Download Student for Concealed Carry on Campus - UNF-UFF

Friday’s Lead Letter: Student Issues Propaganda
on Guns, Campus
Florida Times Union
Friday, September 4, 2015
The Times Union recently published a widely distributed piece of propaganda entitled
"College students deserve the right to carry guns on campus" by Rebekah Hargrove,
ostensibly President of Students for Concealed Carry at FSU. (This student
organization—which first appeared at the same time that the NRA and its state offshoots
began pushing for concealed carry rights on campus—does not list Ms. Hargrove as one
of their 11 members.) This letter, which has appeared in a plethora of newspapers and
right-wing websites, misrepresents the facts in order to perpetuate a culture of fear.
In her treatise, Ms. Hargrove carefully selects her statistics, ignores contradictory data,
and makes false claims. She says, for example, that 20-25% of female college students
are sexually assaulted but not that the vast majority of campus sexual assaults are
instances of “date rape” (i.e., social situations in which a victim knows her assaulter and
is unlikely to be carrying a weapon). She says that being armed will make her safer but
not that women are 500 times more likely to be seriously injured or killed when a weapon
(including the weapon of the victim) is present during a sexual assault. She says that
college campuses “are safe haven[s] for rapists and violent criminals” but not that
statistics clearly show that campuses are exponentially safer places than the communities
in which they are located. While sexual assault—on campus or off—is indeed a serious
issue, the presence of guns confounds the problem rather than ameliorating it.
Hargrove also ignores the myriad corollary problems associated with armed students: the
deleterious effect on academic discussion and free speech in college classes; armed
individuals in university hospitals, campus health and counseling centers, and at sporting
events; skyrocketing successful suicides; tens of millions of dollars in costs to
universities and colleges for additional personnel and equipment; increased instances of
lost or stolen weapons, etc. These, the real facts, are why this bill is vehemently opposed
by student governments; by the faculty, staff, and administrators of Florida’s colleges and
universities; by campus mental health professionals; by campus police; by the committee
that investigated the Virginia Tech shootings, and by all rational-thinking individuals.
John W. White, Ph.D. President, United Faculty of Florida (UNF Chapter) http://jacksonville.com/opinion/letters-readers/2015-09-03/story/leadletter-dont-listen-propaganda-being-spewed-those
Student Letter Below
Monday's Lead Letter: College students deserve
the right to carry guns on campus
Florida Times Union
By Florida State student Fri, Aug 28, 2015 @ 3:27 pm
Florida’s proposed “Campus Carry” legislation by Rep. Greg Steube and Sen. Greg Evers is not only about
restoring a constitutional right, it is fundamental to the safety of college students, especially women. As a
Hispanic female college student, I know the dangers of being a woman on a university campus.
My father escaped Cuba to come to this country, so his children could have freedom, not for his daughters
to become victims because our constitutional freedoms were stripped from us while getting an education.
The National Sexual Violence Resource Center reports that up to 25 percent of female college students are
victimized by rape.
Further, one-third of the rapes occur on college campuses. Those facts are being swept under the rug by
colleges and universities. If gun-free zones and whistles worked, why are so many women still being
raped?
As a woman licensed to carry a firearm, I can defend myself off campus, but the second I step on campus, I
no longer have the right to defend myself.
Effectively, I become a ward of the university, but the university hides behind sovereign immunity that
protects it from civil suits and criminal prosecution for failing to protect me.
A college campus is a “gun-free zone,” which means it is a safe haven for rapists and violent criminals,
leaving law-abiding students defenseless.
Claiming license holders will stress out from school work and increase gun violence on campus is worn-out
rhetoric.
Responsible adult students and faculty members carry all over town every day. Yet gun violence has not
increased at these places. Statistics show that licensed gun owners are far more responsible than the general
population.
Further, it is shocking that some women fight for the right to choose to make decisions about their own
bodies, then turn around and lobby against allowing women to choose to carry a firearm to protect their
bodies from rape and violent assault.
The issue comes down to whether you support the right to carry on campus or whether you support rapists
having free access to unarmed victims.
It’s that simple.
I don’t want to be a victim. The state should not force me to be.
