(02-13-2018 01:10 PM)Captain Bearcat Wrote: (02-13-2018 11:17 AM)Wolfman Wrote: (02-12-2018 11:03 AM)Kaplony Wrote: (02-12-2018 10:16 AM)Wolfman Wrote: I don't see this as interfering. I see the SEC supporting Ole Miss and Miss State in saying they want an exemption.
The bill itself contains the following wording
Quote:No license issued pursuant to this section shall authorize any person to carry a stun gun, concealed pistol or revolver into... any school, college or professional athletic event not related to firearms... college or university facility unless for the purpose of participating in any authorized firearms-related activity
It sounds to me like the exception is already in place.
When they are weighing in on proposed legislation they as an outside entity are interfering.
15% of their membership is in the state of Mississippi. The SEC has 200+ teams that travel there with ~6,000 athletes every year. With 2 schools in the state you can double those numbers. They have a duty to protect those athletes. Saying you won't send those kids into venues where people may be carrying concealed weapons is not interfering, it is stating a fact.
It's not a "fact," it's pure bluster. You know as well as I do that not a single school will take this law into consideration when deciding whether or not to play in Mississippi.
As the article says, that law is already in place in Kansas. Several SEC schools played Kansas and Kansas State this year in basketball.
It's a little more than bluster. Arkansas passed a similar law, the SEC responded similarly, and an exception was granted to the Universities. I think that's what is being sought here.
The conference has in the past opposed sponsorship by Beer companies that had as a stipulation alcohol sales on campuses. Until the SEC changes its stance against alcohol (and it's coming) that is another of these types of issues where the conference office has some teeth. The push for game day beer concessions is now coming from many quarters so it may change. The push for carry laws to extend to venues has no serious push coming from any of the schools or their donors.
Besides I'm waiting to hear what the Feds say about this. Homeland Security could get involved over venue issues.
I've never been a gun control proponent, but common sense has to come into play in our society somewhere. We have armed deputies stationed about every two sections in the stands. We search purses and can pat down suspicious persons as they enter the stadium. The only high vantage point over the stadium is now locked down on game day. So a terrorist would have be inside the stadium to begin an assault. So getting in with a weapon would be extremely hard to do, and getting out would be next to impossible with the law enforcement which remains below at gate level.
At Auburn we hold between 86 to 87,000 depending upon standing room tickets sold. It's the last place where I want a bunch of citizens carrying weapons. Any discharge would likely strike or ricochet into a person. If alcohol is one day sold in our venue that's another reason I don't want armed fans in attendance. It's a recipe for disaster and wholly unreasonable.
I'll trust the law enforcement to do their job on this one because they are actually there. And I'll trust my fellow fans to take down any gunman within the stadium. The perp might be able to get off some rounds, but they will be packed in with people all around them and they will be subdued and stomped to death if they act. If armed fans opened up all that would happen is even more innocent people would be killed in that kind of situation.
So for venues that are sold out regularly this kind of an attack would be hard to pull off. In a half empty stadium it might be a different matter.