The Virginia Tech Chapter of SCCC on ABC's Nightline

[joshballard37]

Yeah (2:57) people don't want to send their kids to a college campus where (of age usually 21 and over) could carry, but parents will applaud their 18 yo kids as they join the military. Why do people have such a miskewed perspective? Even those college kids who said they would feel less safe if students were allowed to carry. Civilian permit holder/21yoa. Military defender of freedom age to join and be armed/18.

[MrDaleaaaa]

are we starting from the piont that someone has the athority to say what another person is or is not to carry..the school is teaching that it is acceptble to assume ownership over another person and tell them want to do .if you tell them what to do and they do it you are resposible for the out come .the outcome in this case was death the anti gunhners are responsible for the outcome here. there might have still been deaths but not naerly so many. they were lied to about how safe it is

[utuber2]

Thanks for replying - I see what you're saying. It's funny - in my country, I don't have the right to bear arms, yet I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything. Isn't that strange?

And I live in the capital city where there is plenty of crime. It's not a small town and my area is quite a rough area. But I don't walk around in fear - I probably would if I thought more people had guns.

[gnomerroamer]

Have you ever read Rene Girard's ideas about mimetic desire? Very interesting stuff for those trying to understand the American dynamic of everyone arming themselves. His position is basically that desire (for anything, not just guns) is a result of competition and social reciprocation, but it gets very complex and dark once you begin to characterize society as a collection of matrices of these kinds of relationships, ie, as in America where we believe violence is an imminent circumstance...

[gnomerroamer]

(cont'd)...of reality. The problem is defusing cultural myths standing against the reality that we could mitigate many social problems merely through a change in social attitudes, but that's darn near impossible. (As a newcomer, I should mention I used to be against concealed's, but pulled a complete 180, and now support them; albeit, for very different reasons (many contrary reasons) to the positions of the SCCC and most of its membership.)

[MrDaleaaaa]

@utuber2 ignorance is bliss .i wished i was ignorant so i could be in bliss were do you get yours how much is it

[utuber2]

However, I think if you take a look at the bigger issue here, which is how on earth did the US end up with the situation where everybody has guns? It's another version of the arms race and all the fear than maintains those type of races. That is the real problem, and the concealed weapons issue is only a symptom of that.

Wouldn't you like to live in a country where nobody carries guns, and where your children (like me) may live their entire lives without ever even seeing a gun?

[Verator]

OK, look at it this way. Your small town in Europe has how much crime? How close are you to a large city or violent area? Those people that are committing those crimes in those areas undoubtedly have firearms obtained illegally. Firearms are guaranteed to us through our constitution to protect us from our own government. We have also been allowed through state and federal law to use them for self protection from those who obtain and use firearms illegally.

[Verator]

Also to answer your question: NO, I could not and will not choose to live in a country where the government has absolute power over me. Firearms are guaranteed in my country to preserve freedom. Safety and security should never be sacrificed for freedom. EVER. I can understand how firearms frighten those who never handle them but please be open minded to the fact that legal firearm owners are law abiding good citizens that carry weapons to protect themselves and others. =)

[Verator]

Edit: Sorry no sleep it should be the other way around. Freedom should never be sacrificed for safety and security. Ever. Sorry again.

[utuber2]

I see your arguments and I can understand exactly why you want to carry concealed weapons. I come from a country in Europe where nobody carries guns (not even the police) and I've never even seen a guy up close in my life. Guns are completely alien to me and absolutely terrifying. For that reason, it's a bit jaw-dropping for me to hear your arguments that young students could be carrying these around campus> But when I put myself in your shoes, it makes sense.

[blackfootnawaho]

so lets say someone is smoking a joint and a guy with a gun turns up, they get into an argument and then he pulls the gun? of course he pulls the gun, the same thing would happen in a fight etc.

[TheStapleGunKid]

People who have CCW licenses are instructed to avoid conflict and only pull thier firearms when it's necessary to prevent death or serious bodily harm.

When I'm carrying my weapon, it will stay in the holster until there is a damn good reason for drawing it. Minor arguments or fistfights don't cut it.

[Chris1760]

This is too funny and sick at the same time. I mean if you have a state issued CCW then you should be able to carry on a state U and that should be the end of it. The leaders of the school should have no say in that at all.. When will people wake up and get it you have to be able to defend your self. I would carry on campus legal or not its my life and I will protect it.

[sniper6081]

Again with all the "world peace" talk. It doesn't work that way. We all can't jsut get along. Sorry, but that's just the way it is. All the peace in the world isn't going to stop a psycho.

[cnknguyen]

All these kids say, "oh we shouldnt have to worry about our saftey" reality check buddy, YOU DO!

[cramsa]

Since permit holders can carry in malls, banks, stores etc, why should these people not be able to do the same on college campuses?

If you are work at school, or a student, you should be able to carry on college campuses... as long as you have a permit etc.

[gnomerroamer]

Because the public has a right to a gun-free zone according to local laws. I like how they give seven minutes to the SCCC's commentary and maybe a minute to those opposed to CW's. It was also nice how the main arguments of the opposition were all straw man arguments told by non-representative and/or softened versions of much stronger arguments against the SCCC's views. So much for "liberal" media...

[filthywalrus]

Gun-free zone = criminal-friendly zone

[Watcher3223]

The public has a right to defend itself.

The problem with gun-free zones are that they will not stop a bad guy who will break the law by bringing a gun there and killing innocent people.

If anything, a gun-free zone insures that a person who doesn't want to break the law will be unarmed and at the mercy of the criminal.

Besides, what if a person decides to kill another with a knife in a mall? Since it was in a gun-free zone, I guess that makes his crime less repugnant, eh?