An Open-Carry/Firearm Education Walk is scheduled to take place on Kent State's campus on Saturday, September 24th. Similar walks have been conducted on campuses including the University of Cincinnati, The Ohio State University, the University of Akron, Bowling Green University, and Miami University.
According to the Facebook event, "The purpose of the Walk is to inform and engage college students and the public about the right to keep and bear arms, including discussing how those rights are diminished by various laws."
Although the event's primary purpose, based on the statement above, is education, the description specifically welcomes participants to bring firearms: "Long guns are welcome **with slings and proper muzzle control**, as well as pistols, and *if your organization endorses the Walk*, feel free to pass out literature. *ARMED student participation is a GO for **NON-KENT STATE** students* (see the discussion for more details)."
On the morning of Friday, September 23rd, students of Kent State University were sent a mass email warning them about the event. It said the following about the event's legality: "Ohio law permits people to openly carry weapons on public property, which includes Kent State campuses. The university's policy prohibiting students, staff and faculty from possessing weapons anywhere on university property remains in effect. The group will not enter any university buildings carrying weapons. Kent State police officers will be in close proximity to the walk in order to ensure safety and protect the rights of all, including walk participants."
KSU President Beverly Warren had this to say to concerned students on Twitter preceding the email:
Since the email was sent out, students have taken to social media in an outrage. Students are so impassioned, a counter-protest has been scheduled for the same time and day. The event's Facebook page states the following: "Due to the fact that an open carry demonstration will be going on at Kent State, we will create a human shield around the markers for the shooting victims. This is a symbolic message about the bad history of open carry on the grounds of Kent State University."
This matter is of great importance to me. I feel strongly against open carry in general, although I understand gun ownership is a Constitutional Right. I do not aim to take peoples' guns away; people are legally allowed to have guns, and I have no doubt making gun ownership illegal would not help reduce violence in the United States. However, I do not believe individuals should be allowed to bring guns on a college campus. Students, faculty and staff are not allowed to carry guns on campus, according to Kent State policy, yet visitors--complete strangers--are.
Visitors to the Kent State campus should be held to the same standard or even higher standards than students, faculty and staff. These are strangers invading our home, our campus. They disrespect Kent's history with firearms, insight fear and panic within our community, and force us to be at odds with one another. This walk should not be allowed.
Supporters of the walk cite the participants' freedom of speech. It is not the speech I am worried about. The speech is not disrespectful. People would not be upset about an educational seminar or an un-armed march downtown. We are worried about guns on our campus. We are worried about history repeating itself, regardless of the context.
This is not an act of freedom. In fact, they are violating students' freedom--our freedom to feel safe and comfortable, our freedom to walk across campus without worrying about being shot, our freedom to exist peacefully.
If this concerns you as well, please contact the Office of the President:
PHONE:
330-672-2210
EMAIL:
president@kent.edu
Let your voice be heard.