When Ryan James Martin walks around the Virginia Tech campus, he wears an empty handgun holster at his side as a silent reminder to his fellow students that he is not allowed to bear arms there.
Martin, a 22 year-old senior, is an advocate for the Constitution's second amendment and a vocal critic of the university's prohibition on carrying firearms around school buildings, dorms and classrooms in Blacksburg, Virginia. Martin believes the school's policy is an infringement of his rights and prevents him from being prepared to keep himself and other students safe from harm should an active shooter storm the campus.
"It just calls attention to the fact that we are unarmed and have no self defense, essentially, except for our fists," Martin said.
The administration in Blacksburg has viewed Martin's advocacy with concern, and some of his peers have displayed vehement disdain, in large part because the campus experienced a searing mass murder on April 16, 2007. Within the span of 11 minutes that spring morning, Seung Hui Cho fired 174 gunshots in Norris Hall, and in total he killed 32 students and faculty members and wounded 17 others. Though nearly a decade ago, the memory remains fresh.
Now Martin is fasting as part of a hunger strike aimed at bringing attention to his efforts to allow students who are 21 or older -- and appropriately permitted by the state -- to carry concealed weapons, which would mean keeping a firearm on their person or within a backpack so that it is not readily visible. Martin's protest began early Monday morning and will continue until at least Friday, when Virginia Tech President Timothy Sands is scheduled to give an address on the state of the university. Martin said that he's willing to end his fast if he's given an audience with Sands; he wants to make the case for allowing concealed carry on campus.