It's Beyond Time for Campus Carry

Arm all teachers? The idea sounds insane when your kid’s elementary school teacher can’t back out of her driveway without knocking over the garbage cans. No one is seriously suggesting that. What is being suggested is that we stop making it illegal for those teachers (and parents) to carry concealed at schools. We allow teachers to shoot back rather than die helplessly.

Nevada’s school gun ban was created because of armed students, generally gang members, not teachers. Teachers, staff, parents, and college students were never a problem. In fact, in 1989, school shootings were an unheard of as a phenomenon. Self-defense carry was at an all-time low among Americans. We don’t live in those times any more.

What we need to do is ultimately repeal the prohibition for adult college students, parents, teachers, and staff to carry handguns on campus. If schools and districts wish, they can require additional training beyond the concealed firearm permit course, such as regular qualification, for teachers and staff who will carry regularly. That way, only proficient shooters who are able and willing to engage the shooter without unnecessarily threatening students.

Contrary to the assumption of many, no one is seriously suggesting using teachers as a counter assault force.Armed teachers can

• Barricade themselves in the classroom, then kill the shooter as he tries to come in the door.
• “Pop out” of a classroom or hiding place and ambush the shooter as he comes around the corner or into the room.
• Return fire if confronted by the shooter while evacuating.

Coach Aaron Feis, who was also a concealed carrier (off-campus of course), shielded two students with his body. He should have been allowed to carry and shoot back. We’ve heard the stories of brave, unarmed people saving lives by sacrificing theirs too many times. Allowing schools to remain gun-free zones is tantamount to sanctioning these murders. If there were an epidemic of school fires, would anyone seriously consider opposing fire safety reforms?

What can I do?

Teachers, if you have a good relationship with your principal and you know they may be receptive to such a thing, have a discussion about getting written permission from your principal to carry a concealed handgun on campus. You must have a permit, of course, but this will allow you to legally do so. The risk is that virtually no district will allow this and will immediately discipline, likely terminate, both of you. However, getting fired is better than death.

What the permission slip will do is prevent prosecution if you are found out or have to use the gun. One Nevada principal allergy gave permission to a staff member to carry on campus. The principal denied it, of course, calling the “note” a forgery. The news story seems to have gone down the memory hole, but a few of you can probably recall reading about it. No doubt—as several people have told me—principals across the state are already giving secret permission. God bless them and keep it up.

On a larger scale, continue to talk to your administrators and trustees about changing school policy to allow teachers, staff, and parents to be armed on campus. Policies can be simple enough to allow permittees to leave the gun in their locked vehicle; at least it’s something and would keep concealed carry parents from being prosecuted for driving through the parking lot.

Parents, I encourage you to talk to and write your principals and trustees. If you have a good relationship with principals, ask for permission to carry, even if only in your car in the parking lot. Help them understand the issue and help change their minds. Vote for campus carry friendly candidates.

College students, you can apply for campus carry now. Though permission is rarely granted, by applying you are at least helping to show that there is demand for it. When everyone is told “don’t bother, they never grant permission,” it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. We’ve created a helpful application packet to make the process easier (see the blog post as well). Be sure to talk to your campus presidents, administrators, and trustees. Don’t forget your fellow students—take a classmate shooting.

We have to do something to save lives and those things are not the same, tired gun control talking points that are about disarmament. It’s time to channel our energy into pressuring political changes and helping educating teachers, administrators, and the public on the reality about concealed carriers. 

Active Duty Military and Non-Resident CCWs

If you are active duty military, do you need a Nevada issued concealed firearm permit? Exactly when do you become a resident of Nevada for the purposes of needing concealed carry? The regulations, NRS 202.3653 to 202.369, don’t offer any guidance, so we have to look at other Nevada statutes and case law. The only easy answer to this one isn't what you may have hoped for.

Many wonder if they can carry on their “home” state permit while stationed in Nevada. Sometimes, they even have a Nevada driver’s license. Normally, new residents have 60 days to convert an out-of-state permit to a Nevada permit…by taking the class and applying from scratch.

This question often comes up when a serviceman or woman (or their spouses) wonder if they need to replace their out-of-state permit with a Nevada permit when they (or their spouse) is stationed here. First, temporary duty (TDY) wouldn’t count, but a permanent change of station (PCS) would. We’re not going to debate car registration, voting, and driver’s licenses, but rather, we’re going to look at what could get someone in trouble for carrying concealed.

