2008 Woodie Awards
Empty gun holster protest sees little reaction
Ben Garbarek
Issue date: 4/25/08 Section: Campus
The buzz surrounding a controversial protest in October has apparently fizzled out after an unsuccessful attempt to repeat the initiative.
Several students wore empty gun holsters last fall to raise awareness about students' inability to legally carry firearms on college campuses.
"Because last semester's (protest) was such a success we figured 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it,'" said Stephen Feltoon, Midwest Regional Leader for Students for Concealed Carry On Campus and a December 2007 Miami graduate.
Feltoon said the organization encourages its members to wear empty gun holsters for one week each semester. In light of shooting tragedies at Northern Illinois University and Virginia Polytechnic Institute, students in this organization argue such tragedies could be prevented if students had the right to bear arms.
Despite the commotion created last semester, the controversy remained quiet on both sides this week.
"I haven't really received a lot of feedback one way or another with students' reaction," said Susan Mosley-Howard, dean of students. "Last year, I received one call to clarify whether the event was real or not."
The Miami University Police Department hasn't heard any complaints either.
"We haven't had any calls about it," said John McCandless, Miami chief of police.
Even Feltoon, who participated in the protest, said he was struck by the broad sense of indifference.
"Overall we see general apathy," he said. "Some are vocal against it, some in support of it. People just don't see a holster. I wore a really big obvious cowboy (holster) and few people noticed."
Feltoon said the empty gun holsters are meant to draw attention to the concealed carry cause.
"The protest is simply to draw attention to (the fact that) laws that outlaw carrying (firearms) on campus are unfair," he said. "Someone sees the holster and says, 'Hey, what's with the holster?' and (then) we educate them on (campus gun) policies."
More than 3,000 students at 250 different campuses across the nation have pledged to wear an empty gun holster this week, according to Feltoon.
McCandless said he is happy to discuss the issue, but adamantly disagrees with the organization's stance.
"I'm passionate that more guns don't make you safer," he said. "I'm not an advocate of more guns on campus making people safer."
Despite his feelings, McCandless concedes that the decision is not his to make.
"There are groups out there against it, for it," he said. "Everyone has their feelings, (but) the final say about this is out of my hands."
Feltoon said the organization would reevaluate the protests this summer.
Several students wore empty gun holsters last fall to raise awareness about students' inability to legally carry firearms on college campuses.
"Because last semester's (protest) was such a success we figured 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it,'" said Stephen Feltoon, Midwest Regional Leader for Students for Concealed Carry On Campus and a December 2007 Miami graduate.
Feltoon said the organization encourages its members to wear empty gun holsters for one week each semester. In light of shooting tragedies at Northern Illinois University and Virginia Polytechnic Institute, students in this organization argue such tragedies could be prevented if students had the right to bear arms.
Despite the commotion created last semester, the controversy remained quiet on both sides this week.
"I haven't really received a lot of feedback one way or another with students' reaction," said Susan Mosley-Howard, dean of students. "Last year, I received one call to clarify whether the event was real or not."
The Miami University Police Department hasn't heard any complaints either.
"We haven't had any calls about it," said John McCandless, Miami chief of police.
Even Feltoon, who participated in the protest, said he was struck by the broad sense of indifference.
"Overall we see general apathy," he said. "Some are vocal against it, some in support of it. People just don't see a holster. I wore a really big obvious cowboy (holster) and few people noticed."
Feltoon said the empty gun holsters are meant to draw attention to the concealed carry cause.
"The protest is simply to draw attention to (the fact that) laws that outlaw carrying (firearms) on campus are unfair," he said. "Someone sees the holster and says, 'Hey, what's with the holster?' and (then) we educate them on (campus gun) policies."
More than 3,000 students at 250 different campuses across the nation have pledged to wear an empty gun holster this week, according to Feltoon.
McCandless said he is happy to discuss the issue, but adamantly disagrees with the organization's stance.
"I'm passionate that more guns don't make you safer," he said. "I'm not an advocate of more guns on campus making people safer."
Despite his feelings, McCandless concedes that the decision is not his to make.
"There are groups out there against it, for it," he said. "Everyone has their feelings, (but) the final say about this is out of my hands."
Feltoon said the organization would reevaluate the protests this summer.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 2
Stephen J. Feltoon
posted 4/25/08 @ 4:10 PM EST
The title of this article is misleading. While it received little attention on campus, due mostly to me being too busy to oversee operations at MU, outside of the precious Miami bubble we've received equal--if not more--publicity. (Continued…)
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