Empty Holsters Make a Point but Are Still a Fashion No-No

The Second Amendment is having a moment. Students for Concealed Carry on Campus has organized a protest of concealed weapons bans at colleges. As part of the protest, students all over the country are wearing empty holsters this week, the O'Collegian reports. "It is a chance to draw attention to our cause," said one Oklahoma State University protester.

Some opponents of the ban argue that carrying weapons makes campuses safer and point to the Virginia Tech shooting as an incident in which other students carrying weapons could have prevented more violence. "We think one person at the right place at the right time could have lessened or eliminated the body count," said a Miami University student.

A number of university administrators disagree, saying guns can't possibly make campuses safer, even wondering whether the protest itself is disruptive or insensitive so soon after the Virgina Tech incident. But with proper deference to the Constitution, at least one University of Kentucky police captain bows to that other amendment, according to the Kernel newspaper. "I just don't think it would be a good learning environment if we had everyone running around with guns on campus," he said. "But we do respect their right to protest."

Meanwhile, a Penn State police official explains the school's dense population meshes poorly with not only guns but also bows and arrows, the Collegian reports. Plus there's always that pesky alcohol problem that plagues colleges everywhere. Take, for example, one Penn State student "dancing around drunk" with a concealed weapon strapped to his waistband. Said the police officer: "Obviously, weapons and alcohol do not mix."

Tags: University of Kentucky | Virginia Tech | Penn State University | Miami University | Oklahoma State University

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