Find us on Facebook
Follow us on TwitterLiberty University to consider concealed weapons on campus
File Photo by Jill Nance/The News & Advance
Two Liberty University students sit on the steps of DeMoss Hall last month. LU officials say they will consider whether concealed weapons permit holders will be allowed to carry guns on campus.
Liberty University will consider whether to allow concealed weapon permit holders to carry guns on campus at its next board of trustees meeting, Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. said Thursday.
If it adopted the policy change, Liberty would become one nearly a dozen colleges nationally to allow concealed weapons on campus, according to Students for Concealed Carry on Campus.
Falwell said he decided to bring the matter before the board for discussion after members of Liberty’s chapter of SCCC requested it.
“We just have a group on campus that’s been promoting that idea, and I really don’t have a good feel for whether our community would support it or not,” Falwell said. “So I just decided to take it to the board.”
Currently the university does not allow those with concealed weapons permits to carry a gun on campus, he said.
The board of trustees has 38 members, including Falwell and his brother Jonathan. The next meeting is in early March.
The body may not make a decision on the issue, Falwell said, but will at least consider it.
“I want to make sure that we look at it long and hard before we make a decision,” he said.
“Between now and the board meeting, we’ll have RAs (resident advisers) talking to students and see what they think about it.”
Falwell also has not formed an opinion on the issue, he said.
Liberty senior Ben Neiman, leader of Liberty’s chapter of SCCC, said the group has more than 300 members, mostly students, staff and faculty.
Nationally, the organization has more than 30,000 members at hundreds of schools.
“These are people who already have their concealed carry permits, and you mingle with them in movie theaters and shopping malls around town anyways,” Neiman said. “We’re just all about our own safety. We realize that campuses are generally safe, but in the off chance that we are threatened, we want to be able to defend ourselves.”
Utah is the only state that does not allow any of its nine public universities to restrict people from carrying concealed weapons on campus.
According to the SCCC, Colorado State University and Blue Ridge Community College in Weyers Cave, Va., are the only other schools that allow concealed carry on campus.
In Virginia, where one must be at least 21 years old to apply for a concealed handgun permit, each college can decide whether to allow guns on campus.
Leading up to the meeting in March, Falwell said board members have much to consider, such as how difficult the process is to get a permit to carry.
He also hopes to ask students and faculty for their opinions, and learn more about the arguments from both sides of the issue.
“I understand all the concern about security, and that’s why I’m even going to mention it to the board,” Falwell said.
“If the board thinks that would enhance security, then it might be something they would be in favor of.”
Advertisement
Reader Reactions
Thank you Cosmo for so eloquently dismissing everything that I cited as fact for your hatred biased bitterness…it was really a wave of fresh air in this blog. :0) But hey…at least you’re honest about wanting to bash LU.
Cool, the elitist Cosmo doesn’t think the second Amendment applies to Christians. My turn, I don’t think the 1st Amendment applies to Cosmo.
You obviously don’t have a horse in this race since you hate LU and probably don’t set foot there. The issue in the article is not whether LU students can carry guns, they already do that, it’s whether or not they can carry ON CAMPUS. For many of us it’s a daily routine to go home after class, put on our sidearm then go about our business the rest of the day. If you happen to run into a crazy Christian with a Concealed Carry permit, chances are they’re already carrying. This rule and the subject of the article have absolutely no application to you at all. So why do you care so much?
So quick question, is this a forum to discuss the article and whether, as inhabitants of Lynchburg, we either support or disapprove of this Private University to permit the STAFF and FACULTY, or is this forum chance to bash a school that already has a lot of negative reputation in the area?
If it is the latter that would explain your (Cosmo) weak arguments filled with ad hominem personal attacks, rather than actually debating the issue at hand, which is that of ‘gun carry’ at this specific school. However, I think that it would be more intellectually stimulating to debate with articulate people their views on positives and negatives of concealed gun carry on universities.
According to the article Liberty University would become one of twelve schools nationally to permit (and mostly referring to teachers and staff whom already have to submit themselves to several back ground checks for employment) concealed carry on campus. Some of these people are asserting that LU’s gun carry endeavor is based on their ‘twisted sense of religion’ would be null in void.
According to the article again, “Utah is the only state that does not allow any of its nine public universities to restrict people from carrying concealed weapons on campus.” If we want to argue that it is ‘religious people who carry guns” there is a slight case for this. According to the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey 2008, Utah is known for being the most religiously homogenous state in the Union with about 58 percent of its adults claiming membership to the Mormon Church. Contrastingly, Mormonism is generally acknowledged to be a cult in most Christian thought.
