Liberty University to allow guns in residence halls

[katietornado]

Link

LYNCHBURG, Va. — Liberty University will soon end a rule that prohibits students from bringing firearms into residence halls, the school’s president said Wednesday in what he described as a measure to increase campus safety.



President Jerry Falwell Jr. made the announcement here to a gathering of several thousand students at the evangelical Christian school, drawing heavy applause. On Friday, Falwell had urged eligible students to get training from school authorities to enable them to obtain a permit to carry concealed weapons.

He said that if more people carry concealed weapons at Liberty, it would help the school deter attacks such as the recent mass shooting in San Bernardino, Calif., that left 14 people dead and more wounded.



“I take very seriously my responsibility to keep you safe in an increasingly dangerous world,” Falwell said.



As he spoke, Falwell was carrying a small pistol in his back pocket, which he later showed to a reporter.



Liberty has allowed students, faculty and staff — who have the proper state permits — to carry concealed guns on campus since 2011, Falwell said, a measure taken in response to the 2007 massacre at nearby Virginia Tech. He obtained a permit himself in 2013.

Under Virginia law, residents may obtain a concealed-carry permit if they are 21 or older. About 950 people at Liberty now have concealed-carry permits, Falwell said. He said hundreds more in recent days have signed up for a training course to get a permit.



“I want to applaud you and thank you for taking steps to make our campus even more safe,” Falwell said. Liberty’s rule change in 2011 allowed permit holders to bring guns into all buildings on campus except residence halls, Falwell said. Students who lived in residence halls and owned guns were required to store them in cars or other secure areas.

After his remarks Friday, which stirred controversy as the nation debates gun rights and gun control, Falwell said he received many messages of support from the campus community. He said he also received requests via email to lift the gun ban in residence halls for students who hold permits. He said he has heard that parking lots are too distant from some of the school’s new dormitories, and students who hold permits were worried about that distance, he said.



“So we’re making that change at your request,” he said. Falwell said he expects Liberty’s board will approve the change in coming days. “We must also look out for each other, report suspicious activity and be alert,” Falwell said.



Quincy Thompson, 22, Liberty’s student body president, who is majoring in pastoral leadership, said after Farwell’s address that he and most students on campus support Falwell’s view.



“I believe we have the safest college campus in America,” Thompson said. “We also have students who have been given the opportunity to defend themselves.” Thompson said he does not have a concealed-carry permit but is thinking about getting one next semester.

[ijack]

yikes

[Deleted]

I wouldn't expect anything less from Liberty University.

[Deleted]

It's a shame. I read the book by the kid who did a semester there and it seemed like there was a lot of sheltered kids whose parents only let them apply to ultra-religious colleges.  We weren't even allowed Thumb Tacks in my college dorm.

[ChillyMcFreeze]

Cool, because Lynchburg has such a stellar history of campus safety. (Different school, I know.)

[ESF]

I'm going to guess that Liberty is a dry campus, and drinking is probably policed far more heavily than on normal college campuses.

I'm curious what these nuts think about guns in dorms in colleges where binge drinking is a serious problem.

[katietornado]

Dec 10, 2015 13:58:04 GMT -5 @mx said:

Have you seen the list of things that are still banned in dorms? Like crock pots and lava lamps?

Those are dangerous though.

[wambam]

Dec 10, 2015 13:58:04 GMT -5 @mx said:

Have you seen the list of things that are still banned in dorms? Like crock pots and lava lamps?

I always thought the list of allowable vs. banned items were so arbitrary. Crock pot? NEVER Coffee pot? Sure, totes okay. WHAT IS tHE DIFFERENCE?!

[marriedfilingjoint]

I didn't see anything about requiring a gun safe to store one's firearms? People would go into my dorm room and borrow my clothes without asking. If the door was locked, my roommate just let them in. Sounds like they really thought this out, though, for the safety of the students.

[cattledogkisses]

I know this isn't the main point, but I'm side-eyeing the fact that they were having students store their guns in their cars. I don't know about Liberty, but at my University people's cars get broken into pretty often. A car is not a good or safe place to store a gun. (My University's police department will store people's guns for them, IIRC.)

[ESF]

Dec 10, 2015 13:58:04 GMT -5 @mx said:

Have you seen the list of things that are still banned in dorms? Like crock pots and lava lamps?

