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View Full Version : Local paper ran this story today...



Will-IB-Ready
02-19-2011, 11:13 PM
Since you have to pay to read their material online, I'll give you some excerpts here. I give her credit, she had the facts straight and didn't twist my words as badly as some have.


Changes to concealed weapons law won't affect private businesses
By Whitney Gronski-Buffa
Pioneer Staff Writer
Published: Saturday, February 19, 2011 2:07 AM EST
BIG RAPIDS — At the grocery store or in the movie theater or in a parking lot by himself, Ferris State University student Chris Jane said he feels safer than he does while crossing campus, where he isn’t allowed to carry a concealed weapon.

Jane, 29, of Big Rapids, has a concealed pistol license, or CPL. He also is a National Rifle Association instructor and member of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, a nation-wide movement of students who want weapons in the classroom. Jane and other members write about the topic online at www.ConcealedCampus.com.

Since 2000, college campuses have been gun-free zones exempt from Michigan’s Concealed Pistol Permits Act.

“It doesn’t seem logical to me to just believe that I’m safe because I cross an imaginary line in the sidewalk that says I’m now in a gun-free zone,” Jane said. “Even though we have a fantastic police department here, it would still take three to five minutes for them to respond and that’s fast, but to be in a place where there’s an active shooter, that’s a long time to be hiding under a desk.”

On-campus attacks like the Virginia Tech massacre are never too far from Jane’s mind and aren’t a foreign concept in Big Rapids.

The Ferris community was shaken in 1980 when 20-year-old student Thomas Kakonis walked into a classroom and shot his accounting professor, Robert Brauer, in front of 30 other students. Kakonis was found not guilty by reason of insanity later that year.

Jane said that kind of attack is one that could have been subdued if a responsible, gun-carrying student would have been able to react in that situation. That’s why Jane still won’t be satisfied with Michigan’s gun policy even if the concealed weapon law is changed this year.


A proposed amendment to Michigan’s concealed weapons law could remove the gun-free distinction from college campuses, effectively allowing campus visitors to carry a concealed weapon in dorms or classrooms.

If passed, Senate Bill No. 58, sponsored by State Sen. Mike Green (R-Mayville), would repeal portions of Michigan’s concealed carry law that prohibit gun owners from carrying their weapons in public schools, day cares centers, stadiums, bars, churches and hospitals, in addition to college campuses.

But repealing those restrictions wouldn’t necessarily change the sanctions that Ferris places on university employees and students like Jane who want to carry guns.

“Something that’s important to remember is that there’s a difference between administrative sanctions (and state law),” said Marty Bledsoe, director of FSU’s Department of Public Safety. “We can put sanctions on them that are private, civil sanctions. For example, we can say that you can’t have candles in the dorms just as we can say you can’t have guns in the dorms.”

As it stands, students and employees are not allowed to carry any weapons on campus. Unless changes are made to the bill before it is put into law, universities still would be able to impose gun-free limitations on students and staff.

The same would be true in privately owned businesses, such as bars or day care centers, said Mecosta County Prosecutor Peter Jaklevic.

“Once the legislation is passed and these are no longer considered safety zones, the landowner in these private entities — like bars, churches, things that aren’t public institutions or publicly owned — still has the ability to put up a sign that says, ‘No guns allowed,’” Jaklevic said.

If a person decided to carry a concealed weapon to a bar where the owner prohibits concealed carry, they could be asked to leave and charged with trespassing if they refuse, Jaklevic said. That person wouldn’t face any gun-related charges.


“People that want to carry are getting (permits) regardless of if they can carry in these gun-free zones,” he said. “We’re still issuing permits to responsible people. Personally, I don’t see any reason to carry a firearm in church, but that’s one of the gun-free zones adopted by the state and (the bill needs to abolish) all of them or none of them.” - Mecosta county Sherriff Purcell

7.62 Nato
02-19-2011, 11:29 PM
Not bad. :thumbup:

oldskoolford427
02-20-2011, 08:32 AM
Good interview Chris!!

Sniper21
02-20-2011, 05:38 PM
Great points!:thumbup:

vandeg
02-22-2011, 07:42 PM
I like this!

Plus:
"As it stands, students and employees are not allowed to carry any weapons on campus."

Technically they can, if to or from the Ferris Police building for firearm storage, which sucks btw... Used to hunt up there and having to store firearms there sucked, they wouldn't even allow guns in the on campus apartments which you used to but the year I got in they disallowed it. Not to mention every time you had to take out a firearm or return one for storage they'd have to call a officer and sometimes it took 15mins.

jeepinrrt
02-23-2011, 08:37 PM
I like this!