Let’s analyze the two schools mentioned within this article: Colorado State University and Blue Ridge Community College. Colorado State University is a school with about 25,000 students. Browsing their school web page I find nothing specifically ‘religious’ in nature. However I do find some interesting links. One such is “Campus Security” where the inform students of specific safety measures in place on campus. They say “CSUPD officers are trained for attacks such as the ones at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University and have procedures in place for that type of situation.” I think that it is safe to infer that a movement for concealed carry is related to their care to protect their 25,000 enrolled students, and realizing the inability for a law enforcement to effectively protect such a large student size. The Tech massacre was only a few hours away from Lynchburg, and universities across the nation are realizing the need to ‘step up’ their security measures. During that incident there were many teachers who self sacrificially blocked the doors with their bodies, in the attempt to save the lives of their students. If they were permitted to conceal carry those teachers would have been able to protect their students with a less chance of losing their own lives.
Blue Ridge Community College, located in the mountains of Virginia does not boast a ‘religious affiliation’; however, perhaps it is safe to assume one, due to its location in the Bible Belt of Virginia. The administrative decision to allow concealed carry on campus is probably due to the fact that that is a much smaller campus, and that is a cheaper and more effective method to protect their students, as opposed to paying a law enforcement body to protect their students.
Now that we’ve researched some specific information in the arguments, can we discuss facts, instead of biases and personal attacks, and affiliations?
I would also like to point out the existing schools with concealed carry. From article:
“According to the SCCC, Colorado State University and Blue Ridge Community College in Weyers Cave, Va., are the only other schools that allow concealed carry on campus. “
... to add alittle sarcasm to the fun, Im sure these colleges are known for their extreme Evangelical ways!
I also hate to burst your Anti-Christian gun views. The concealed carry on campus group has 33,000 members nationwide on facebook alone. Hate to break it to you, but those are all not Christians nor Liberty students.
Big Type:
“And I personally do make judgments about people because they are not Christians.“
should be:
“And I personally do not make judgments about people because they are not Christians.“
my apologies.
JacksonPollock - You crack me up seriously. I love how you can make assumptions about people so easily.
Lets knock out your idiotic statements one at a time:
“So the “good Christian” man who, on Friday, yelled out “kill Obama” would be justified?“ How do you know hes Christian? Not why do you feel hes Christian? Nice lack of facts there bud. Enjoy riding on emotion.
“He is the type of person who has a permit to carry a loaded weapon, and those people scare me more than bin laden or Bush’s “boogey men” he calls “Islamic terrorists.”: Actually not, that is once again another gross generalization.
Heres some sources:http://www.lesjones.com/posts/004329.shtml
Oh yeah, by the way, in my concealed carry class a man was attempting to get a permit and he was in fact a self proclaimed atheist. How do you explain that?
“Excuse me, young jero, how do you know WHAT God justifies as murder and WHAT he justifies as OK killing?“: I read and interpret the Bible. Simple. If you dont agree with it, then good, thats your right as an American.
“Even “good Christians” get hot headed (ever been to a Wednesday night business meeting in a church, recently?).“: Yes this is true and a very sad fact about Christians. We are human and make mistakes. I never stated that they are perfect. Christians today can and do very sad and unchristian things.
As for calling me a “chicken” and paranoid and living in fear:
Lets see here, I lived 20 years of my life without carrying around a handgun. And now that I choose to exercise I instantly become a Chicken? That is the most absurd statement I have ever heard. I have no problem going outside without my firearm, in fact when I drive home to New York (a place filled with much more crime than here in little old lynchburg) I can not bring my handgun. I actually feel sorry for you and Cosmo, instead of coming up with logical, not bias towards your hate for religious views, arguments. You attack and belittle people. I also hate to inform you that atheists also carry guns: http://www.atheistnetwork.com/viewtopic.php?t=14147&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=40&sid=d4a256b22899d4ec30c7b762a88df1ec
Enjoy.
Cosmo: Did I wave a persecution flag? No you simple said that to try and put me into your little mold for Christians that you have devised. I said that is why the majority of America hates Christians. NOT Feel bad for me. I am proud to be a Christian and I am proud to live in a country where I can believe in the religion that I choose. Not the one that you dictate.
As far as your Sweet Briar paragraph. Honestly, how many absurd and ridiculous examples can you people come up with? You sound more and more ignorant as you type.