Well, yes. Dorms are not safes places. There's a lot of dangerous things that could sneak in. Which is why I should have the second amendment right to protect myself and my roommate from contraband halogen lamps and scented candles. 

[ttt]

I don't understand why they would need guns when they have Jesus.

Isnt that why we have so many school shootings, because we've taken God out of our schools? Seems like Liberty wouldn't need to worry about this.

[StrawberryBlondie]

Dec 10, 2015 14:12:11 GMT -5 wambam said:

Dec 10, 2015 13:58:04 GMT -5 @mx said:

Have you seen the list of things that are still banned in dorms? Like crock pots and lava lamps?

I always thought the list of allowable vs. banned items were so arbitrary. Crock pot? NEVER Coffee pot? Sure, totes okay. WHAT IS tHE DIFFERENCE?!

We couldn't have either. Or toasters. George Foreman grills were totes OK.

[Deleted]

Dec 10, 2015 15:05:12 GMT -5 ttt said:

I don't understand why they would need guns when they have Jesus.

Isnt that why we have so many school shootings, because we've taken God out of our schools? Seems like Liberty wouldn't need to worry about this.

I was going to ask if there does happen to be a shooting there, if the reason would be because the devil made him do it.

[debatethis]

Is there a way to figure out what insurance company(ies) hold Liberty's liability insurance? I would loooove to petition them to drop these crazycakes fundies like a hot potato.

[open24hours]

One of my biggest concerns about allowing guns in campus housing is the potential increase of sexual assault and rape. Imagine this: girl goes to boy's room, they start fooling around, girl says no sometime during the encounter, boy pulls out gun and rapes girl at gunpoint. I don't think that is a very far fetched scenario. But, of course, girl will be branded a slut and deserving of the attack and no one wil see how guns made a bad situation worse.

[debatethis]

Dec 10, 2015 15:45:31 GMT -5 open24hours said:

One of my biggest concerns about allowing guns in campus housing is the potential increase of sexual assault and rape. Imagine this: girl goes to boy's room, they start fooling around, girl says no sometime during the encounter, boy pulls out gun and rapes girl at gunpoint. I don't think that is a very far fetched scenario. But, of course, girl will be branded a slut and deserving of the attack and no one wil see how guns made a bad situation worse.

Liberty is somewhat notorious for these scenarios already, the idea that guns could be added into the mix makes me want to vomit.

[firedancer10288]

Dec 10, 2015 13:37:22 GMT -5 ChillyMcFreeze said:

Cool, because Lynchburg has such a stellar history of campus safety. (Different school, I know.)

[

What school are you referring to?

So glad I no longer live anywhere near Lynchburg. College kids with guns is just a bad combination.

[firedancer10288]

Dec 10, 2015 15:45:31 GMT -5 open24hours said:

One of my biggest concerns about allowing guns in campus housing is the potential increase of sexual assault and rape. Imagine this: girl goes to boy's room, they start fooling around, girl says no sometime during the encounter, boy pulls out gun and rapes girl at gunpoint. I don't think that is a very far fetched scenario. But, of course, girl will be branded a slut and deserving of the attack and no one wil see how guns made a bad situation worse.

Girls aren't allowed in boys' dorms...problem solved! <sarcasm font>

[wambam]

Dec 10, 2015 16:11:58 GMT -5 firedancer10288 said:

Dec 10, 2015 15:45:31 GMT -5 open24hours said:

One of my biggest concerns about allowing guns in campus housing is the potential increase of sexual assault and rape. Imagine this: girl goes to boy's room, they start fooling around, girl says no sometime during the encounter, boy pulls out gun and rapes girl at gunpoint. I don't think that is a very far fetched scenario. But, of course, girl will be branded a slut and deserving of the attack and no one wil see how guns made a bad situation worse.

Girls aren't allowed in boys' dorms...problem solved! <sarcasm font>

My friend went to a conservative Christian college. They had particular times of the week when men could go to women's dorms (women couldn't go to men's dorms though), called visitation hours. Anyways, they had a rule that you had to keep a book in the door to prevent the door from closing. AND if you were sitting on the bed, everyone had to keep at least one of their feet on the floor.

Because that prevents sex. Fo sho.