Citing 'Culture of Fear,' Portland City Council Looks to Add More 'Gun-Free Zones'

The city council in Portland, Oregon, is set to vote on an ordinance today that would prohibit lawful concealed carry in buildings used for official meetings by city employees and officials. 

The ordinance has been kicking around in draft form since at least April, and was made slightly less awful through an amendment offered by Council President Jamie Dunphy, who expressed concern that buildings designated as "gun-free zones" might not be clearly identified and concealed carry holders would be subject to "aggressively made subject to prosecution" if they inadvertently tried to bring their firearm inside one of these locations. 

Still, this policy appears to be entirely unnecessary, at least from a legitimate public safety standpoint. What looks to me to be the real issue is found in the proposed ordinance's findings. 

In its September 2025 meeting, the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners found that the presence of firearms in public buildings, even when carried by individuals with a conceal handgun license, can contribute to a culture of fear, undermine trust and feeling of safety with the community, as well as increase the risk of accidental discharge, intimidation, or escalation during conflicts.  Council concurs.

I have no doubt that many Portlandians (or whatever they're called. Portlanders? Portlandites? Portlandese? Portlandonians? Portlandfolk? Portlandic peoples? Persons of Portland?) tremble in their Birkenstocks when they think about being in the same room as a concealed carry holder. But to borrow a phrase from Franklin Roosevelt (who would be considered moderately conservative by Portland's political standards) the only thing they have to fear is fear itself. 

Does the city have any evidence of concealed carry holders acting irresponsibly in city-owned buildings up to this point? It doesn't appear that this ordinance is in response to a particular incident, but instead is meant to soothe the unreasonable fears of some residents. 

Well, I've got bad news for them. Unless every city-owned building where official meetings take place is going to be tricked out with metal detectors, secure entrances, and armed guards, these "gun-free zones" are essentially going to be operating on the honor system. Someone with evil intentions isn't going to care about violating the city's policy. In fact, they would probably be thrilled to know that the odds of someone shooting back are slim to none. 

Violations of the policy are a misdemeanor, which again isn't going to have much of a deterrent effect on anyone intent on committing a felony like murder. The ordinance, if adopted, will offer all of the safety of a security blanket, which is basically all this is. 

Thanks to Dunphy's amendment, the city will post "clearly visible signs at all normal points of entry to the buildings and will post notice of the City's website identifying all buildings subject to this policy," which will hopefully prevent any law-abiding concealed carry holder from accidentally entering the "gun-free zone" and potentially facing criminal charges. 

But those signs still won't make anyone inside those buildings safer. They'll just assure the nervous Portlandians, Portlandites, or Portlandic peoples that concealed carry holders are obeying the rules. Anyone intent on committing murder is unlikely to be deterred by a misdemeanor gun ban and a sign on the door. If Portland officials really believe these buildings are dangerous enough to require "gun-free zones," they should provide actual security. Otherwise, they're just creating the illusion of safety. Maybe that's good enough to assuage a culture of fear, but it's not enough to offer real protection. 

Editor’s Note: The radical Left will stop at nothing to enact their extreme gun control agenda and strip us of our Second Amendment rights.

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