Spring Break
Students protest campus gun policies
Matt McGowan
Issue date: 10/25/07 Section: News
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Hoping to raise awareness about the issues surrounding the prohibition of licensed firearm possession on college campuses, students attending approximately 110 college institutions nationwide organized and executed a protest at their respective campuses.
An estimated 6,000 members of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, the national organization of discontented gun owners, will symbolize their plight all week by donning empty holsters.
"For the most part it's symbolic," said Scott Lewis, a spokesman for the organization and Austin resident. "We want people to realize that license holders are left defenseless, and thereby everyone else is left defenseless. The practical point of the holster is that it is a good conversation starter. That's what we want; we want to start a dialogue."
The group, however, is not advocating just any possession of weapons, he said. It designed the protests specifically to promote licensed and responsible carrying of handguns throughout all parts of campuses.
"We were really careful to make sure everybody sent out notifications to the campuses, both the administration and the campus police - or if they don't have campus police, the local police," Lewis said. "We have a lot of people who wanted to protest, but we wanted to make sure they took the proper steps to ensure there weren't any misunderstandings."
Kyle Criswell, the representative of the organization's 50-member Tech chapter, said the shooting at Virginia Tech University in April 2007 motivated him to get involved and voice his opinion, which is why he joined the advocacy group and is wearing his empty holster this week.
"I think already we've had a pretty big impact. There are a lot of people who didn't know about us but think the same way we do," he said.
A lot of people have asked about the empty holster on his hip, Criswell said, and only one person, one of his professors, has disagreed with the goals of the organization but was impressed by the group's exercise of protest.
It is important for some people to have the sense of protection that gun possession provides, Lewis said, because the alternative is unacceptable in extreme circumstances. Legal gun possession on college campuses will ultimately make them safer.
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Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 115
Gina Bexler
posted 10/25/07 @ 1:08 AM CST
I could not believe the insanity of this protest and of those who believe that students should be allowed to carry weapons onto campus. Just out of curiousity, does anyone remember the Virginia Tech shootings last year? I sure do and I do not trust radical neocons with weapons. (Continued…)
Laura Greenwood
posted 10/25/07 @ 6:41 AM CST
This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of. I can think of ABSOLUTELY no legitimate reason a student would need to possess a weapon on a college campus. (Continued…)
Audrey Montgomery
posted 10/25/07 @ 6:56 AM CST
To those who replied below me, this is not a machismo act at all. As a female who not only hunts, but had a handgun under my truck seat until I moved to live on campus at Texas Tech, I am offended by your remarks relating the possession of a weapon to a sexist thought. (Continued…)
Scott Lewis
posted 10/25/07 @ 7:14 AM CST
Before openly dismissing the Empty Holster Protest as the work of neoconservatives, Ms. Belxer should have done a little research into the facts. Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, the group is organizing the protest, is lead by a conservative Republican, a liberal Democrat, and a moderate Independent. (Continued…)
techalum
posted 10/25/07 @ 8:31 AM CST
I find this whole thing incredible stupid. How can you possible think having a gun on campus and walking to class will keep you protected? The shooting at VT had someone who did have a gun license using his guns on campus. (Continued…)
Mark Williamson
posted 10/25/07 @ 9:07 AM CST
The fact is that to have a concealed handgun license you have to be approved by local law enforcement. That, for starters, denotes a certain level of competence. (Continued…)
David Wiechmann
posted 10/25/07 @ 9:22 AM CST
I am glad to see the Tech chapter of Students for Concealed Carry participated in this protest.
In response to some of the previous posts:
Ms. Bexler, why do you assume neoconservatives are the only people who support the Second Amendment? The reason LEGAL concealed carry is something to think about on college campuses is because more than 30 people died. (Continued…)
Garrett
posted 10/25/07 @ 9:25 AM CST
First off, if any of you think that allowing individuals with their concealed handgun liscense carry their guns on campus is in some way an act of vigilante, you are a fool. (Continued…)
Jeremy
posted 10/25/07 @ 9:44 AM CST
I think the protest is a wonderful idea. Its strange the willingness of people these days to so easily be able to set aside their freedoms for a percieved sence of safety. (Continued…)
John Renfro
posted 10/25/07 @ 9:55 AM CST
If you are uncomfortable allowing students their 2nd amendment rights then you should disallow the other rights as well. The arbitrary exclusion of one right precludes the dismissal of any other right when the "powers" decide to. (Continued…)
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