CCSU Riflery and Marksmanship Club Hosts NRA Speakers as Part of Empty Holster Protest Week

By Kim Scroggins

As part of their pro-gun protest that had lasted all last week, Central’s Riflery and Marksmanship club hosted National Rifle Association speakers last Thursday to help inform students on how to become more effective activists both on and off campus.

Suzanne Anglewicz and Seth Waugh came to speak on behalf of the NRA-ILA or the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action. The two-hour seminar was help in Torp Theatre and provided those who attended with a history of their program and what they hope to achieve through campaigning across college campuses.

The first half of the program was dedicated to the pro-gun debate which went through history of the NRA and the reintroduction of our Second Amendment. But it was when Waugh took the podium that the message became apparent: the NRA thrives on student group help.

“We love seeing that,” Waugh emphasized. Election Volunteer Coordinators and the Eagle Program, which introduces children at a young age on how to handle situations where guns are present, were also groups mentioned that could be used to help spread better understanding of gun use and the right to carry.

The majority of his lecture was listing ways for students to better their chances of getting a pro-gun candidate into office.

“Personal visits are some of the best things you can do,” Waugh said. Also on the top of the list were making phone calls to lawmakers, writing letters to the editor and using social networking like Facebook or Twitter. However, no matter which route you take, “be concise and well rounded on the issue.”

He mentioned a few resources for pro-gun students on the CCSU campus; Waugh said dorms, the student center, campus bulletin boards and student or sporting events are effective ways to talk about a cause. He also said advised students to to never be afraid to try a tailgate campaign.

“I can’t tell you how impressed I am,” Waugh said of CCSU’s Riflery Club. He praised their ambition and credits Sarah Adler, club President, for the gathering of such a group. However, he still made sure to advise those in the audience to work on a campaign and to “get involved at a young age, get these contacts now.”