concealedcampus.org

The Colorado Court of Appeals announced a major decision on Thursday that upholds the right to carry a firearm for self-defense.

“This decision is a victory for individual freedom and a victory for the rule of law,” said Mountain States Legal Foundation Staff Attorney Jim Manley, who represents Students for Concealed Carry on Campus in its lawsuit against the University of Colorado ‘s firearms ban. “The Court vindicated the right to licensed concealed carry on campus and the constitutional protection for the right to keep and bear arms.”

The Board of Governors had argued that they have the authority to set rules on lawful concealed carry because the statute does not expressly forbade them from setting those rules. The court stated that it was “unpersuaded,” noting that the concealed carry law of Colorado “does not specify public universities in its list of exceptions.”

In December 2008, Students for Concealed Carry on Campus sued the University of Colorado to overturn CU’s ban on licensed concealed carry on campus. The El Paso County District Court dismissed the case in April 2009. Yesterday, the Court of Appeals reversed the district court’s dismissal of the students’ claims against the University, concluding:

“Although we express no opinion about the merits, we thus conclude that plaintiffs’ allegations that the policy unreasonably infringes on their right to bear arms in self-defense under article II, section 13 states a claim for relief concerning the ability to carry a firearm in a motor vehicle when traveling on or through a University of Colorado campus. The judgment is reversed and the case remanded for reinstatement of plaintiffs’ claims and further proceedings consistent with this opinion.”

The decision was unanimous.

Click here to read the ruling.

The Students for Concealed Carry on Campus Board of Directors is pleased to announce that for all of empty holder protest week (Now – April 10 @ 11:59 PM ET), there is an opportunity for anyone with a .edu email address to obtain a FREE CHP TRAINING COURSE for Virginia. Both residential and non-residential permits are available in Virginia.

Online training is valid under Virginia law for a Virginia CHP permit (VA Code §18.2-308 (G)(7) and (P1)(7)). Education and training are key goals of SCCC. By making training available to students, faculty, and staff on campus, we will further a goal shared by both sides of the gun rights debate: to educate about the core safety aspects of firearms and self-defense.

Here’s what you do:

1) Visit: http://www.onlineconcealedcarry.com/
2) Register with a .edu email address
3) Use the following discount code: 923726
4) Finish the course before April 10 @ 11:59 PM ET.

Upon completion of the course, you will be given a printable certificate of completion. Instructions on how to submit this certificate to Virginia authorities is available at: http://www.vsp.state.va.us/Firearms.shtm . Please note that you will be responsible for any state fee(s) and compliance with all legal standards that Virginia requires.

A Virginia CHP permit is currently valid in AK, AR, AZ, DE, FL, ID, IN, KY, LA, MI, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NM, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, and WV. Please note however that currently Michigan (MI), South Carolina (SC), and Florida (FL) only honor permits from residents of the issuing states.

College students across America will once again strap on empty holsters in an act of silent protest against laws and policies banning licensed concealed carry on campus.

The protest, sponsored by Students for Concealed Carry on Campus (SCCC), will take place April 5-9, 2010 and comes on the heels of college administrators discriminating against concealed carry permit holders, and censoring students who disagree.

According to the group, colleges have repeatedly ignored or attempted to keep students from discussing the issue. In Pennsylvania, one college banned SCCC member Christine Brashier from handing out fliers about the group, stating, “You may want to discuss this topic but the college does not, and you cannot make us.” Another college in Texas tried to block students from wearing the symbolic empty holsters on campus until a federal judge ruled that their ban violated the First Amendment. And a recent decision at Colorado State University overturned a long-standing policy that allowed concealed carry, despite the fact that crime on campus decreased rapidly since allowing concealed carry on campus, and no problems were reported among permit holders. The ban was opposed by students, Student Government, and local law enforcement.

“Colleges aren’t content to ban the right to self-defense anymore,” said David Burnett, a spokesman for SCCC. “Now they’re trying to suspend the right to freedom of speech. They want to silence us and hope we’ll go away. It’s outrageous and our membership cares too much about self defense to remain silent.”

The group was formed shortly after the Virginia Tech shooting, and advocates that persons with state-issued permits be allowed to carry concealed handguns on college grounds.

“Compulsory defenselessness doesn’t make students safer, it makes them less safe,” said Burnett. “A piece of paper taped to the door saying guns are against the rules has yet to stop a criminal, whether a mass shooter or an armed rapist. It merely assures the criminal that victims are incapable of effective resistance. There are no security checkpoints or metal detectors to pass through in order to enter a college campus and absolutely no way for colleges to control what a criminal brings on campus. Until they can take responsibility for our safety and guarantee our protection, colleges can’t be allowed to deny us the right to self-defense.”

Click here to download a copy of this press release. Campus leaders are encouraged to send a copy of this release to local news sources such as city or student papers, radio and TV stations.

For media inquiries, please contact David Burnett, SCCC’s Director of Public Relations.