The University of Idaho Argonaut

Residents of Idaho over the age of 21 can get a concealed weapons permit that allows them to bring a firearm to places like the mall, the library, the beach and virtually
anywhere else.

Campuses such as the University of Idaho, however, have policies that prohibit the carrying of concealed weapons, which has caused some students to join a protest spanning more than 110 colleges and universities around
the country.
Students for Concealed Carry on Campus is a national group advocating students’ right to carry concealed weapons for their protection. They organized the Empty Holster Protest where students wore empty gun holsters from Oct. 22 through Friday to demonstrate their need for legal self-defense, which they feel their colleges suppress with “no firearms” policies.
“They leave law abiding citizens at the mercy of anyone who isn’t concerned with the rules,” said Scott Lewis, SCCC media coordinator.
Lewis said the organization doesn’t feel that state or tax subsidized schools should be allowed to pass laws that infringe on state laws. Idaho statute 18-3314 states that a citizen may acquire a concealed weapons license as long they are at least 21 years old, have undergone a state and national background check and can pay the $20 fee.
Paragraph N; subsection 11 states that the sheriff of a county may issue a license to citizens between the ages of 18-21 if he feels it
is warranted.

Student Aled Baker received his concealed weapons license when he was 19 and wore an open-carry holster last week with other UI students to protest campus policy on firearms.
“We’re showing our dissatisfaction at the university policy,” Baker said. “It’s just a peaceful way to show we are left defenseless. These types of policies don’t make
people safe.”

Baker wore his empty holster everywhere he went on campus and said he was surprised that so few people noticed, since this protest was meant to encourage strong, personal dialog.
“We want people to walk up to the students and say, ‘Hey man, what’s up with the empty holster,’” Lewis said.

Baker said he was confronted by a few students in his classes about the holster and whether it was legal. Fred Hutchinson, director for environmental health and safety said it was.
According to the university’s public use and liabilities section of the administrative procedure manual, Hutchinson is in charge of granting authorization for individuals to bring firearms on campus. He said the protest was fine because there were no firearms in
the holster.

“It’s their personal preference and what they feel, in some cases, is their right,” Hutchinson said. “There are legal ways that would allow them to do that. In that case, we would have to do it.”
Baker said that is what he and some students are setting out to do. The Idaho attorney general was asked to express his opinion to Latah County, he said, and the response was a 50-page document explaining several issues of constitutional autonomy. Baker said a group of students are planning to solicit state legislators for a solid answer as to the legality of the university’s “no firearms” policy.

“It’s about UI’s regard for the Idaho code,” he said. “We’re going to ask that the legislature clarify what
is allowed.”
Virginia Tech is also a “no firearms” campus, but that didn’t stop Seung-Hui Cho from killing 32 people there April 16. Baker said he doesn’t believe being able to carry concealed weapons would have prevented the tragedy, but that it would have minimized the number of innocent people killed. He said Cho didn’t obey the “no firearms” signs, and that can happen anywhere when lawful citizens are denied their right to self-defense.

“So, if you’re planning on killing a bunch of people and then yourself, that is not allowed here,” Baker said.
Opponents to allowing concealed weapons on campus because they believe it will cause more violence, Lewis said, are uninformed, and that concealed gun owners have been statistically proven to be five times less likely to commit violent crimes.

“We’re not saying we need a mass arming of students,” Lewis said. “People are not going through these procedures so they can go out and commit robberies and rape.”
Lt. Paul Kwiatkowski, campus division commander for the Moscow Police Department, said while concealed weapons are legal with a permit, the university’s code of conduct is very clear about carrying them on campus and that this policy, if changed, would complicate issues of violence.

“If an individual is carrying a concealed weapon, you shouldn’t see it,” he said. “They like to flash their guns and show everyone they’re carrying a gun.”
If concealed weapons were allowed, Kwiatkowski said, and a shooter came on campus, while concealed weapons carriers could fire back, when police arrived they wouldn’t know who the shooter was.