concealedcampus.org

On the heels of previous complaints about Tarrant County College’s extreme restrictions on free expression, two students and SCCC members filed suit in federal court against the college on Tuesday. The lawsuit was conducted through the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education and American Civil Liberties Union, and sought a temporary restraining order against the college’s censorship of students’ participation in SCCC’s “Empty Holster Protest,” the symbolic protest against anti-defense policies on campus.

The college forced students to stay within a confined zone to distribute pro-defense literature, and prohibited the empty holsters.

On November 6, Judge Terry R. Means granted the temporary restraining order, allowing TCC students to participate in the event.

“Free speech isn’t free anymore when you’re telling students to stay inside a little box,” said David Burnett, a spokesman for the group. “It’s not like these students wanted to disrupt class. They wanted to engage their classmates out in the open about their cause. We ‘re pleased that the court sided with our members, but it’s unfortunate that it had to end up in court to begin with. Colleges shouldn’t have the ability to suspend human rights, whether it’s the right to free speech or the right to self-defense.”

A hearing is set for November 16.

Further links:
FIRE: Students File Lawsuit Challenging ‘Free Speech Zone’ After Repeated Censorship of Pro-Gun ‘Empty Holster’ Protest
Ft. Worth Star Telegram: Federal lawsuit filed against TCC’s free-speech zones
Houston Chronicle: College can’t restrict empty-holster demonstration

November 4, 2009 – Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, the leading advocate for self-defense rights on college campuses, announced “Defense Education Week” on Monday, the latest in a series of events designed to draw attention to their goal.

The event is intended to educate participants about weapons and self-defense, and includes Empty Holster Protests, free educational courses at shooting ranges, guest speakers, petition drives, legislative lobbying and a new website called “Armed or Not?” which invites visitors to observe and be quizzed on concealed carry. The group expects participation from college groups across the nation

“Our goal has always been to educate the public about who we are and what we’re about,” said David Burnett, a spokesman for the group. “There are gross misconceptions about what we advocate, and what self-defense on campus is for. People think we want to hand out guns to 18-year-olds, or sacrifice student safety, and that’s not at all the case. We don’t want to change who can carry, we want to change where.”

One of the event’s planners, Ken Stanton, is a graduate student at Virginia Tech who lost a friend in the Virginia Tech shooting and who now advocates letting citizens carry guns on campus. “It’s about more than just carrying a gun,” he said. “It’s about protecting your life. No school should ever have to be remembered for what Virginia Tech is.”

The group, which has over 41,000 supporters online and affiliated campus groups in nearly every state, has successfully prompted legislation to be considered in more than 20 states in the past two years. Colleges in Arizona, South Carolina and Michigan have loosened restrictions regarding weapons on campus as a result, and some states have already pre-filed similar bills for 2010.

“The reality is that this could make campuses a lot safer,” said Burnett. “The only people we want carrying weapons are the ones who have gone through the rigorous procedures required by state law to get a permit. If you’re a criminal looking for an easy victim, are you really going to pick a spot where you know citizens are empowered to fight back?”

“Campuses aren’t immune from crime, and if a student faces that kind of situation, we want them to have a fighting chance.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT
Students for Concealed Carry on Campus
David Burnett – Director of Public Relations
David.Burnett@concealedcampus.org

http://www.ConcealedCampus.com