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Posted on 05/04/2006 8:17:41 AM PDT by neverdem
jhorrigan@th-record.com
New Paltz - A group of four student leaders here have declared their support for a student militia that should be allowed to carry guns on campus.
Not handguns, mind you. But shotguns. And not now, but later, maybe years later, as part of an effort to protect students' rights.
It's taken a generation, but you can safely kiss the image of SUNY New Paltz as a hippie haven goodbye. It's been replaced by a whole new brand of expectation-bending politics.
The students cite years of general abuse by administrators, campus and local police toward students - including profiling and illegal searches - to justify their support of and participation in the militia, which, they say, already has 21 members and is just getting started.
"I don't advocate violence, but I do advocate students' rights," said departing Student Association President R.J. Partington, who characterized himself as a "near-pacifist."
"But on a campus where certain people called 'police officers' can have guns and weapons, students should be afforded the same rights," he said. A student militia would act as a 24-7 "watchdog group" to guard against police abuses, the student leaders say. Cameras, rather than shotguns, would be the principle weapons, they say.
Their support for guns on campus was the result of what all four students agreed was a "peculiar" blend of politics that encompasses Republicans and Greens, far-rightists and far-leftists, liberals and libertarians.
"People think this is a hippie-liberal campus, but it's really not," said Justin Holmes, the newly elected president of the Student Association.
SUNY New Paltz officials and campus police Chief Ray Bryant have said that both campus regulations and state law prohibit possession of firearms on campus.
"Rest assured, " Bryant said, "these regulations will be enforced to protect the well-being of the campus community."
College spokesman Erik Gullickson said that word of the militia's existence had "definitely caused a buzz around here - it's raised some concerns."
None of the students own handguns. They agreed an "ideal" example of a militia's usefulness would be to have teams of three students, two armed with shotguns and a third carrying a video camera, patrolling the campus.
"Guns won't protect our rights, but cameras will," Partington said.
The students admitted the term "militia" conjured images of extreme-right hate groups, but they say that's not what they're about. Dan Curtis, the newly elected president of the statewide SUNY Student Assembly, said that those attracted to the militia share a distrust of government authority.
"We're not racist - we're anti-racist," he said.
Michael Peters is chairman of the New Paltz College Republicans. He said his group, which is not connected to any local Republican organization, strongly supports the idea of a militia based on the constitutional right to bear arms.
The students say they believe the militia movement isn't limited to SUNY New Paltz; they've already received inquiries about it from students at SUNY Potsdam.
"including profiling"
Yeah if they profile them as liberal morons. Who else would willingly go to SUNY New Paltz?
I carried and since it wasn't illeagal at the time, I carried in school, my Psyc prof went nuts, my advisior was a retired Army Major, math Prof, thought it was fairly cool.
Those were the "good old days!" Oh, how I wish things in America were still like that. The Commies have taken over our government too! Hopefully, you still have your guns. I think we're going to be needing them in the not so distant future!
Oh right, a militia on the New Paltz campus is just what the founding fathers ordered. I am going to form a militia as I don't like the way the customer service help at Home Depot and Lowe's reacts when I ask a question. That's it the HomeLowe's National Militia, Inc. I need the Inc. as I expect plenty of autograph seekers./sarcasm/
Only if they know how to load and handle a shotgun which I doubt. Hey, Harry how does this Remington work. It don't shave so well! LMAO
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New Paltz is a State University of New York college.
Who besides college students do you oppose Second Amendment rights for?
The founding faythers envisioned the militia as every able-bodied adult man. This group would seem to qualify.
Wha?
That's my reaction too. When i think of 'militia', I think of the folks who founded this nation.
Are the police really that bad on campus over there?
I live in NYC. New Paltz is over an hour north of NYC. When I went to CCNY in the early 70's, they hired local securty guards.
Sure, why not? Eighteen year olds can buy 'em. For close in defensive use they work just great. Plus buckshot won't carry forever and go through walls quite to the degree a rifle round would. Shotguns don't don't have the stigma that an evil assault rifle like an AR or AK or an SKS would.
Also, I'll bet those muskets they used back in 1776 had about the same range as a modern shotgun.
Now this is starting to make some sense. I'll bet that some of the private security guards were acting like A*holes with a "What you gonna do about it punk?" attitude.
So some of the students came up with a plan to say "we can protect ourselves"...
Like in Venezuela, Cuba, and Haiti?
I thought this kid went to a school?
Same here! I think Lexington and Concord and Valley Forge and the ancestors of the modern National Guard.
"Militia" is on its way to hate speech. Strange, strange world.
Bookmarking for a record of the "true conservatives" that think something is wrong with 2A.
""Guns won't protect our rights, but cameras will," Partington said."
Moron, never bring a camera to a gunfight. Guns are bad, mkay?
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