Considering the nation's recent shootings and the resulting political debates, Students for Concealed Carry takes a stand with their views on campus gun control.
"Our organization believes in the right of citizens to responsibly defend themselves within the boundaries set forth by the law," said Nathan Young, president of Auburn's Students for Concealed Carry. "To that end, we believe that students who have met the requirements and received a state issued concealed weapons permit should not have their rights abridged by University policy."
Auburn's weapon policy prohibits the use, possession and transportation of dangerous or potentially dangerous weapons. These include, but are not limited to, concealed fixed blade knives, pistols, revolvers, air guns and explosive devices.
"Students for Concealed Carry believes that a responsible citizen who is licensed by the state to carry a concealed firearm for personal protection should not be denied that right on university property," said Stephen Gulley, adviser for Auburn's Students for Concealed Carry.
Students for Concealed Carry was founded after the Virginia Tech shootings in 2007 by Chris Brown, a political science major from the University of North Texas.
"Our efforts are viewed with a variety of emotions, I am sure, but many of the responses we have received have been positive," Young said. "We place great emphasis on responsibility and respect for the law."
Young said he believes weapons should be allowed on campus for licensed individuals.
"We advocate various means of preparation for self-defense, including nonlethal methods such as pepper spray or Tasers," Young said. "In the realm of firearms, we support training citizens in proper firearms safety through various programs, and we have sponsored hands-on firearms safety seminars in the past, and hope to do so in the future."
The two main functions of the organization are to educate the public by dispelling misconceptions and to promote legislation on concealed weapon rights, according to the Students for Concealed Carry website.
"Students for Concealed Carry believes that those individuals who are legally able to carry firearms off campus should have the ability to do so on campus," said David Shamp, vice president of Auburn's Students for Concealed Carry. "Basically those people with government issued concealed pistol permits. Permit holders normally undergo background checks and often times training, depending on the state or county."
Gulley said the organization does not take a position on gun use in general, only on the ability of licensed concealed carriers to exercise that right on campus.
"The shootings in Aurora happened in a facility that restricted law abiding citizens the right to carry firearms," Shamp said. "If anything, the recent gun violence has only made people more interested in the right of legal self-defense through the use of a firearm."
Shamp said the organization feels recent gun violence should promote legal firearm ownership, not discourage it.
"The issue at hand is Auburn University's restriction upon firearms," Shamp said. "Legally they cannot restrict a law abiding citizen from carrying in Auburn University, since it's a state-sponsored school, public property and the right to bear arms is protected by both the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and Article I section 26 of the Alabama State Constitution."
According to the Office of the Attorney General's website, Alabama law prohibits carrying a pistol in a vehicle or concealed on or about themselves without a pistol permit license.
"Our law enforcement agencies are superb and we respect them greatly, but they cannot predict random criminal activity to protect all citizens," Young said. "The reason that they are often known as first responders is because they can only as a general rule respond to already ongoing criminal activity, not prevent it from happening initially."
Young said the purpose of self-defense advocacy is to make people prepared to defend themselves until law enforcement can arrive.
"It is our wish that no violent crime would ever be committed against an innocent citizen; but because in our present world this dream is unlikely to become reality, we believe that it is best for citizens to have a means of defense to prevent them from victimization by the violent criminals who would commit crimes against them," Young said.
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