With the final few weeks of the political season winding down, David Barker doesn't want to talk about partisan issues - he would rather talk about guns.
Specifically, concealed handgun carry on a college campus, an issue that was one vote shy of passing in the Indiana State House last spring.
According to Indiana state law those who have a Concealed Carry Weapons permit or Concealed Handgun Licenses can carry a hidden weapon on public property. However, weapons cannot be carried in "gun free zones" - the largest of which are college campuses.
"If people would give somebody five minutes to show them the evidence it would go a long way," Barker, a Ball State University alumnus, said. "It is a quest for truth, not a political issue down party lines. If it were I wouldn't be involved in it."
To obtain a CCW permit in Indiana a person must be at least 18 years old, go to the local sheriff's office and fill out the necessary paperwork. After a registration fee the local sheriff is required take fingerprint samples and do a legal and mental background check. From there, the information is given to the state police department for a second required check, and three to six weeks later a permit is mailed to the individual.
Junior criminal justice major Blake Graham is trying to put together a group for Students for Concealed Carry on Campus at Ball State. Barker started the group about a year ago, but it never became official because of the lack of a faculty adviser. Graham is trying to find that final piece.
"We're just looking for someone to support us, and it hasn't been easy," Graham said.
That doesn't stop Barker and Graham from sticking to their facts.
Graham said the most common arguments he has heard about the issue revolve around college parties. Particularly, he has heard the fact that alcohol at parties could cause those carrying to make bad decisions.
"I don't understand that argument," Graham said. "Those parties are off of campus property, which it is already legal to carry concealed."
The second-most common argument is that more guns will lead to more crime, Graham said.
"If you look at the data, places that have loose guns laws see lower crime rates," Barker said. "I think that's their secret. Innocent people getting murdered, who would think that adding more guns and make it better, that sounds absurd, but it's true."
According to U.S. Department of Justice and National Institute of Justice reports, criminals are more afraid of confronting a potential victim with a gun than they are of the police, and three of five convicted felons say they would not "mess around" with a person they suspected might have a gun.
In 2006, Utah became the first state to pass a law allowing concealed carry on college campuses. Since that time, the state has had zero incidents regarding the law, Graham said.
Concealed carry has been allowed at Colorado State University for five years and Blue Ridge Community College for 13 years. In both cases, concealed carry is not allowed in the state, but it is legal on campus.
"It's not surprising that people on the left and right may wait for second on this issue - on a college campus there is hesitation," Barker said. "People think it must be inherently different on a college campus than anywhere, when it's not."
Barker said the shooting at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University shouldn't push people away from the issue. Instead, he argued, the tragedies should help to advocate the need for personal safety on college campuses.
"I know that some people have a stigma about firearms, but personal safety is a day-to-day human issue," Barker said. "If you have a crazy guy that wants to kill people, he's not going to go to the [National Rifle Association's] meetings."
Barker and Graham both said the S.C.C.C.'s not trying to advocate vigilante justice, just personal protection. They both said it's an issue that may realistically pass in the Indiana State House next time it is introduced, so students need to be informed about all sides of the debate.
"Just because there is policy banning guns at Ball State doesn't mean they're not there," Graham said. "People who concealed carry aren't going to wear it around as a fashion statement. If the law passes it doesn't mean there will be more guns. People who are scared need to do more research and decide for themselves."
Student Initative
WHO
- A national, non-partisan, grassroots organization comprised of more than 30,000 college students, college faculty members, parents of college students and concerned citizens who support the right of concealed handgun license holders to carry concealed handguns on college campuses.
- SCCC has members in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and several foreign countries.
OBJECTIVES
- Educate the public about the facts of concealed carry and dispel the many myths about concealed carry.
- Push state legislatures and school administrations to grant concealed handgun license holders the right to carry concealed handguns on college campuses (same right license holders currently enjoy at most other places)
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