UO Young Americans for Liberty Poker Night Gun Give Away

On Friday Nov. 20, the UO's chapter of  Young American for Liberty is hosting a poker night on campus with raffle prizes of a two handguns and a rifle.

According to a Facebook event page, YAL believes the university's gun ban "puts students in danger." And the free poker night seeks to "spur a campus wide discussion on gun rights and the right to protect yourself on campus."

The page says, "This year, Oak Grove Gun Shop in Eugene donated a .40S&W Sig Sauer handgun. Mazama Gun Shop donated a Weatherby Vangaurd 243 Rifle with a Simmons Scope 3.5-10/40."

It later adds that a Bersa Thunder handgun is also a prize thanks to a donation from the Oregon Firearms Federation and Mazama Sporting Goods.

The page features a photo of the Sig Sauer and clarifies that because guns are not allowed on campus, "the transaction will take place off campus at a federally licensed firearms dealer and follow all state and federal regulations. They will never be brought to campus." 

YAL went before the Associated Students of the Unversity of Oregon to ask for funding for the event. Members "requested $950 to reserve the ballroom in the EMU and pizza at its five-hour event on Nov. 20," the Oregon Emerald reports, adding that the event is estimated to attract 200 students and last year about 90 attended.  The ASUO voted down the request.

In light of the recent killings at Umpqua Community College, the gun giveaway is causing an outcry on the event page and elsewhere on social media. In response to a Facebook post on the gun giveaway sahred by the UO's YAL chapter presidesnt, Thomas Tullis, on his Facebook page, that says "If you think the easiest way to get a gun in this country is by beating 200 other students in a poker tournament, then I challenge you to show up and win to prove how easy it is," one of his FB friends writes, "Surely you wouldn't be providing anyone with a gun who couldn't otherwise secure one. Just seems like a huge dick move in light of recent events."

The poker night and raffle take place 5 pm Friday, Nov. 20 at the EMU ballroom on the UO campus.