Nevada offers one permit to both residents and non-residents, so don’t think there are two classes. Non-residents just get to apply to any sheriff in the state, which usually means Clark County.

Legal Residence 

NRS 10.155 states: “Unless otherwise provided by specific statute, the legal residence of a person with reference to ... any other right dependent on residence, is that place where the person has been physically present within the State or county, as the case may be, during all of the period for which residence is claimed by the person.”

In regards to drivers’ licenses NRS 482.103, living in Nevada and having a job (the military) in Nevada would seem to qualify one as a resident. 

“1.  ’Resident’ includes, but is not limited to, a person:
(a) Whose legal residence [see above] is in the State of Nevada.
(c) Who physically resides in this State and engages in a trade, profession, occupation or accepts gainful employment in this State.” 

So if you qualify for a driver’s license, then you probably qualify as resident under NRS 202.3657 and you need a Nevada concealed firearm permit.

Clear Counsel Law summarized the finding of Aldabe v. Aldabe:  

"the Court found that evidence of 'mailing address, voting registration, school attendance, medical care, business and financial affairs, auto and operators’ licenses, taxes, wills, and employment”' all in Nevada as well as a 'declared intention of Nevada residence and performed continuous daily activities in Nevada' supported a finding that a person was a Nevada resident. 

50 U.S. Code Chapter 50, the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, doesn’t really help. A legal brief from Creech Air Force base does rely on the military domicile concept (basically tax/voting purposes). What is essentially says (regarding driver licenses) is that if you are claiming Nevada as your residence for tax benefits on your paycheck, then you are a Nevada resident.

This area is a quagmire. Even the Creech brief says “maybe” in answers. Like the Gun Free School Zones debacle, it’s a gray area. So what’s the brass tacks bottom line?

If you are in Nevada and own a house or have a driver’s license, get a Nevada permit. That's the easy answer. If you get are detained and found to be carrying concealed, chances are the officer may not understand half of this. You may have some explaining to do if the officer questions why you have a Nevada DL but an Idaho CCW. A cop might let you go because whatever you did wasn’t that bad and they’re giving you professional courtesy for being in the service. Or they might be a vet and inter-service rivalry rears its ugly head. But as always, officer and prosecutorial discretion is not a plan.

Angry About All the NRA/Trump/GOP Tough Talk?

Let’s talk about divisiveness. I’ve taken heat from some people who are upset that I am criticizing President Trump, the Republicans, and the NRA for their stance and behavior on gun control lately. Myself and quite a few other Americans are displeased by the NRA’s and the GOP’s willingness to entertain and put forth what amount to gun control proposals. I have even been to the point of crassness to express my extreme displeasure and hope that hyperbole gets some people’s attention.

I do not believe that the NRA is working in our best interest. I do not believe that President Trump or the Republicans understand the issue of gun rights. Combined with intense media pressure and tactics from the Left, the NRA and Trump will give in to anti-gun demands in order to appear “reasonable.” As a result, this behavior will lead to the tide shifting towards ever increasing gun control as the Left wins victories and the will to fight on the Right subsides.

If we were not in danger, we would see the NRA, Republicans, and Trump standing firm on gun rights. Concealed carry reciprocity would have passed and no one would be entertaining a pointless bump fire ban. American support for gun rights is at an all-time high. Republicans control Congress (narrowly). Yet despite all this, concessions are being made all with the NRA’s blessing. The cuts being made to liberty are shallow, but they will inevitably lead to infection.

I am tired of infringements without winning any benefits. “Negotiating” when what is nearest and dearest to your heart is being threatened is not “negotiating”; it’s begging. Insulting the sacred cows of the Party, the NRA, or the President insults the angry gun owners because it suggests that they might be wrong. No one wants to bet on the wrong horse or believe that they put their hope and faith in the wrong entities. It’s frightening to believe that those who claim to be watching out for you, aren’t.

If you are offended by my opinion of Trump, the NRA, or the Republicans, I accuse you of being ignorant of history and human nature. You are too thin-skinned and unwilling to think critically on this topic. You are comfortable deceiving yourself into thinking infringements and capitulation to the Left is somehow protecting you from worse. You do no understand the issue. You do not “get it.” I’m sorry for you. It hurts to see someone that you trusted betray you. I get it, but don’t go into cognitive disassociation because coming to terms with a frightening reality (and future) will cause you more pain.

