Category: Gun Rights

The Case for Concealed Carry on College Campuses

On By Tom LindsayIn CCW, Concealed Carry, Gun Rights, RKBA, SCCC1 Comment

My daughter is a third year student at Georgia Tech. In the past year, I can’t count how many robberies have been reported on campus. There was even a rape of a student on campus right before a football game.

As the new legislative session approaches, the time has come to fight to change Georgia law to allow licensed Georgia Weapons License holders to exercise their right to carry concealed on campus.

It won’t be an easy task. Georgia Tech has a stated policy from 2010 advocating leaving the law where it is. But the arguments they list in this policy, as well as the statistics they quote, are taken right from the Brady Campaign, and they are easily refuted.

Here is the heart of the issue: when people hear that we want to allow concealed carry in campus, they immediately assume we want to allow every college student to carry a gun.

But the law guiding concealed carry on Georgia, and in every state that allows it, limits licenses to those 21 years or older. So, students younger than 21 would not be allowed to carry in any case.

In fact, the majority of those who would be eligible to carry concealed on campus would not be students at all, but faculty and staff? How many of them would be carrying guns? Who knows?

A criminal, like the one who shot up the Virginia Tech campus in 2007, doesn’t care about the law. They are are going to break the law in any case, either by robbing someone at gunpoint, or by shooting someone. What does breaking one more law matter to them?

It turns out that the main deterrent to an armed attack on campus, as it is anywhere, is the unknown. The criminal, who doesn’t care about breaking gun laws in the commission of other crimes, does care about being shot in the commission of that crime. And since they don’t know which of their intended victims or bystanders might be able and willing to fight back, they choose not to attempt the crime at all.

Please join me in supporting Students for Concealed Carry on Campus and Georgia Students for Concealed Carry on Campus.

How Many Guns Do I Need?

On By Tom LindsayIn Gun Rights, Self Defense, Training2 Comments

Michael over at the RKBArms Blog asked the same question recently. You can see his personal answers there.

First, let me say that I really think the question is almost invalid, especially to a law abiding American. On the one hand, the anti-gun crown will answer “zero,” which just leads to a pointless discussion.

On the other hand, it’s almost like asking how much money I need, or how many pages long should a resume be*. There is no real answer, or at best, any answers depend strongly on the assumptions that are made.

Here are the five essential guns Michael identified, which, given the nature of his blog, apply to a defense situation:

1. Every Day Carry
2. BUG (Back Up Gun)
3. Home Defense Sidearm
4. Home Defense Carbine
5. Home Defense Shotgun

I can’t disagree with any of these from a defensive standpoint.

All I would add would be the caveat that there should be enough additions for each able bodied shooter in the household. In a SHTF situation, having a carbine and/or handgun for each person would make survival a lot more likely.

It also occurs to me that, depending on the size and layout of the house or area being defended, the number of Back-up Guns may need to increase.

For me, my guns are

1. Glock 21SF
2. Glock 19
3. Glock 17
4. SKS with detachable magazines
5. Mossberg 500

Admittedly, I sometimes carry the Glock 19 in lieu of the Glock 21, depending on my clothing choices.

In a SHTF situation, I would carry the G21 and SKS, my wife would carry the G17, and my son would carry a Ruger 10/22 with 4 – 30 round magazines.

The key here is making sure everyone is proficient with their assigned guns, and knows where spare ammo, holsters, etc. are stored. Then train, train, train.

++++++

On the gripping had, this list touches addresses defense needs only. One could make any number of lists based on the category in question:

Competition: One for each competition type and class. Skeet gun, trap gun. 3-gun rifle, Camp Perry rifle. SASS: 2 pistols, a rifle in pistol caliber, and a shotgun. (That’s by far the easiest. Maybe.)

Hunting: Big game, small game, medium game.

Then there is collecting.

* On the issue of how many pages a resume should be, most people will respond one of two ways: either the resume should be all one page to make it easier to read, or the resume should be as many pages as it takes to convey the amount of information to get an interview.

But, in fact, this is a trick question: there is no answer any more, and here’s why. Most resumes will never be printed on paper, they will only be viewed and read on a computer screen. So, since there are no pages, the question is invalid.

I suppose I would go with the second answer at that point – include everything you need to include so you get the interview. Remember, no one hires your resume, they hire the person, after an interview.

Disclosure: I work as an engineering recruiter, to pay for ammo and match fees.

Once More – Power In Numbers

On By Tom LindsayIn 2AF, GeorgiaCarry, Gun Rights, NRA

If you read anything about shooting other than this blog, you know our Second Amendment rights are under attack like never before, even as more and more Supreme Court decisions confirm the self-defense right of the individual, and more and more states and localities do away with outmoded restrictions based on fear and mis-information.

That’s why it’s more important than ever that all shooters are members of the shooting rights organizations that are fighting for those rights.

The National Rifle Association is the 800 pound gorilla of the gun rights world. Say what you will about the politics and controversy, but you have to agree that when they call, they get appointments, and people listen. If you don’t like their constant stream of solicitations, do like I do – drop them in the recycle bin. But keep your membership current, or, do like I did 15 years ago. Use their extended payment plan to become a Life Member. Yes, they will continue to ask you to upgrade, but now you don’t have to do it, and you get a gun magazine every month for the rest of your life.

The Second Amendment Foundation is the group responsible for the Heller and McDonald Supreme Court cases, as well as the Ezell ruling which will eventually overturn the Chicago gun ban. This kind of work takes money, and $15 a year is well worth it.

But don’t stop there. Tip O’Neill once said that all politics is local, and that’s true in gun rights as well. Join your state gun rights group, and any local groups in your area.

I was going to put together a list of the state gun rights groups, but I found there is a great list on the lower right of the links on the main page at The Gun Wire. Check it out. Join.

WHY JOIN GUN RIGHTS GROUPS?
or
WHY DO YOU GIVE YOUR MONEY TO LOBBYISTS?

I’m asked that all the time. Here’s my answer.

The First Amendment says

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Emphasis mine

I don’t have the time or money to go to Atlanta or Washington and talk to all the people who can take away my gun rights.

But I can join with millions of others, and put our money together, and pay them to do it for us.

It’s our right. And if the person I’m talking with respects my First Amendment right, then respecting the Second Amendment should follow.