BOISE — Almost 250 protestors stood in disapproval of Senate Bill 1254 — which would allow concealed weapons on college campuses in Idaho — in a walkout staged by the Coalition to Keep Guns Off Campus on the Capitol stairs Thursday. About 25 supporters of the bill, some of them armed, joined the protestors.
Despite rain and wind, activists for and against the bill gathered on the front steps with banners that said, “Criminals target gun-free zones.” One small child dressed in a yellow rain jacket held a sign saying, “No guns at Daddy’s work.”
Professor at Boise State University Clyde Moneyhun said he is friends with many members of the police force. Moneyhun said one of his friends has been the director of police security at a university in Florida for 15 years.
“He’s a ‘red’ man in a very ‘red’ state,” Moneyhun said. “He’s so red he glows in the dark, he’s the most conservative man you’d ever know — but he said this bill is the stupidest thing he’s ever heard.”
Idaho native and Boise-based attorney Ryan Jenks said allowing students to be armed will give students the opportunity to protect themselves.
“University campuses are not magical places where no violence takes place — just look at the number of violent rapes on a campus every year,” Jenks said. “Based on those numbers alone, it’s obvious that there’s violence on campus.”
Jenks stood with a group of students rallying in support of the bill. He said he had no action in organizing the group of students to show their support, but wanted to make an appearance to ensure the population of supporters of S.B. 1254 were properly represented at the walkout.
Jenks said the bill won’t damage the educational environment on campuses, because individuals with concealed weapons permits are mature enough to control their weapon.
“Take the (full) Senate hearing on the bill for example,” Jenks said. “Many people in that gallery were armed and it didn’t hinder the expression or debate at all.”
Cassie Sullivan, vice president of the Associated Students of BSU, said legislators are doing nothing to represent the opinions of students or university administrations.
Sullivan said allowing concealed carry on campus is going to be the catalyst to the ruining of the educational environment. She said the bill is taking away ability to communicate freely, share ideas and debate without fear — the foundations of the college education.
She said the argument of equating armed civilians with the increase of safety is a fallacy, a point also made by Moneyhun. A civilian, they said, is never equal to a trained officer.
“You are not to act as an extension of the law,” she said, quoting language from the enhanced concealed carry licensure. “To do so is an extremely dangerous situation to be in.”
Neither ASUI President Max Cowan nor ASUI lobbyist Ashley Morehouse attended the walkout.
“We will do our best to represent the students tomorrow during the House State Affairs hearing,” Morehouse said.
The bill is scheduled for a public hearing at 8 a.m. Friday in the House State Affairs Committee Meeting room, EW40.
Chloe Rambo can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @CRchloerambo