Some times we have to throw off our cherished thing in order to move forward once it has failed us. The Founding Fathers really did not want to stop being Englishmen, but they had no choice. We cannot live in denial any longer. Living in denial and ignoring what can no longer be ignored will only cost us our last chance of turning around the ship of state. Our rights are being chipped away, one by one, with the NRA and our political leadership helping suggest those that “people don’t care about” to be sacrificed first.

Now, if you choose to disagree, please do so after careful and critical thought. Please explain to me, in detail and with evidence, why you think what is transpiring in Washington is political mastery. Tell me why we should give something up with nothing in return. Think logically and rationally, don’t blindly rush to the defense of some person or organization. So I’m happy if you’re offended; maybe it’ll get you to reflect on why.

He Who Panics First, Panics Best

What we are facing in the Great Bump Stock is a war of attrition. In a war of attrition, each side is doing their best to wear down the other side because he who gives in last, wins. After repeated tragedies, Republicans, gun owners, and conservative thinkers are giving in. Unable to defend their beliefs to even themselves, they have become susceptible to the slow, grinding tactics of the “Do Something!” crowd calling for meaningless gun control.

Without having fully tried the pro-gun solutions (armed teachers, staff, and parents in schools) or properly treating the epidemic of mental illness, too many gun owners are starting to wonder if the hoplopaths (gun haters) are right. The tone has changed. Without any counter-balance explaining the pro-gun position, these supposedly “reasonable” folks succumb unconsciously to a form of peer pressure.

Yes, Trump’s bump fire memo is something to worry about. His vague statements have become fact. He has been worn down into “doing something.” He has given the ATF the cover it needs to ban bump fire. Leading by example, the President has shown the public that compromise is okay and by answering the question in the public’s mind as to whether or not the people of the gun should begin giving rights away.

Make no doubt about it, we are headed for a gun control disaster in the near future. Public opinion is shifting away from the staunch “come and take it” attitude under Obama. Today, it is bump fire stocks. Tomorrow, it will be something else. What is happening is that media and social pressure, combined with the NRA’s stance and Republican rhetoric, is signaling to the public that it is time to become more “reasonable” about guns.

Steadfast belief in a conflicting opinion creates psychological tension that only inner conviction can overcome. Without close-held beliefs or detailed knowledge about the contrarian position, the mental conflict between self and society is best resolved by changing one’s opinions. This quiets the inner voice that is asking “Why do you believe X when everyone else believes Y?”

Two other major issues of our time went from “unthinkable” to permissible. If everyone else says gay marriage or marijuana isn’t a big deal, then why should anyone else think differently? Uncritical thinkers and uncurious minds don’t seek out reasons to defend their beliefs because those beliefs are ultimately based on public opinion. They are going along with the flow. But as the public opinion shifts, an ideologically ungrounded person will be pulled and finally shift with the tide.

What we are witnessing is the slow wearing down of gun-receptive public into accepting gun control. Media and hoplopathic (antigun) forces are actively encouraging this via propaganda. Sadly, those who are less susceptible to television brainwashing are being victimized by their reflexive need to mentally “fit in.” Neutral parties can only hold out so long without being pulled one way or the other and the AR-haters are louder.

Unfortunately, Republicans are being worn down as well. A president who truly grasped the slippery slope of appearing “reasonable” on gun control would never have asked the DOJ to essentially propose a bump fire ban. Under congressional and media pressure, the President’s memo, with the NRA’s blessing, amounts to a green light to ban bump fire stocks with political cover.

Many stalwart Trump defenders are saying that this is just a stratagem to appear like he is taking action. It is just that, but with the added danger that he doesn’t care if bump fire stocks are actually banned. If bump fire stocks aren’t banned, we can call it “masterful, 3D political chess.” If they are banned, apologists will excuse it as being necessary to save the rest. Excuses will be made because bump fire isn’t something that most gun owners care about.

Uncritical thinkers, gun owners included, don’t want to admit that their great orange hope isn’t their savior, but just another politician willing to do what is politically expedient. Donald Trump is not a man of deeply-held convictions; rather, he is a negotiator willing to compromise because closing a deal defines success, even if it is ultimately a losing deal. Temporarily mollifying the “do something” crowd with a sacrificial win gives Trump the illusion of success.  