Rebekah Hargrove, Tallahassee
“Rebekah Hargrove, president of Students for Concealed Carry at FSU, said while she stands behind
police departments, they can't be everywhere all the time.”
from http://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2015/03/18/rep-michelle-rehwinkel-vasilinda-backs-gunscampus-bill/24965377/
AND THIS:
Campus carry allows me to avoid
becoming a victim
http://www.tallahassee.com/story/opinion/2015/08/21/campus-carry-allows-avoidbecoming-victim/32136467/
Rebekah Hargrove, My View 4:27 p.m. EDT August 21, 2015 Florida’s proposed “Campus Carry” legislation by Rep. Greg Steube and Sen. Greg Evers is not only about
restoring a Constitutional right; it is fundamental to the safety of college students, especially women. As a
Hispanic female college student, I know the dangers of being a woman on a university campus.
My father escaped Cuba to come to this country so his children could have freedom, not for his daughters
to become victims while getting an education.
The National Sexual Violence Resource Center reports 20-25 percent of female college students are raped
— that is one in five. Further, one-third of the rapes occur on college campuses. Those facts are being
swept under the rug by colleges and universities. If gun-free zones and whistles worked, why are so many
women still being raped?
As a woman licensed to carry a firearm for protection, I can defend myself off campus, but the second I
step on campus, I no longer have the right to defend myself. I must surrender constitutional rights that
guarantee my right to keep and bear arms and of self-defense to get a college education.
Effectively, I become a ward of the university but the university has no legal duty or responsibility for my
safety. In fact, they hide behind sovereign immunity that protects them from civil suits and criminal
prosecution for failing to protect me.
A college campus is not holy ground that is free from alcohol, drugs, guns, rapists and violent criminals.
Rather, as a “gun-free-zone” it is a safe-haven for rapists and violent criminals, leaving law-abiding
students defenseless.
Claiming license holders will stress out from school work and increase gun violence on campus is worn-out
rhetoric. Responsible, adult students and faculty members carry in grocery stores, coffee shops, department
stores, parks, hiking trails and all over town every day. Yet gun violence has not increased at any of these
places. In fact, statistics show that licensed gun owners are far more responsible than the general
population.
Further, it is shocking that some women fight for the right to choose to make decisions about their own
bodies, then turn around and lobby against allowing women to choose to carry a firearm to protect their
bodies from rape and violent assault.
The issue comes down to whether you support the right to carry on campus or whether you support rapists
having free access to unarmed victims. It’s that simple.
I do not want to be a victim and the state should not force me to be one. “Campus Carry” is about choosing
not to be a victim.
Rebekah Hargrove is a MSW/MPH graduate student at Florida State University and President of
Students for Concealed Carry at FSU.
AND THIS
POINT OF VIEW: ‘Campus carry’
would allow women to protect themselves
5:00 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2015 | Filed in: Opinion
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/opinion/point-of-view-campus-carry-would-allow-women-topr/nnQsY/
Florida’s proposed “campus carry” legislation by Rep. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, and Sen. Greg Evers, RPensacola, is not only about restoring a constitutional right; it is fundamental to the safety of college
students, especially women. As a Hispanic female college student, I know the dangers of being a woman on
a university campus.
The National Sexual Violence Resource Center reports that 20 percent to 25 percent of female college
students are victimized by rape. Further, one-third of the rapes occur on college campuses. If gun-free
zones and whistles worked, why are so many women still being raped?
Hargrove
As a woman licensed to carry a firearm for protection, I can defend myself off-campus. But the second I
step on campus, I no longer have the right to defend myself. I must surrender constitutional rights that
guarantee my right to keep and bear arms — and of self-defense — in order to get a college education.
A college campus is not free from alcohol, drugs, guns, rapists or violent criminals. Rather, as a “gun-free
zone,” it is a safe haven for rapists and violent criminals, leaving law-abiding students defenseless.
Claiming that gun-license holders will stress out from schoolwork and thus increase gun violence on
campus is worn-out rhetoric. Responsible adult students and faculty members “carry” in grocery stores,
coffee shops, department stores, parks, hiking trails and all over town.
Yet gun violence has not increased at any of these places. In fact, statistics show that licensed gun owners
are far more responsible than the general population.
Further, it is shocking that some women fight for the right to choose to make decisions about their own
bodies, then turn around and lobby against allowing women to choose to carry a firearm to protect their
bodies from rape and violent assault.
The issue comes down to whether you support the right to “carry” on campus — or whether you support
rapists having free access to unarmed victims.
“Campus carry” is about choosing not to be a victim. I do not want to be a victim, and the state should not
force me to be one.
REBEKAH HARGROVE, TALLAHASSEE
Editor’s note: Rebekah Hargrove is a studying for a master’s in social work at Florida State University and
president of Students for Concealed Carry at FSU.