Students supporting concealed-carry laws on campus to wear empty gun holsters

tulsaworld.com
By RICKY MARANON World Correspondent
Published: 3/2/2011 2:23 AM
Last Modified: 3/2/2011 9:37 AM

Students at some Oklahoma colleges are wearing empty gun holsters to show their support for three legislative measures that would allow for concealed weapons to be carried on school grounds.


University officials and student governments at the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University have been against weapons on campus for years.

But students in favor of concealed guns at schools are planning to don their holsters in larger numbers during April across several campuses, according to OSU graduate student Adrienne O'Reilly, the Oklahoma director of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus.

"Some of us are wearing empty holsters as a symbol of not only showing we are in support of the concealed-carry laws being changed, but we also want people to see that there are people on campus who do have their concealed-carry license," O'Reilly said.

"Though the official empty holster protest will come in April, some of us want people to see that concealed-carry license holders are just like everyone else instead of continuing to allow people to stereotype us."

Proponents of the bills say they are fighting misinformation, O'Reilly said.

"These bills would not allow everyone to carry a gun on campus, and that is the biggest misconception we have to fight," said O'Reilly. "There aren't going to be massive shoot-outs. We aren't trying to create the wild-wild west on a university campus by giving everyone a gun."

Though university presidents and student government
representatives have shown a unified front against the measures, divisions of opinion are growing within the student body.

University of Tulsa law student Spencer Pittman, who graduated from OU and has a concealed-carry permit, said he is against guns on campus after witnessing a potentially deadly situation.

Pittman was in class on Feb. 13, 2009, when Michael Joseph Childers attempted to kidnap his former professor, Mano Yasuda, at gunpoint on the OU campus. Childers was upset after failing a course.

After the failed kidnapping, Childers fled to his home in Broken Arrow, where police later found him.

"All the police heard was that a student attempted to kidnap a professor at gunpoint," Pittman said. "Can you imagine if we had concealed carry that day what would've happened? If even one other student had a gun, it would've been a lot harder for the police to identify the student they were looking for."

Pittman said the situation ended calmly because no one else pulled a weapon.

"I own guns. I am an advocate for the Second Amendment. I have my concealed-carry license," Pittman said. "Having a concealed weapon would not have helped the situation that day. It only would've made it worse. The police took care of him. He was found guilty and is now in jail. The criminal justice system worked, and that's how it should be."

O'Reilly says she also feels concealed carry is an issue of safety.

"There is a difference between feeling safe and being safe," O'Reilly said. "There are people who walk home from campus at night that would like the extra protection because they fear they will be raped or kidnapped. I'm also certain that the students at Virginia Tech felt safe, but in the end, those students who were shot weren't actually physically safe, and they had no way to defend themselves."

One bill - Senate Bill 858 - would allow for anyone with a concealed-carry permit to have guns on campus. The other bills would limit who could have weapons.

Senate Bill 896 would allow faculty members and anyone certified by the Council on Law Enforcement, Education and Training to carry guns. It would allow schools to opt out of concealed carry during sporting events and on-campus activities with large crowds.

"If we can't get concealed carry for everyone who has a concealed-carry license, we'd at least like to see this bill go through," O'Reilly said. "This bill would be a great step forward in allowing people to adjust to the idea of concealed carry on campus."

OSU spokesman Gary Shutt said the argument that campus would be safer with more concealed weapons is false.

"OSU continues to be opposed to allowing guns on campus," Shutt said. "More weapons on campus would not make the campus safer. The safety of our students and employees and all those who come to our campus has always been a priority at OSU."

University officials point to the fast work of campus and local police in dealing with emergencies.

"Allowing guns on our campuses could endanger the safety of our students, faculty and staff," OU spokesman Chris Shilling said.

"To allow people to have guns who have not trained with our police units could create chaos in a crisis situation. Police would not be able to sort out dangerous gunmen from others on campus with guns."

TU would be exempt from the bills because it is a private university. But it would re-examine its firearm policy if any of the measures beccomes law, said TU spokesman David Hamby.

Pittman, who attends TU, hopes the university would continue the weapons ban.

"The risk of what could happen is too high," Pittman said. "Not to mention it ruins the atmosphere of a college campus. We should be focused on learning, not preparing for a worst-case-scenario shoot-out."
Original Print Headline: Students supporting gun bills to don holsters

The three bills

* HB 2807 - Faculty who have a concealed-carry license may bring a concealed weapon on campus. Rep. Randy Terrill (R-Moore)

* SB 858 - Anyone who has a concealed-carry license may bring a concealed weapon on campus. Sen. Steve Russell (R-Oklahoma City)

* SB 896 - Faculty and those certified by the Council on Law Enforcement, Education and Training may carry on campus. Sen. Ralph Shortey (R-Oklahoma City)

By RICKY MARANON World Correspondent