Second Amendment rally held in GUN Lobby
By: Pete Garrison
Staff Writer
“We don’t run, we bring our gun! We don’t run, we bring our gun!” chanted a crowd of about 50 people in the lobby of the Guenther Enrollment Services Center last week.
Second amendment advocates have held rallies across the state since the passage of the NY SAFE Act in early 2013. In addition to repealing that law, they are now also pushing to legalize carrying firearms on college campuses.
“We’ve seen a lot of school shootings in recent years and if that happens here, I don’t want to be left without the ability to defend myself,” said Chuck-Bill Cattlekid, who is trying to start a gun club at Hudson Valley.
So far, Cattlekid has over 25 students signed up for the club, but no advisor and resistance from the student activities office and administration. “They know I am in favor of being able to carry a gun on campus and my politics threaten them, so they are holding up my club. All we’d be doing is spreading awareness about the second amendment and taking trips to shooting ranges. All harmless,” he said.
Cattlekid is involved in political groups and proposed the rally at Hudson Valley to organizational leaders. They helped him recruit people for the protest, some of whom came from as far away as Plattsburgh and Buffalo.
The NY SAFE Act was passed on the heels of the shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. The law prohibits ownership of magazines with more than ten bullets and firearms classified as assault weapons.
“The laws were too restricted even before the SAFE Act. Not only do we want that repealed, but we want more freedom in carrying weapons to defend ourselves across the board,” said Cattlekid.
Gun advocates will be holding protests at college all over the state in upcoming months to gather support for a law change that allows firearms on campuses. New York is one of 20 states that does not allow concealed carry on college campuses. In 23 states, each college decides their policy. In seven states, concealed carry is allowed on all public postsecondary educational institutions.
Derrick Jones is the President of the New York Chapter of Concealed Colleges, and organization that advocates for the right to carry on campus. He attended the rally in GUN Lobby last week.
“Think about it. If someone shows up on your campus with a gun, are you really going to want to wait for the police to show up? Every second counts. We want to train students to be a line of defense, carrying concealed weapons on campus and protecting their peers,” said Jones.
