Recently, a woman was
kidnapped at an UNLV parking garage and sexually assaulted at gunpoint.
Once again, campus police failed to protect a student from being attacked. All
the campus gun ban did was ensure that this woman was an easy target. However,
she was able to grab the suspect’s gun, after being assaulted, and managed to
get away. Opponents of campus carry say that the student will just be disarmed
by an attacker; they never talk about the victim getting the bad guy’s gun.
This situation should never have happened. As originally proposed, colleges
and universities were never meant to be gun-free zones.
Did you know that it is possible to get written permission
to carry a concealed firearm on university campuses in Nevada? Unfortunately,
the process is so Byzantine that few actually obtain permission to carry. For the
average person to get permission for self-defense carry, the standard is far
and beyond “good cause,” but practically requires that an attack has already
happened or one is highly likely to be attacked. Elevated, but non-specific
threats, or a general concern for one’s safety is not considered good enough to get permission to carry.
Nevada law allows an exemption from NRS 202.265’s
total ban on firearms on campuses if the president of the college or university
(or school principal) grants written permission. The Nevada
System of Higher Education (NSHE) policy leaves much to be desired. We
obtained brief descriptions of the approved and denied permissions for the past
five years showing the vast majority of requests are denied or are approved for
other-than self-defense (viewable
here).
It doesn’t help that educational authorities are often
anti-gun while others are concerned that they may be liable for any issues that
arise if permission is granted. In an industry fraught with hoplophobic
and hoplopathic sentiments, the fear is understandable. Does a sympathetic
president grant permission, knowing that his or her career may be in jeopardy
if the armed person misbehaves? It almost appears that permission to carry for
self-defense is only granted when it would be inhumane not to, or indefensible
to deny.
The presidents should never need to wait for an applicant
with a story as horrific as that of Amanda Collins before they feel that they
have enough “cover” to act without be criticized by peers or the anti-gun
public. I am no lawyer, but a president or the entire NSHE should not be liable
for an accident or misbehavior by an authorized armed person any more than the
sheriff should be in the rare cases where a concealed firearm permittee acts
up. Fear of lawsuits and criticism should never deter anyone from allowing
responsible citizens from protecting themselves. Imagine being under the pressure
of having to deny a permit because “Sorry, you haven’t been raped or beaten
yet.”
It’s time to encourage the NSHE Board of Trustees to adopt a
new policy that changes their system to one that can help protect students
instead of guarantee criminals a resistance-free crime zone. Presidents need to
know they are absolved of liability for acting in good-faith to help protect
their students from killers, rapists, robbers, carjackers, and abusers. NSHE
has to the power to help stop these attacks; will they do nothing or will they
act?
If you haven’t read the background on Nevada campus carry,
be sure to read
this article.
Do you attend class,
teach, or have business at a Nevada public college or university? Do you wish
to carry a concealed firearm for your safety? Apply today! The worst they can
do is say no. Please save and forward any and all correspondence (approvals,
denials, and your letters) to Nevada Carry. Any personal information or letters
will be kept in the strictest confidence. See the NSHE policy for how to apply.
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