Debate based on false assumptions

University president speaks out about controversial campus gun policy

When I spoke to Liberty University students last December to express my concern for the victims of the San Bernardino, California, shooting that occurred just days before and to share with them how Liberty was reaching out to help the families with future scholarship assistance, I spent a good deal of time discussing the radical Islamic terrorists responsible for that heinous attack.

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It was clear to all in attendance that when I said, “if more good people [obtained their concealed carry permits and carried a gun], we could end those Muslims before they walked in and killed,” I was only referring to the Muslim terrorists who attacked innocents in San Bernardino and in Paris, France.

I was in no way referring to the many good and honorable Muslims who do not come into public spaces armed to kill innocents.


I could not have made it more clear. But the media missed it.

Several news reports only used part of the quote above, with no context to the scope of my remarks.

As the dishonest reporting continued, groups of people began to form opinions of our institution based on those articles — groups like high school debate teams who have chosen not to participate in a Virginia High School League state tournament hosted on our campus.

It is my understanding that some groups who are opposed to visiting our campus are basing their decision on Liberty’s concealed carry policy.

The policy, in place since 2011, states that individuals over 21 who have qualified for concealed carry permits and granted such permits by the state of Virginia (as well as received permission through the Liberty University Police Department) are allowed to carry concealed weapons on campus.

As the president of a university community of nearly 15,000 students and 7,000 faculty and staff, I take very seriously my responsibility to keep our campus safe in an increasingly dangerous world.

The concealed carry policy has worked well for us. A quick Internet search of “safest colleges in America” will reveal that Liberty is in the top 20 of every list.

Some colleges and universities in Virginia have chosen to ban concealed carry, and we believe that those universities have created more dangerous environments for their students, faculty, and staff.

Liberty’s Board of Trustees approved the concealed carry policy not because of Islamic terrorism, but because of what happened nine years ago at a neighboring institution only a couple hours away.

More than 30 innocent students and faculty were murdered viciously at Virginia Tech and none of them had the ability to protect themselves.

Campus police simply cannot be everywhere all the time. Having additional responsible adults with concealed weapons throughout campus increases the likelihood that someone might be able to stop an attacker like the one at Virginia Tech before dozens of innocent lives are lost. I’m proud that Liberty was one of the only schools to take that position initially and now dozens nationally have followed suit.

Like other universities do, Liberty hosts a number of events for outside organizations, businesses, and schools simply because we have the facilities that can accommodate them.

It is a form of community service by Liberty and, because we are centrally located in the state, our campus is a good option for state events.

The decision of some debate teams to not participate has very little impact on Liberty’s operation.

While we welcome our guests, we do not benefit from their stay as much as they benefit from the use of our facilities.

The News & Advance reported on Saturday April 23, 2016 that the VHSL was proposing that most of its events at Liberty University be moved to other universities in Virginia.

The article by Ben Cates referenced that VHSL had expressed concerns about my remarks in December but also quoted a VHSL official who stated that the proposal had nothing to do with those concerns or Liberty’s concealed carry policy.

I take the VHSL at its word that the proposed move was not politically motivated and, in fact, originated from an October presentation at the VHSL, long before the gun issue arose.

The fact that the press continues to mention the “concerns” of a few extremist agitators in northern Virginia every time the VHSL contracts with Liberty come up for renewal and renegotiation is causing Liberty to rethink whether it will continue to provide this community service to VHSL in the future.

I urge the VHSL to continue to act in the best interests of all its members, not a few extremists who refuse to practice the tolerance that they preach — through their intolerance of some of the views and policies of Liberty University.

And I urge the media to report fairly and accurately about the good working relationship between Liberty and the VHSL.

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