The sacrificial lambs could be offered up to the gaping maw of the starving gun control demon. That demon is always hungry and is always calling for more. As these horrible acts of violence continue, the calls will grow more intense. Compromises and acquiescence to anti-gun bills will snowball, making it easier and easier each time for unprincipled politicians to do what is popular, not what is right.

Fudds who will give up bump fire stocks to make the controversy go away are too ignorant and cowardly to stand on principal. They are perpetuating an “eat me last” philosophy that feeding the monster will make it less hungry; no—throwing meat to the monster only gives it a taste for blood. If the public abandons the gun, then the politicians don’t need to support it. And as compromise becomes the norm, it becomes easier and easier each time to mentally justify giving in to compromise so one does not feel uncomfortable as a contrarian outlier.

Gun owners are getting scared and giving in. In the face of persecution, they are abandoning the faith. Like the boastful St. Peter who said he would never denounce Christ, by dawn, these folks with “molon labe” stickers on their pickup truck will betray the Second Amendment three times. If a mere fun accessory is being thrown under the bus, what will gun owners do when persecution begins? Will they stand firm when the ATF is kicking down doors, or will they meekly hand over their guns and criticize those who resist by force as making hunters look bad?

Think I'm nuts about the tone changing? The calls for "common sense gun safety" is being replaced by "repeal the Second Amendment." The rabid hoplopaths are the ones calling to do away with the right to keep and bear arms, but just as every major gun-hater jumped on the Everytown "gun safety" bandwagon, repealing the Second Amendment will be more commonplace until it seems reasonable. 

The high tide of gun rights is beginning to go out. The wheat is being separated from the chaff. Over time, as tragedies continue and we focus on guns rather than a sick society and broken people, more and more restrictions will we face. Stock up now. He who panics first panics best. 

What the Left Will Target in 2019?

Clark County's other "newspaper"

The raging dumpster fire that is the Las Vegas Sun is Southern Nevada’s progressive mouthpiece shouting out orders to the leftists of East California. They blatantly run propaganda pieces that announce what the Democratic machine and Gun Control Inc. are going to be pursuing in the next legislative session. Rest assured, the future of gun freedom in Nevada hinges on this election. Marching orders have been delivered in the open: 

“Although it’s highly unlikely that any action to curtail the NRA and gun manufacturers will happen at the federal and congressional level in the near future, Nevada lawmakers need to be ready with a package of gun-safety legislation during the 2019 session.” (source; don’t click)
 “So law enforcement and security officers need our help in fighting for reasonable gun control measures. These would include a ban on bump stocks and high-capacity magazines, as well as expanded background checks for gun purchases.” (source, don’t click)

 I’d bet money that someone with Bloomberg wrote this or at least directed the copy. Can we get a sportsbook to start a line? Let’s take a look at what this liberal rag has announced as the plan of attack: 

• Standard capacity magazines
• Preemption
• Universal background checks (Question 1)
• Concealed carry reciprocity
• Bump fire stocks
• Tracers

 They hate the fact that liberal city councils and county commissions (Reno, Las Vegas, Clark and Washoe Counties), can’t make emotion-based ordinances to infringe on the Second Amendment. In their world, things would start with banning private sales at the local level, banning 10+ capacity magazines, bump fire stocks, tracers, and probably a return to Reno-like bans on carry. Liberal hypocrites could knee jerk and signal virtue to their heart’s content.

We’ve already seen the miserable excuse for a sheriff, “Scummy” Joe Lombardo shill for magazine capacity bans and that was before that nutjob Paddock decided to enter the asshole hall of fame. This week, the literally-dying Sun decried tracers, which weren’t actually used to attack the crowd (and the jury is out on whether or not he actually tried to explode the fuel tanks). Pro-tip: tracers are for machine guns to make your shooting more accurate and psyche out your enemy.

I don’t defend tracers on the level of fun. I can’t afford a machine gun and I don’t shoot at night. Tracers to me are to mark the last three rounds of a magazine. For those of us who can own a machine gun, it’s your right to own that to resist an oppressive government. That is the bit that scares progressive hoplopaths.

The only solution is to vote Republican across the ticket in 2018. Hold your nose, turn out on Nov. 6, and do it. Keep Nevada from turning into California. With Adam Laxalt as governor, we can hopefully withstand another four years. We'll need them to prep for what's coming.