Students take a shot at campus gun ban

Portland State, like all but a handful of public universities in the U.S., bans the possession of concealed handguns on university grounds.

But, this week, some students will try to change that.

As part of a national Students for Concealed Campus protest, a handful of students plan to wear empty holsters to classes and around campus. For them, said Ziv Steinfeld, a part-time psychology student and the organizer of the event at PSU, it is a matter of simply starting “one good discussion.”

Concealed carry, which allows handgun owners with special permits to discretely arm themselves in public, is legal in Oregon and 48 other states (Illinois is the exception). The only public spaces exempt from these laws are government buildings, universities and private businesses that opt out.

Concealed carry advocates think that is unfair.

Steinfeld expressed fears about campus safety, both as a national issue and a PSU-specific problem. Citing reports of sexual assaults and muggings late at night, he believes that guns can serve as a deterrent to crime. Despite some concern that handgun licenses may be too easy to obtain in Oregon, the majority of concealed-carry permit holders are what he calls “good gun owners,” who wouldn’t use their weapons for anything other than self-defense.

The protest is set to take place April 8 through April 12. While other universities around the country will be holding debates and handing out literature, Steinfeld expects a relatively small turnout, and simply hopes the effort serves as a conversation starter.

Domanic Thomas, director of PSU’s University Conduct and Community Standards Program, shares this hope. Thomas confirmed that the empty holster protest had been approved by both PSU’s Campus Public Safety Office and the Office of the Dean of Student Life. While unwilling to commit to a position without further research, Thomas was enthusiastic about any discussion of ways to make PSU safer.

“I support [concealed carry] being looked at as an option,” Thomas said.

Professors and students appear to be mostly nonplussed by the protest. Tom Potiowsky, the chair of the Economics Department, said he has no issue with the idea of a student in one of his classes coming in with an empty holster, as long as it doesn’t disrupt a lecture.

“It’s fine by me…it’s just an accessory,” Potiowsky said.

Like Thomas, Potiowsky believes that the protest should be allowed as part of a free-expression platform and not for any ideological reason. The presence of an actual weapon in the classroom would make him feel less safe. Even so, he understands a need to be “on guard.”

Steinfeld understands that, given the political climate in Portland, it is unlikely that his protest will make a significant impact. Still, he hopes that his fellow students will be open to his stance and won’t view him as a danger.

“I’m not here to scare anyone,” he said.