A UW-Madison student group that aims to teach students responsible gun use has also done advocacy work for Wisconsin's concealed-carry amendment.
Student Alliance for Firearm Education and Responsibility, a student organization since the mid-'90s, allows students to compete in shooting and discuss gun-related issues.
According to UW-Madison senior and SAFER President Lucas Keith, the group's success lies in the commitment of its members, a mix of avid shooters and students who have never seen a gun in their life.
People are reluctant to come out and try it … and we try to alleviate some of those concerns,\ he said. ""It's all whether or not people are willing to give it a try just like anything else.""
SAFER welcomes all students, though they are required to sign a liability waiver before attending shooting events, which in the past have had up to 40 attendees. Students also must provide their own guns and ammunition.
In addition to holding shoots, SAFER members have also been active in supporting concealed-carry legislation, which has passed twice through state Congress, though Gov. Jim Doyle vetoed it both times.
""I personally, and other members in the past, have lent a great deal of support for legislators trying to pass concealed carry,"" said Anthony Hamilton, a UW-Madison senior and SAFER's former president.
Concealed carry is often a hot topic at SAFER meetings, and like many student organizations, not all members share the same opinions on gun rights.
""It's a diverse crowd; we have people from all ends of the political spectrum,"" Hamilton said.
Wisconsin legislators have pledged to resurrect the bill, and Hamilton said he is confident it will pass in the near future.
Though gun rights are not universally popular, SAFER has experienced little criticism among UW-Madison students. Keith said students who do approach him regarding the organization either want to join or have questions and concerns because they have never had gun interaction.
""We definitely get some skepticism once in a while, but I would say there is never any advert hostility,"" Keith said. ""I think people have a lot of wrong ideas when it has to do with guns.""
Hamilton agrees and said people do not fully understand the safety in guns.
""Generally on the news, all we hear about is the bad things that happen with guns,"" he said. ""It's estimated that the legal use of guns in defense [last year] were used one million times, but you don't hear about that. You hear about the 30 to 40 times in the headlines when someone goes criminally insane.""\
