUS CHAPTER FORMS AT UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
Members of the University of Arizona community, concerned about their ability to defend themselves against spree-killers and common criminals, alike, have banded together to form a local chapter of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, a national organization that advocates allowing concealed carry by licensed individuals, on-campus, much as they already do elsewhere.
“If people who are licensed to carry concealed weapons do so without incident in malls and movie theaters and churches,” explained James Knitter, a physiology sophomore and the group’s organizer, “then why should these same people be disarmed on-campus? After the shooting at NIU and the subsequent introduction of SB 1214, it was time to take a stand for what I believe in: our rights as Americans and our natural God-given right to defend ourselves, a duty that falls squarely on the individual.”
The group’s activity to date has largely been in support of SB 1214, a bill in the Arizona Senate which would allow people with permits to carry concealed weapons (CCW) at the state’s universities. Oklahoma’s state House recently passed a similar measure, and Utah adopted one in 2007.
“I have been speaking with fellow students and writing/calling legislators,” said Pete Stephenson, a junior majoring in Physics, whose activity has been typical. “At all times I am polite and reasonable when discussing the issue with others.”
The group is planning further activity, including empty-holster protests and distribution of literature. Whether they will seek status as an officially recognized University club is uncertain.
Ben Kalafut, a Physics graduate student serving as the group’s press secretary stated, “If SB 1214 passes and avoids the governor’s veto, this issue could be settled by the end of the
semester. If it doesn’t, or if Governor Napolitano turns this into a dragged-out battle, we’ll stick around until we enjoy the same rights as everyone else in the state.”
Organized opposition efforts, including a letter-writing campaign by the Young Democrats, have been taking place for several weeks. John Luiten, a CCW-licensed staff-member of the Computer Science department, who legally kept a rifle in his dorm while studying as a UA graduate student in the 1980s, explains SCCC’s delay:
“We handle things ourselves…we don’t parade our victimhood and band together in displays of identity politics. In short, our ilk made this country. And when we are gone, this country will be unmade even faster.”
“Waiting so long to organize means we missed some opportunities,” remarked Kalafut.” The Board of Regents took a bizarre position on SB1214. It appears, at first glance, that they favored symbolic ‘nurturing’ over the safety of students and employees, but when we look to statements they made to the press, it seems as though they didn’t fully understand the bill, or the issue. Were we organized and on our toes, things may have played out differently.”
Continued Kalafut, “Someone needs to stand up for facts over fear. Lone voices simply aren’t loud enough to counter UAPD’s Sergeant Mejia and Chief Daykin, when they make what amounts to false statements to the Legislature and the press. Instead of calling their counterparts at Colorado State to ask about the realities of concealed carry on campus, they crafted made-up answers based on fear, uncertainty and doubt.. That’s grossly unprofessional, but instead of being taken to task for it, they were treated as authoritative!”
This article appears in Mar 13-19, 2008.
If your intent is to carry a concealed weapon, then why don’t you just carry it? Are there metal detectors in every class room? Stick your gun in your pants and just take it to class. You’re only going to take out your gun when there’s a threat, nobody’s going to know it’s there.
Please don’t do a TWTV piece on this one. I have a feeling hearing these little turds speak is going really scare the fuck out of me.
Jim – Where did you get the artwork for this? Cowboy Maxim?
“Turds”? That’s so classy, it must be modesty that’s keeping you anonymous.
Only afraid of turds with guns.
Oh, in case you wondered there’s another definition to the slang word “turd”
turd –
noun Slang: 2. a mean, contemptible person.
Does that make you feel better Ben?
Feel better? As if an anonymous coward naming himself after a flatbread hurt my feelings?
It doesn’t raise my opinion of you by even an infinitesimal epsilon. We have here the far-left equivalent of the redneck who rants on and on about reconquistas and messicans and pisses his pants when he hears the Spanish language.
“Gun rights advocates? Must be the human equivalent of feces, must be scary! I’ll go hide in the Starbucks bathroom!”
If you can conduct yourself as an intelligent grown man, the sort who’s outgrown his scatalogical obsession, a representative from UA SCCC would be happy to meet with you. Be sure to wash your hands before you shake ours.
See, you scary me already. You seem pretty angry to me, and combined with a gun, yikes!
Look patriot. You want guns in schools. I don’t.
