With all the gun violence out there, whether it be foreign or domestic terrorism, or just straight-up domestic violence, many people have been calling for sensible gun regulations for quite some time, but not Jerry Falwell Jr. Nope, the son of the “Moral Majority” is instead calling for every student at Liberty University – the school his father, Jerry Falwell, founded in 1971 – to seek permits and arm themselves to the teeth right there on campus.
Falwell is currently president of LU, so his push for students to carry concealed weapons isn’t just fluff opinion. The university is now even offering “a free course” for those who want to take him up on the deal and seek obtaining a permit.
Falwell argues more people toting guns around campus would likely help LU “fight back” against the imagined, presumed attack he believes is possibly coming due to the recent mass shooting in San Bernardino, Calif.
“Let’s teach them a lesson if they ever show up here,” he said, talking to roughly 10,000 people Friday at the university’s convocation, following a short speech by Sen. Jim DeMint. Falwell was cheered on as he stated, “I’ve always thought if more good people had concealed carry permits then we could end those Muslims before they walked in.”
In Falwell’s eyes, gun control is far from the answer. “It just blows my mind when I see the president of the United States say that the answer to circumstances like that is more gun control. If some of those people in that community center had what I have in my back pocket right now,” he said to further cheers from the audience, reaching toward his pocket and gesturing, “Is it illegal to pull it out? I don’t know.”
Did you catch that? The guy pushing for everyone to own and carry a gun on campus, whose university founded by his father of which he is currently president and where one can attend a free course on gun safety in order to acquire a permit, doesn’t even fully know the gun laws, himself – yet, seek permits and carry away, folks!
Falwell later backtracked and clarified for the Washington Post that his reference to “those Muslims” only allegedly meant Islamic terrorists, and clarified even further talking to the Associated Press by indicating he was speaking specifically in that instance about Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik, who authorities state were responsible for the attack in San Bernardino. “That’s the only thing I would clarify,” Falwell said.
News and Advance reports Falwell as saying, “I’m not backing down. If I had to say it again, I would say it louder because it was hard to hear with the students talking.”
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton spoke out against Falwell’s statement, Sunday, telling ABC News she feels such rhetoric only drives more support toward extremists. “This is the kind of deplorable, not only hateful, response to a legitimate security issue, but it is giving aid and comfort to ISIS and other radical jihadists,” she said. Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe also called Falwell’s comments “rash and repugnant.”
Falwell’s reach and influence expands at least to 14,500 students attending classes on campus and another 95,000 who attend LU online.
Perhaps it is no coincidence this university is based in a town called Lynchburg.
Featured image via CNN video screen capture.
