Campaign growing for allowing guns on campus

The Mt. Vernon News, located in an Ohio city with no less than four colleges or universities located in or nearby, is reporting that since the tragic string of college campus shootings across the country, students are organizing a national campaign to allow handguns in classrooms.

From the story:

Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, an Internet-based organization, is claiming to have over 15,000 members nationwide.

The group has already staged “empty-holster” protests in several states, and 14 Ohio campuses have established their own chapters.

Stephen J. Feltoon, a University of Miami graduate and psychology major, is the Midwest regional director of the student group.

“The group started about two days after the Virginia Tech shootings,” said Feltoon. “We were just trying to gather like-minded individuals and it just blossomed into the national campaign.”

Feltoon said that although any activism is up to each individual campus leader, his organization encourages hanging up fliers, taking new shooters to the range and writing op-eds for local campuses or newspapers. Nationally, Feltoon said, they are planning a second empty-holster protest for April 21, where students with concealed carry permits are encouraged to wear empty gun holsters to class.

“We’ve already begun to generate interest,” said Feltoon. “Our first protest was a real success.”

The story notes that nationwide, Utah is the only state that legally permits concealed carry handguns on college campuses. However, 10 other states, including Ohio, have legislation pending that would allow concealed carry permit holders to take their guns to class.

Again, from the story:

In May 2007, State Rep. John Adams, R-Shelby County, and eight other representatives introduced House Bill 225, which would authorize, among other things, concealed handguns in classrooms.

“In every study you look at, gun violence is down when you have a concealed carry policy in effect,” said Adams. “I believe that’s all those students are asking for. If they have a [concealed carry permit] currently, they should be allowed to carry it on campus. I agree with that. I don’t know why we take that constitutional right away from them.”

Adams said the debate is not about whether or not to arm every college student.

“If you have 30 or 40 people in a class, you’re lucky if one of them is carrying a weapon,” he said.

If passed, Adams’ bill would do more than allow guns on campuses. HB225 would effectively allow anyone with a permit to carry a concealed weapon into “places of worship, child day-care centers and family day-care homes, and state and local public buildings.” Under the bill, concealed carry holders would no longer be required to inform law enforcement they had a weapon on them. Further, Adams proposes that as long as someone even qualifies for a concealed carry permit, that alone would allow them to carry a concealed handgun in Ohio.

...In Knox County, Kenyon College and Mount Vernon Nazarene University both prohibit firearms on their campuses. Mark Ellis, public affairs officer for Kenyon, said the college has a permanent ban on fireworks, guns, BB guns, ammunition, knives, swords, axes, martial arts equipment, paint ball guns and several other potential weapons. As a private college, Ellis said there is no indication the college would change its policy.

Adams said he disagrees with school policies like Kenyon’s.

“There’s one phrase I’ve always heard and believe,” said Adams. “When seconds count between life and death, law enforcement is only minutes away. Let’s depend on the people that have something in their pocket.”

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