Students for Concealed Carry on Campus at Virginia Tech

The week of April 21-25 is a vocal week for SCCC nationwide. With the Empty Holster Protest being held at over 300 campuses and with over 3,000 participants, it is a week to make an all-important but simple statement:

We do not approve of our college, university, and/or state legislature taking away our right to self-defense.

As well, we here at VT believe that education is key to our mission, and hence are hosting Firearms Education Week. Most people only think of guns as weapons of crime, but with an estimated 1-2 MILLION cases of defensive gun use every year, it is clear that they serve a higher purpose, too.

Finally, input from others is needed to show the status and concerns of related parties like police, gun store owners, and the people of the university.

Putting all of this together, we have the events of the week:

Collegiate Times Article

All week:

• Empty Holster Protest: Participants go about their daily lives around campus wearing empty holsters. They are also asked to engage with and provide more information to others who inquire about the holster, as part of Firearms Education Week. No permit is required, and participants do not have to have the desire to carry, just respect the right of those who choose to. Facebook event (click here)
  
• Firearms Education Week: Encompasses all activities of the week, with the goal of sharing with others the facts and reasoning that supporters have for this cause. Many of us were opposing before, but have since learned more about concealed carry and now support it. Facebook event (click here)
  

Wednesday, April 23rd:

• Meeting with VT Police Chief Flinchum (private): As concealed carry on campus inevitably involves the fine officers that serve and protect our campus, we are going to consult with the chief on how this would affect them and their jobs. This is for our information, too, to see if there are concerns we have not addressed.

Thursday, April 24th:

• Eric Thompson, guest speaker – 7pm, Whittemore 300: As owner of TGSCOM, Inc., the company that made sales to both the VT and NIU attackers, Eric found a special motivation to get involved: “I also believe I now have a special responsibility to do all I can to try and prevent further loss of life.” Please note that seating is very limited, so please arrive early (doors open 6:45pm). For more on the company and Eric’s statements about the tragedies, please see http://www.tgscom.com/
  

Friday, April 25th:

• VT Community Survey and Quiz: To take input from the VT community, SCCC at VT is opening a survey and quiz on the topic of concealed carry on campus. Conducted via survey.vt.edu, the quiz will cover basic facts of concealed carry on campus, and the survey will take input on opinions on the topic. The results will be reported as quiz results, survey results, and correlation between the two. Also, we are seeking a neutral co-host for this to ensure objectivity. The survey will open on Friday, April 25th at 8am, and close on Sunday, April 27th at midnight.

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