Federal judge strikes down college ban on "empty holster" protests

[TPaine7]

FORT WORTH -- A federal judge has ruled that Tarrant County College violated the First Amendment rights of two students when it prohibited their attempts to stage empty-holster protests last fall.

U.S. District Judge Terry R. Means permanently enjoined TCC Chancellor Erma Johnson Hadley and the college from blocking empty-holster protests on campus, including in the classroom.

Further, Means said the college's co-sponsorship provision, limiting students' ability to invite outside organizations onto the campus, "broadly prohibits any speech by students that involves an off-campus organization."

Means added that the co-sponsorship provision "prohibits students from the most basic forms of expressive activity -- distribution of literature, use of signs and even assembly -- based on no more than the fact that the expression might depend on an off-campus organization for planning or management."

Source: http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/03/15/2042084/tcc-violated-students-rights-in.html#ixzz0iT66qEIY

Anti-gun fanatics will trample any right in their quest to "fight the good fight," even the rights they supposedly hold most dear. What is more sacrosanct to college education than the free expression of viewpoints on social policy?

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

1. Good News! This is really a 1A issue though.

[TPaine7]

2. True, but they violated the First Amendment out of their contempt for the Second n/t

[NecklyTyler]

6. OH NOSE! A First Amendment issue?

Does this mean the Mods are going to move this thread to General Discussion?

[spin]

3. People in authority love power and power often blinds reason ...

Many times well educated people, such as college administrators, feel that their education makes them superior to others. Therefore, they believe that their biases and prejudices are well considered and based on fact and reason.

Such people are fools.

[gorfle]

4. Hooray!

I hope to use this as ammunition for when our local chapter of Students for Concealed Carry holds a similar protest on our campus.

[Hoopla Phil]

5. Great news.

[armueller2001]

7. No doubt there will be those

who are SO rabidly anti-gun that they wish this activism would be stopped, regardless of everyone's first amendment rights.

[virginia mountainman]

8. rabid Anti-gunners...

Are so tone deaf they don't realize it was THEIR activism, that created "this situation" in the first place...

They don't like being challenged,out in the open.

They best get used to it...