I don’t wan to take your guns away, I’m pro-gun ownership. But I prefer not to have an angry fellow who can’t control his temper to carry a pistol around children. This may not be you. But it seems that every time I hear about some individual going off on his final killing-spree they are armed and angry.
You can send me e-mails if you want to tortillas@justamexican.com. But don’t be discouraged if at the first mention of Ron Paul, or Fascism or Nazis, or reconquista, it just goes to pile of the many, many, e-mails I already get on such subjects. I’ll go ahead and read through your blog and I’m sure I’ll understand where you’re coming from. One book I’ve never read was the Intelligent Grown Man Handbook, once I do I’ll consider meeting a representative from the UA SCCC. I’m certain they’ll be as cordial as you.
Cute, anonymous coward. I sound angry? I’m not calling people “turds” because they want to exercise the right to defend themselves. That’s anger; what you hear from me is indignation. And do you expect me to be cordial to somebody who compares me to feces, and doesn’t even have the cojones to use his real name?
Note that people already carry pistols around children everywhere in the state of Arizona except schools. Note also that “children” are irrelevant, as SB1214 is about the universities.
I work at the U of A. Who gave you the right to deny me the right to self defense here or on my way to or from long hours at the lab?
Thanks for the e-mail. But now I fear for my life. And the lives of my college-attending children. Good luck with your quest to arm the universities, I’m going to hide under my bed. ¡Ay dios mio!
My dear Ben Kalafut: You don’t have “the right to self defense” with a gun at your lab or anywhere else. You have the right to bear arms for the purpose of forming a militia. That is your only Constitutional guarantee. And even that is too much.
Ben, you realize that Tortillas DeLote is not real, right? He’s just a character, an act, a comedy (yes, yes, not funny to you), a ruse of antagonism, a stereotype. Most contributors to this board ignore the character. Mari, Nintzel, Reel, Redstar, and Mr. Jimmy Boegle just blow off the comments and move on. Boegle could just block all the posts altogether if he wanted to.
I wish Tortillas had a 5-year blog manifesto or his Mexi-liberal rantings, and the TDL team is working on that, but we’re kinda lazy. Many of the TDL’s beliefs are contrary to the stands of the TDL support staff, making it difficult to reveal the “true identity” of TDL as you so wish. Cowardly? Absolutely! That’s part of TDL’s image too.
How different can the TDL crew and TDL be? TDL is a Catholic Christian, crew is not. TDL is anti-abortion, crew believes women are equal to men and have the right to determine their reproductive futures. TDL hates it when married women hyphenate their last name, crew, not so much. TDL is not happy with the Democratic Party choices for president, first supporting Sean CF Murphy and now believes McCain will be his candidate. Crew thinks McCain is a little nuts. TDL believes in gun ownership in order to shoot up in the air during celebrations(just not porting them in schools, libraries, bars and City Council meetings). Crew has no guns and most (not all) believe there are plenty of guns already in circulation. TDL enjoys bull and cockfighting and eats animal meat. Crew loves animals and some are vegetarians. Is that enough?
And just to be clear, Ben did NOT threaten me in his personal e-mail to Tortillas. He did remind Tortillas of the ever-present threat of rape and murder on him and his familia, and that scared that Mexican coward under his bed. Aside from the scare, Ben’s e-mail consisted of a friendly invitation to meet his group and discuss the issue at hand.
Merry Easter everyone!
Tortillas DeLote writes (above):
“Mari, Nintzel, Reel, Redstar(sic), and Mr. Jimmy Boegle just blow off the comments and move on.”
Aside from inclusion in the evil lineup, let’s be clear on at least one thing, possibly the most important thing: it’s Red Star, NOT Redstar!
Red Star! I figured the inclusion in that group would draw you from your lair. Where do you stand on the issue of accepting concealed weaponry in the university, or of armed educators?
That’s not an evil lineup, Red Star; that’s a FABULOUS lineup.
#13, #14: these are pre-revolutionary times we are in!
TDL I like this TDL vs. crew explanation. I think when describing what it’s like to sometimes straddle two worlds in one life I may steal your approach even through some may accuse me (and you) of obviously being schizophrenic. Of course I do not say this with any evil Red Star – only fondness… Ok Ben? Fondness.
Hmmmm, Schizo you say? Well that explains why TDL has fired his crew several times, yet they keep coming back! I will add that to the characteristics of the TDL persona. Thanks Mari.