Plus:
"As it stands, students and employees are not allowed to carry any weapons on campus."

Technically they can, if to or from the Ferris Police building for firearm storage, which sucks btw... Used to hunt up there and having to store firearms there sucked, they wouldn't even allow guns in the on campus apartments which you used to but the year I got in they disallowed it. Not to mention every time you had to take out a firearm or return one for storage they'd have to call a officer and sometimes it took 15mins.

I wish at a minimum GVSU did this. As it sits now, If I have to go downtown for anything after class, I have to go home, "gear up" then go about my business. It would be nice if I could "check" my pistol when on campus. I would prefer to be able to carry, but until state law says so, I'll take what I can get.

kdogg
02-25-2011, 12:33 PM
Good interview but I will say that I believe even if this bill passes, private property owners SHOULD have the right to say "No Guns Allowed".

That's the catch 22 for me in this whole matter. I want to be able to carry anywhere but at the same time I would want to be able to tell people no on my private property.

Really I wouldn't care if a responsible gun owner carried on my property, I just wouldn't want to loose private property owner rights and with this bill, no one would so I'm good with it.

Pistol Teacher
02-25-2011, 12:51 PM
Good Job! Like it. I only have a problem maybe that it is Dorms and classrooms that are restricted, but it might as well be the whole school then, Good work.

Dansjeep2000
02-25-2011, 01:16 PM
Good interview but I will say that I believe even if this bill passes, private property owners SHOULD have the right to say "No Guns Allowed".

That's the catch 22 for me in this whole matter. I want to be able to carry anywhere but at the same time I would want to be able to tell people no on my private property.

Really I wouldn't care if a responsible gun owner carried on my property, I just wouldn't want to loose private property owner rights and with this bill, no one would so I'm good with it.
How about if the law was worded that Private pproperty owners can say no, but if your property is open to the public selling a service IE: Wal-Mart, U of M, ect...the you can't say no guns? seems logical so I'm sure it wouldn't work.

anthonyt
02-25-2011, 02:40 PM
How about if the law was worded that Private pproperty owners can say no, but if your property is open to the public selling a service IE: Wal-Mart, U of M, ect...the you can't say no guns? seems logical so I'm sure it wouldn't work.

Way to logical...

Or how about this:

Any private business which has a policy barring the carrying of firearms concealed or otherwise must provide a secure area for patrons to store firearms while they are inside said business. This secure area must consist of a bank of individual gun safes equipped with a locking mechanism to which the only key shall be issued to the patron storing said firearms. Further, any such business must employ a trained and well armed security staff. Such a business shall ensure that there are enough individual gun safes as to accommodate a reasonable number of armed patrons.

Start costing these businesses money, and see how quickly they decide to let law abiding people carry their firearms.

langenc
03-04-2011, 02:28 PM
Property owners will always have the option of posting his property to "NO GUNS."

When they do post we will always have the right to spend our $$$ elsewhere.

I like the idea that if posted one must supply lockers for carriers to 'store' their weapons'.

hopeitsfast
03-04-2011, 02:48 PM
Property owners will always have the option of posting his property to "NO GUNS."

When they do post we will always have the right to spend our $$$ elsewhere.

I like the idea that if posted one must supply lockers for carriers to 'store' their weapons'.
I don't.

The more times a person has to holster and unholster, the more the chances of an ND.

anthonyt
03-07-2011, 03:33 PM
I don't.

The more times a person has to holster and unholster, the more the chances of an ND.

Yup, but if you choose to shop there anyway, and we all know people do... You will be removing your weapon and reholstering it anyway... Then you will be keeping it locked in an unattended car. Or, you will simply carry and completely disregard the sign. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't see your sign."

Personally, I don't think that anyone, public nor private should have the power to restrict my right to self-defense. Nor should a business have the right to preclude me and discriminate because I exercise my God-given rights, any more than they can discriminate against minorities based on the color of their skin... I didn't choose my God-given rights anymore than minorities chose their color.

If you offer your business as open to the public, then my constitutional rights, as well as my natural rights remain intact. They do not go away because you want them to.

I wonder if there are any businesses out there that have a "NO MINORITIES" sign...

As a rule I stay away from the liberally minded stores who offer a free pass to criminals. Because I can usually get what I need somewhere else.