FGCU College Republicans Hold 'Second Amendment Week' On Campus

While the left continues to advocate for stricter gun control laws and outright gun bans, and the Parkland activists continue to push for legislation that suits the progressive gun control agenda, not all millennials are supportive of gun control policies. As Bearing Arms reported last week, in response to the March for Our Lives rallies that took place in Washington, D.C. and across the country, high school students in Colorado held a march in support of the Second Amendment. Now, the College Republicans at Florida Gulf Coast University are dedicating an entire week to supporting the Second Amendment cause.

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FGCU’s “Second Amendment Week” intends to spark discussion about the right of Americans to bear arms, educate college students about gun laws, and provide other solutions to gun violence that don’t infringe on the rights of others.

On Monday, the College Republicans held an event where gun retailers came to campus to answer questions from students about the process of obtaining a firearm. “Ask a Gun Retailer Anything” will undoubtedly turn out to be an event that brought a greater understanding to those who didn’t know much, if anything, about the process of purchasing a firearm. Furthermore, it will allow some gun grabbers to see that these retailers are people just like everyone else. This may help lessen the demonization of their profession and gun owners in general.

Here’s the complete schedule for the “Second Amendment Week” from the organization’s Facebook page, complete with a Second Amendment panel and social day at a shooting range.

The Naples Daily News interviewed FGCU College Republican’s executive director, Max Ortengren, about the upcoming week:

“Not all millennials and college students are marching for gun control,” said Ortengren, 24, the FGCU College Republican’s executive director. “In fact, a lot of us disagree and think that there is another way to go about it and that gun control is not going to help at all.”

Ortengren, a senior, said many college campuses are liberal-leaning and that makes some young conservatives fearful about voicing their opinions.

“I am not really afraid because I don’t care what anyone thinks about me really,” he said. “If people think I am evil because I give my opinions, that’s their loss.”

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While Ortengren and conservative students are excited about the events this week, there are other students, like Bryan Oliva-Infante, the president of the FGCU College Democrats, who are less than enthused. While Oliva-Infante told the Naples Daily News that he supports every student’s First Amendment Right to free speech, he finds it troubling that the College Republicans are dedicating an entire week to promoting pro-Second Amendment positions. In other words, he doesn’t like real, prolonged discussion on campus or events that show firearms are socially acceptable.

Bryan Oliva-Infante, president of the FGCU College Democrats, said it is admirable that the College Republicans plan to host an event that will allow all voices on the gun issue to be heard. Oliva-Infante said if his schedule allows, he will attend the panel discussion on gun control.

But Oliva-Infante said the gun range event and the empty holster day are troubling.

“Of course I all am for the First Amendment, freedom of speech,” said Oliva-Infante, a 20-year-old junior who supports gun reform. “I think everyone should be able to speak their mind and their side of the story. Really an entire week centered around this and also having a social at a gun range, it definitely raises some red flags.”

Though Oliva-Infante says having a social day at the gun range and wearing empty gun holsters are red flags, he doesn’t expound on the statement. What does he mean by red flags? Is he insinuating these college students are a threat? Or that their views and demonstration will spark violence? That sounds like an intolerance problem on the part of the anti-gunners more so than an issue created by College Republicans.

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There’s no doubt that an event like this is going to be beneficial to Second Amendment proponents and even change the minds of those who are on the fence about the issue. One can understand why progressives on FGCU’s campus may oppose a week of events promoting gun rights, and their fellow students demonstrating that owning a firearm isn’t taboo. It runs against the leftist narrative. And the left knows if it can’t stop it, it’s game over.

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