CONCEALED HANDGUNS ON CAMPUS

People who know me pretty well, usually describe me as conservative in my political views or in a couple of cases as ultra conservative. I basically believe in smaller federal and state government that lives on a tight budget like the rest of us have to do and confines themselves to national defense and domestic tranquility. Like most true conservatives, I often wonder about kicking all the lawyers out of Washington and our state government and replacing them with people who actually are more representative of the people they serve.

I also enjoy hunting and target shooting and own several rifles, shotguns, revolvers, and semi-automatic handguns. While living in Texas, I had the opportunity to do community service as a volunteer for the College Station, Texas, Police Department’s Knight Watch program, where I spent several hours each week between 10:00 PM and 4:00AM patrolling an assigned area of the city. I was also among the first class of concealed handgun instructors certified by the Texas DPS, to teach the state’s concealed handgun course to citizens wanting to carry a concealed handgun in Texas.

Because of my conservative views, my unwavering support for the Second Amendment, my extensive background with firearms, and my certification as a Texas DPS Concealed Handgun Instructor, it comes as a surprise to some that I am adamantly opposed to private citizens carrying concealed in certain environments. The reason for my opposition to civilians carrying concealed in certain environments is a lack of training for that particular environment My own training in the use of a defensive firearm is pretty extensive, but when I trained citizens to responsibly carry a concealed handgun, I didn’t have the time to teach them everything I had personally been through in order to qualify for the DPS Instructor certification. I taught the State mandated course within the time constraints mandated and then either recommended or refused to recommend that the State issue a concealed carry license to each student that I had taught.

One of the environments in which I am opposed to citizens carrying concealed is on college campuses. The reason once again is a lack of training. Most highly trained individuals such as the police will tell you that a college campus is one of the last places they would want to have to confront a determined or suicidal individual with a gun. The number of people on campus at any given time, the crowded classrooms, narrow halls, not being able to control who or what is behind the target that bullets might go through , etc. are just a few of the issues that have to be considered. The police are trained to professionally handle the issues that must be considered and to make their decisions quickly. We never had anywhere near the time to train civilians to handle such a situation, let alone evaluate whether they could make the decisions necessary in a timely manner under such stress.

I’m sure that Jared Harward and his, Students For Concealed Carry on Campus, think they are ready to defend themselves and others should the need arise. Maybe they have taken heart because of some state laws that allow licensed people to carry on campus such as Texas. They fail to consider a couple of things though. In Texas, You have to complete a very comprehensive concealed handgun course and you can’t carry in the buildings on campus or even in the indoor parking garages.

I don’t really mean to pick on Jared, but I have to comment on one more thing concerning him. When I saw the picture of Jared in the Journal, I noticed that he was wearing a shoulder holster that pointed the muzzle straight back at whoever or whatever was behind him. Has he ever heard the cardinal rule of firearm handling that states, never point a firearm at anything you do not want to destroy? I and most professionals I know teach our students that if you must wear a shoulder holster, pick one that points the handgun down at the ground.

When obtaining a license to carry concealed in Idaho, one simply goes to the local sheriff’s office, fills out the application form, waits ninety days for a background check to be completed, picks up the paper work after ninety days and takes it to the court house to be processed. At no time is a course required and no shooting test is mandated. Even if the individual has a concealed license from another state that requires a course and is recognized in Idaho, that license and course didn’t qualify the individual to carry concealed inside the buildings of a college campus or to handle a violent situation on campus. The state mandated concealed carry courses in effect across the country are barely able in the time constraints they have, to train people to defend themselves and their families in environments where they have more control.

Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, and most civilians are referred to in the law enforcement and security communities as being unconsciously incompetent because they feel they are ready to defend themselves and others without understanding the larger issues surrounding the use of deadly force.

Unfortunately for these folks, being unconsciously incompetent isn’t a defense to prosecution if they didn’t know the threat levels and the legal response that is justified for each level, or if they didn’t realize that there is generally no protection under the law for injury to a third innocent party during defense of yourself or others

Maybe after Jared Harward completes his law enforcement training and POST, he will have a little different perspective on allowing concealed carry on campus.

As I said at the beginning of this article, I am a conservative. If you want to carry a concealed handgun, go fill out the application wait ninety days and then exercise your right to carry concealed.

I support you in doing whatever you feel is reasonable and necessary to ensure the safety of yourself and family. I also support you if you are willing to come to a neighbor’s aid. Just make sure you understand the liability issues.

If you want to carry concealed on campus, complete POST training, get hired by a police or sheriff’s office and get your supervisor’s authorization to carry concealed on campus which sometimes is understood as long as you are a sworn officer.

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