Demonstrators demand answers on guns from leaders
To Randy Barbour, a graduate student and instructor, resisting the concealed carry of firearms on college campuses that is set to begin July 1 is a matter of responsibility to students.
Allowing firearms in classrooms would “inhibit the learning process,” especially when discussing heated topics, Barbour said.
“If we don’t protect those students who perhaps would speak out if there weren’t guns in the classroom,” he said, “That’s doing our campus a disservice.”
Barbour was one of several speakers from a crowd of about 30 people outside of the Rhatigan Student Center Wednesday to contact their representatives as well as university administration to voice their concerns regarding firearms on campus.
“(President Bardo) has been very quiet,” Barbour said. “We need to know what our leaders are thinking.”
“We did have some faculty and staff that attended but we do need that presence from the administration and that’s what we lacked,” Barbour said. “That’s important that they didn’t come.”
Debbie Ojeda-Leitner, who helped organize the demonstration, helped write a student government resolution to declare the student senate’s opposition to concealed carry on campus in November.
The resolution passed 27 to 4 with two abstaining.
Ojeda-Leitner said it didn’t make sense that tobacco would be banned on campus beginning July while allowing firearms.
“We fought to make sure this campus is safe and healthy,” she said about campus going tobacco-free. “And here we are adding this new ingredient that will be detrimental on so many levels.”
Students cited a lack of requirement for training or a permit as reason for opposing the concealed carry of firearms on campus.
“I think that if you have a gun you should be educated and qualified,” said Rebekah Blakely, a sophomore majoring in journalism.
Known as constitutional carry, the law allows Kansans aged 21 and older to conceal and carry a firearm without obtaining a permit.
“If we had extensive training,” Ojeda-Leitner said, “Maybe it would have been a different conversation.
Jenna Farhat was the news editor of The Sunflower. Farhat majored in creative writing.
Selena Favela is a former photo editor for The Sunflower. She majored in graphic design. She is from Wichita, Kansas.
Jason Carmichael • Feb 12, 2017 at 1:38 am
I really do appreciate everyone’s concern about conceal carry. The timing of this law and these concerns are very interesting though. This law was passed in 2013. The countdown to July 2017 is the final and last line in the stand the state gave public institutions. For three and a half years, the state board of regents had to come up with a plan to comply with the law. The option was to offer an armed security guard at every entrance, or let the population protect them selves.
If you do not agree with this law, that was passed nearly four years ago, please, call your state representatives and ask them to brink it back to the table. It is a law passed by the people we vote for. There is a movement at KU also to try and “exempt” universities.
I have yet to have a “heated” conversation with anyone in class or on campus in which a fire arm would be necessary to sway someones opinion. That being said, Kansas’ child and family protection act is exactly why conceal carry is the law of the land now. Citizens of Kansas have the legal right to “stand their ground” and defend themselves from a threat. Before this conceal carry law was passed, the law to conceal carry was still here, it cost about $300(Class fee, range fee, background fees, etc) to get one. Now there is no burden of expense to add to the right to protect one self.
Whether the law is in effect, criminals will carry anyway.
Real Shocker • Feb 9, 2017 at 4:07 pm
Good luck getting John Bardo to make a statement on this issue. No win for him. He privately states guns should not be on campus which is supported by the WSU PD and state law enforcement agencies. However, there is no way that statement is made public given the political implications of going against the pro-gun, conservative Christian legislature/booster/donor community.
Kevin • Feb 9, 2017 at 3:37 pm
Not everyone on campus believes guns should be banned. Actually, a lot of students, faculty and staff support the right to carry. We just don’t have the free time to stand around in circles to cry and yell at people.
GolfDad007 • Feb 9, 2017 at 1:19 pm
“Ojeda-Leitner said it didn’t make sense that tobacco would be banned on campus beginning July while allowing firearms.”
Totally agree, it is unfortunate the smokers can’t get a small area on campus to smoke.