Get ready for it, cause I know it hurts to be a minority around these parts, but listen: If you do not like Liberty or its views, take it up with someone who cares. If you don’t like Christian views or beliefs then work harder to further your cause. No one is stopping you. And I personally do make judgments about people because they are not Christians. I could go your route and make illogical and ridiculous statements such as:“Look at these immoral and sick baby killing atheists.“ or “May God have mercy on your soul, you lost lost child”, Like some ignorant Christians may do.But I do not. Because I do not make judgments on people regarding their general beliefs. Please do not do that to me.
What you are all missing the topic at hand. Concealed carry. Please stick to the topic.
Walt. Why would the school “want to deny the lawful citizen” (those over 21) the right to socially drink alcoholic beverages on campus? Is it a religion thing? If so, they are not following Jesus. Jesus did not preach against drinking. The Bible only speaks against excessive drinking. Most of Jesus’ family and friends drank wine daily since the water was either not available or was not drinkable. I have wondered why the Baptists (e.g., fundamentalists) continue to be against social drinking. In fact I asked that same question to a local Baptist deacon the other day when I saw him in the ABC store.
And, jero ... young, naive jero. You talk about Logical Fallacies as if you know what they are (kinda like Sarah Palin talking about anything as if she knows what she is talking about).
Your comment that God “does not permit murder, but he does allow JUSTIFIED killing.“ So the “good Christian” man who, on Friday, yelled out “kill Obama” would be justified? He is the type of person who has a permit to carry a loaded weapon, and those people scare me more than bin laden or Bush’s “boogey men” he calls “Islamic terrorists.“ Excuse me, young jero, how do you know WHAT God justifies as murder and WHAT he justifies as OK killing? Even “good Christians” get hot headed (ever been to a Wednesday night business meeting in a church, recently?).
As as for Cosmo bringing Christianity into it, when LU does ANYTHING, it is based upon their very distorted concept of “Christianity.“ They, of course, interpret the Bible the “only true way” - the “Falwellian way.“ And your interpretation of the Bible, young jero, is just as absurd as Pope Falwell’s interpretation because he (and you) claim to take the Bible as the “inerrant” word of God yet can’t justify why you eat pork and shellfish, even though God said not to in Leviticus. Oh, that’s Old Testament, you say? So let’s stick to New Testament and try to justify the execution of convicted criminals. How do you justify that using ONLY the New Testament. You fundamentalists want to have it both ways, and logic is something you, young jero, don’t know anything about because to accept the Bible as the inerrant word of God is totally illogical.
And Cosmo is right. Those who want to carry guns are either “chickens” or so paranoid and living in fear, that they should want to go ahead and go to a “better place” since life here can’t be so much fun with terrorists and “bad guys” around every corner. Nothing but a bunch of cupcakes. Peace.
Cosmo you clearly need to take a class on Logical Fallacies, because you love to commit them. Even though theology is not the question at hand here, I will entertain you.
As For:
Why would ANYONE with a guarantee of eternal happiness and the perfection of “God’s Plan” for him/her on earth spend their time worrying about carrying a gun around for protection?
Heres what you need to understand, although Christians are guaranteed eternal life, this does not mean that we are supposed to jump into traffic and just finish ourselves off. We believe that God wants us to work here on earth to help our fellow man.
As for your thou shall not kill argument: All I can say is do a little research into theology and you’ll find that God does not permit murder, but he does allow justified killing (self defense, capital punishment etc)
As for your very rude and ignorant comment: “Why are you people such chickens?“
Please Cosmo get off your hate driven trip that the only people who carry guns, fear for their lives, or defend themselves are Christians. Its probably one of the most ignorant, uneducated statements ive ever heard.
As for your question directing to me about dead people being in a better place. Heres where your wrong and where you make an incorrect generalization. Christians don’t believe that everyone who dies goes to a better place. Why do you think many of us mourn tragedies like VT. Or have you forgotten why the majority of America hates Christians? (because of these views)
Also Cosmo, in regards to Walt’s comment: Why do you immediately attack him and start asking him questions about Christianity? He never said anything about Christianity. Do you not see your biased state of mind?
That is all the time I will waste here talking about things that are not on topic.
(please excuse my grammar and spelling)
Why would the school want to deny the lawful citizen the right to self defense? Do they want a system where the weak are at the mercy of the strong and the lone are at the mercy of the gangs? Do they want to give violent criminals a government guarantee that law-abiding citizens are disarmed? That is morally wrong.
Advertisement