Organizers say students, faculty, staff have the right to protect themselves on college’s property
Photo by Jason Joyce
Kelsi George, talking to Taylor Combs, sported an empty holster in last week’s protest.
If you’ve noticed classmates or professors wearing empty holsters at North Lake College, it’s not the start of a new fashion trend. It’s part of a nationwide protest by Students for Concealed Carry on Campus.
At the forefront of the quiet demonstration is Kelsi George, president of the still-forming North Lake chapter of the SCCC.
“We don’t want to go out and create this huge commotion,” said George. “We’re just trying to get the word out that we’re here. I want everyone to realize they have the right to protect themselves.”
The desire to remain low-key is appreciated by J.C. Drake, North Lake’s chief of police.
“We haven’t heard of any problems,” said Drake. “As far as I know, there are only a handful of people actively participating.”
Officials of the Washington based Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence said last month that they are opposed to lifting a campus ban against firearms that applies to students and staff. But they did not return calls for this article.
For George, having the right to carry a concealed firearm on campus is about more than personal liberties or the ability to defend classmates from an active shooter in the classroom.
She said it’s about raising awareness of disparity in gun laws – an area of focus for the national SCCC organization as well.
“This second Empty Holster Protest [in eight months] will expand upon the concept of the first protest by placing greater emphasis on educating the uninformed,” the SCCC said in a press release. “Protesters will focus on sharing the facts of ‘concealed carry’ with students and faculty who may not be aware that concealed carry laws exist or that those laws differ on college campuses from most other locations.”
Educating the campus community is a key goal shared by George and others involved in organizing the proposed North Lake SCCC club.
“We want people to know that we’re not about just giving people guns,” said George. “We want to educate people about the realities of guns and maybe ease fears by providing facts.”
If approved as a club at North Lake, the SCCC already has preliminary plans to provide education classes for members and the campus community at large.
If arrangements can be made, George said, she would like to bring in an instructor to teach the classroom portions required to obtain a concealed-carry license. Conflict resolution workshops are another possible program under consideration.
But, for the present, club officers are focused on one basic task.
“We want everyone to know what the group is about,” said George. “We’re trying to bring in people who might be interested in learning more.”