Guns on Campus Have Already Curtailed Free Speech

[stone space]

Guns on Campus Have Already Curtailed Free Speech

The Chronicle of Higher Education
October 27th, 2014

Earlier this month, the feminist and media critic Anita Sarkeesian was scheduled to speak to students on the campus of Utah State University. The day before her talk, emails were sent to staff and faculty threatening violence if Sarkeesian was allowed to proceed. The threats were fairly general: Sarkeesian and all the feminists in the audience were the targets. But they were also exceptionally charged, promising "the deadliest school shooting in American history."

Administrators and public-safety officials met with Sarkeesian and made plans to increase security. However, once Sarkeesian learned that Utah State could not guarantee a gun-free audience because state law allows concealed weapons on college campuses, she, understandably, canceled her appearance. In that decision, we witnessed one of the first clear examples of how laws allowing concealed weapons on a college campus can thwart academic freedom and First Amendment rights to free speech.

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http://www.psuaaup.net/blog/entry/guns-on-campus-have-already-curtailed-free-speech

[louis-t]

1. Absolute truth.

But gun humpers would never admit it.

[friendly_iconoclast]

2. *No* college can guarantee that it's gun-free unless it uses airport-style security

[friendly_iconoclast]

4. What's stopping people from bringing guns into where you work?

[ManiacJoe]

3. Who was the expected audience of the speech?

How would the current concealed carry laws affect them?

Due to the age restrictions on concealed carry, only half of the senior class is eligible regarding the students.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

5. Yeah but if she wanted to defend herself you'd have her arrested.

Meanwhile, David Brock's armed bodyguards violated DC yet you still use MM as a source for gun control talking points.

Hmmm, maybe he's just the right gender.

[NaturalHigh]

11. +1

[DonP]

6. It did at "Gun Free" NIU in 2008

Not allowing guns on campus isn't really all that effective.

"Crazy guy" (won't use his name) killed 6 and wounded 21 on Valentine's Day 2008.

Imagine that, no guns allowed on campus and people were shot.

Maybe they just didn't have enough of those magic "Gun Free Zone" signs around?

Now, how many have been shot at this Utah campus?

And what campus can she go to speak where they can promise her no one will have a gun?

Not allowing guns on campus doesn't mean they won't be there, just that the law abiding folks won't have one. Unless of course they use metal detectors the same way they do for the President and other high ranking officials.

[gejohnston]

7. did she report it to the authorities?

if not, why not?

[krispos42]

8. Absent a security checkpoint, a person attempting to commit premeditated murder...

...will not be deterred by a lack of concealed-carry permit, as it is literally as easy to carry a handgun into an event for a properly-licensed concealed-pistol carrier as it is for a person carrying illegally.

However, by cancelling the event, Sarkeesian help to enable such threats in the future. Why? Because the threats worked! Instead of challenging those fearful, hateful people to put their money where their mouths were (which, of course, they won't), the small-minded got their victory. A very public, undeniable victory: a little bit of male bravado put that man-hating member of the weaker sex where she belongs, dontcha see?

Doubtless those anonymous cowards had a good time slapping themselves on their backs.

[stone space]

10. Victim blaming.

However, by cancelling the event, Sarkeesian help to enable such threats in the future.

Gun Loons: 1
Academic Freedom: 0

[Nuclear Unicorn]

12. Plenty of academic speaking events have been cancelled without guns ever being a factor.

Academic Freedom: 0

Do you complain when conservatives are disinvited from speaking engagements?

[stone space]

14. We're talking about terrorism, not being disinvited. (nt)

[Nuclear Unicorn]

16. Terrorism? Are you sure? Because terrorism is a crime.

It would be a simple matter for the police to investigate and arrest.

[krispos42]

13. So I'm wrong? N/t

[gejohnston]

17. naww,

the average person who knows or cares who she is gets all of their gun knowledge and range time from playing Call of Duty, which is not really. That is hardly a "gun loon". Real "gun loons" are too busy going to real ranges, raise real kids with a real spouse (as opposed to the Sims), and reading books instead of playing WOW in the basement.

BTW, older sources claim that an anonymous email was sent to school staff about a "Montreal Massacre" style attack.
http://www.standard.net/Police/2014/10/14/Utah-State-University-student-threatens-act-of-terror-if-feminist.html

[Doctor_J]

18. so she should have martyred herself to make the next slaughter less likely?

[krispos42]

21. Should it be standard policy to cancel when this happens?

Yes or no?

[Doctor_J]

22. It should be standard policy to track down the culprits and prosecute them as terrorists

Dictionary:

ter·ror·ism
ˈterəˌrizəm/
noun

the use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims.

But somehow that never seems to happen when it's domestic right-wing terrorists. For some reason the authorities are unwilling to take them on in many cases.

[sarisataka]

9. So all it would have taken was to tell carriers

they couldn't bring their guns inside there threat was contained?



As others have pointed out- without airport type screening there is no guarantee someone is not bringing a gun in.

[NaturalHigh]

15. Yes, it's been proven an effective deterrent in Chicago and D.C.

Oh wait...

[petronius]

19. To the extent that free speech was curtailed, it was done by people sending

anonymous death threats (and the response thereto). The conclusion reached by this op-ed writer--that we have a "clear example(s) of how laws allowing concealed weapons on a college campus can thwart academic freedom and First Amendment rights to free speech"--is an example of piggy-backing one issue on another, a non sequitur IOW...

[ileus]

20. she shouldn't be so paranoid.

[Eleanors38]

23. jeez, what happened to hoary old bomb threats?

Back in the day, we filed out to the soccer field and blabbed more openly in a half hour than in class all day.