Contact: John M. Snyder, 202-326-5259

WASHINGTON, April 27 /Christian Newswire/ -- Gun rights advocate John M. Snyder said here today that Congress should deny federal funds to institutions of higher learning that prohibit students or faculty from carrying guns on campus if the individuals have state issued permits to carry concealed firearms.

"The big lesson from the Virginia Tech massacre is that gun prohibitions do not stop murderous madmen from perpetrating their horrendous acts," he said. "They do prevent law-abiding individuals from protecting their lives from these crazed individuals. Virginia Tech and a number of other colleges prohibit students and faculty from carrying guns on campus even if they have valid concealed carry permits.

"Congress should put an end to this nonsense. On a number of occasions, such as one five years ago at Appalachian Law School in Grundy, Virginia, individuals with guns terminated the murderous rampages of deranged perpetrators."

Congressional legislation, he indicated, "could provide that on any college or university campus receiving federal funds, students or faculty there who have state issued permits to carry concealed firearms will not be prevented by institutional officials from carrying them."

Snyder said, "public opinion polls show people do not believe in the efficacy of restrictive gun control proposals advanced by such congressional gun grabbers as Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, both New York Democrats.

"A Fox News poll last week found only 19 percent of Americans believe tougher gun laws can help stop shootings like the one at Virginia Tech. A 71 percent majority disagreed. A Zogby poll indicated 59 percent do not think stricter gun control policies would help prevent tragedies like the one at Virginia Tech. Only 36 percent believe they would help."

Snyder said "if legislators want to strengthen background checks to prevent mentally ill persons from obtaining firearms, hopefully they will demand definitional precision in terms such as 'adjudicated as mental defective' and 'committed to a mental institution.' The imprecision led to the Virginia Tech murderer's acquisition of firearms.

"A number of citizens think Congress should consider the issue of relief from disability. They point out that not all mental issues are permanent. They would like to see some consideration for provision of relief from gun owner disability in such cases."

A former NRA editor, Snyder is Public Affairs Director of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, and Treasurer of the Second Amendment Foundation.