Liberty University OKs Concealed Guns on Campus

Godfather Politics

Verbatim Post

Liberty University has “enacted a policy allowing visitors, students and staff who have concealed weapons permits to carry guns on campus.” The policy replaces an earlier provision that is common to most colleges and universities of a complete ban of firearms on university grounds. Students can’t even keep a firearm locked in the trunk of a student’s car.

Liberty Chancellor Jerry Falwell, Jr. had this to say about the new policy change:

“It adds to the security and safety of the campus and it’s a good thing. If something — God forbid — ever happened like what happened at Virginia Tech, there would be more than just our police officers who would be able to deal with it.”

There are many people who believe the best way to stop gun crime is to outlaw the possession of guns. With no guns, the argument goes, there won’t be any gun deaths. )I guess the same thing could be said about 40,000+ automobile deaths that happen every year in the United States.) Of course, criminals don’t pay attention to gun laws. In fact, they don’t pay attention to any laws. There are laws against stealing, rape, and murder, and yet there are still people who steal, rape, and murder. That’s why they’re called criminals. There are strict laws against certain drugs and illegal immigrations, and yet we have a lot of both.

The Luby’s restaurant massacre took place on October 16, 1991, in Killeen, Texas. George Hennard drove his pickup truck into the cafeteria and shot 23 people to death while wounding another 20, subsequently committing suicide by shooting himself. It was the deadliest shooting rampage in American history until the April16, 2007 Virginia Tech massacre that left 33 dead, including the gunman.

Responding to the massacre [at the Luby’s cafeteria], the Texas Legislature in 1995 passed a shall-issue gun law, which requires that all qualifying applicants be issued a Concealed Handgun License. . . .

The law had been campaigned for by Dr. Suzanna Hupp, who was present at the massacre where both of her parents were shot and killed. She later expressed regret for obeying the law by leaving her firearm in her car rather than keeping it on her person due to the fact that it could have cost her chiropractic license. She testified across the country in support of concealed handgun laws, and was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1996. The law was signed by then-Governor George W. Bush.

I suspect that some lone shooter or group of terrorists will think twice about going on the campus of Liberty University to cause mischief or worse.

Here’s a caveat written by Godfather columnist Bojidar Marinov: “This is good news but it is not enough. Many of the massacres happen within the buildings and especially classrooms. Not much will be achieved by disarming students and professors where guns are most needed.”

The Fort Hood shooting is a case in point. Nidal Malik Hasan killed 13 (one of whom was pregnant). Thirty others, including the shooter, were wounded and required hospitalization. As a matter of practice, Fort Hood personnel do not carry weapons on the base. Military weapons are only used for training or by base security, and personal weapons must be kept locked away by the provost marshal.