Georgia Campus Carry Bill HB 280 Signed © 2017 Phillip Evans

Thursday, May 4th 2017 Gov. Deal signed HB 280. It became law July 1st. And, it ONLY applies to government owned colleges and universities. 

Your pistol (no long guns allowed) must be substantially covered so as not to draw the attention of another person. In other words, basically concealed. No open carry allowed.

There are several restrictions regarding carry. I suppose citizens can't expect to get back too much liberty at one time. It's not politically expedient. This news article sums them up pretty well: http://www.wtoc.com/story/35347579/gov-nathan-deal-signs-hb-280-campus-carry-bill.

If you have any questions about the law, there are some helpful folks at GeorgiaPacking.org more than willing to try and answer them.

Private colleges and universities will still be off limits under state law. However, private post-secondary schools still have the authority to authorize licensed adults (both students and staff) to carry a pistol on campus. A signed agreement between campus admin and licensed student is required detailing what model gun will be carried, what areas it can be carried in and when, and include an expiration date for the agreement.

However, don't hold your breath they will do so. Instead, they will tell their sitting ducks, I mean students and staff, that current security measures in place are good enough for them.

In a thread at GeorgiaPacking.org, I wrote the following:

"Good for the public colleges. Not so good for the private colleges, as they will now be perceived as a much softer target by criminals, crazies, and terrorists.

If I were a student at a private college, I'd be wanting to see a MUCH greater presence of armed security on campus to keep me safe. I hope the private schools have the $$$ to spend on upgrading their security, and I'm not talking about more cameras to capture the carnage, but more armed police and armed private security personnel."

In the world outside of campus, there are police officers, but citizens in most states thankfully are not forced to rely only on police guns to defend themselves against armed criminals. They have the choice to be armed when police are not around to save them when criminals strike.

On campus, while there's a certain amount of government provided security, even college campus admin, staff, professors, and security personnel know that such security will not be able to save everyone from rape, robbery, and murder. 

Why should those on any campus property be denied the ability to provide for their own protection like people outside the campus world have as an option? Does that make any sense?

Is it just because colleges are suppose to be safe places, that disarming law-abiding adult citizens is somehow supposed to keep them safe? Isn't that like banning umbrellas on the weekend because we want Saturdays and Sundays to always be sunny?

The same argument has been used to ban citizens from carrying firearms in churches. "Churches are supposed to be places of safety" goes the disarmament argument. But that doesn't always mean they are. Waving one's hand about while saying something doesn't make it so. Signs that ban firearms don't imbue the location with a magic aura of protection.

Evil people intent on doing the greatest harm will seek out the least protected targets. So let's stop using the threat of jail and fines against people who merely wish to have the ability to save their lives and those of others when evil strikes. "Gun-free" zones are victim-rich zones, as has been proven over and over again.

Being armed is not an evil thing. Only being armed for the purpose of doing evil is an evil thing. Being armed for the purpose of stopping evil is a good thing indeed. One not need a badge to have this ability. It's that "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" thing. You know, freedom.

Join GeorgiaCarry.org to help us continue the fight to continue to restore our carry rights in our state.

May It Please The Crown? Florida's Open Carry Ban Appealed to U.S. Supreme Court © 2017 by Phillip Evans

Monday, July 10th, 2017 FloridaCarry.org has appealed the Norman case to the U.S. Supreme Court asking for a writ of certiorari to affirm the right of open carry. I applaud the decision to appeal this case.

Photo by ABC News

In the state of Florida, the Republican Legislature and Republican Governor for years has been content to let stand the Democrat ban on the open carry of firearms, which began in 1987.

Ever loving to talk a good game of "supporting" our Second Amendment Rights, ever loving to get A+ ratings from the NRA, ever loving to get re-election votes while promising to honor liberty, yet only delivering us crumbs once in a while, these RINO hypocrites must think highly of themselves.

Yes, in Florida, you can openly carry a rifle or shotgun while hunting, target shooting, fishing, or camping, or going to or from such activities. However, you are forbidden to carry a long gun otherwise, even if you have a weapons license.

You have a little more liberty with pistols, in that you may carry them concealed with a weapons license, and openly only under the list of activities mentioned above.

Where in the Second Amendment does it state, "keep and bear arms concealed"? At the time the Constitution was written, citizens generally carried their firearms openly, and even the modern U.S. Supreme Court case of District of Columbia v. Heller has the Court affirming that open carry is the embodiment of the Second Amendment.

If the carrying of firearms is done for the purpose of self-defense, being visibly armed is part of one's defense. Most criminals pick victims perceived to be unable to put up a fight. Why should an armed person be forced to appear to be unarmed?

Is not deterrence, where one need not shoot, better than having to open fire on an armed criminal who unwisely miscalculates whether you are armed?

Hopefully, the U.S. Supreme Court will finally hear a significant individual case regarding the carry of firearms outside the home, and will rule correctly in favor of freedom.

Then, the Court will have succeeded in actually supporting and upholding our Second Amendment Rights rather than just giving us lip service like the politicians do.