Court shoots down U. gun ban [University of Utah]

Salt Lake Tribune ^ | 9/9/2006 | Pamela Manson and Sheena McFarland

[Gondring]

So the University of Utah is a state entity?

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

It is to the best of my knowledge.

[Seruzawa]

Supported through the State Income Tax.

Don't let Utah's Red State election characteristic fool you. Salt Lake City has a high abundance of left wing whackjobs. Heck, the mayor (the loon Rocky Anderson) was an ACLU lawyer. Gay rights for city employees, etc, ad nauseam. The Uof U is run by loonies just like any modern University.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

The U., while acknowledging that the Legislature has general control and budgetary supervision over the school, insisted that it is an autonomous entity that can disregard a law that interferes with internal academic affairs.

So defending yourself interferes with academic affairs? Typical communism: shut up and take your beating quietly. When somebody comes to kill you, you're supposed to just lie in the ditch and be quiet.

[El Gato]

"It scares the hell out of me," said Smith, a senior in communication. "I don't want some cowboy coming to class with a gun."

If they are a mind to, they probably have been all along. Laws and rules, especially the malum prohibitum type, only affect those who choose to obey them.

[Pearls Before Swine]

Under the majority analysis, she said, "the university may not subject a student to academic discipline for flashing his pistol to a professor in class."

How disingenuous-- a straw man argument. Brandishing to threaten or frighten is not supported by the licensing authorities anywhere.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

"It scares the hell out of me," said Smith, a senior in communication. "I don't want some cowboy coming to class with a gun."

Yep, we're all safer if we're helpless. Typical leftist moron.

[El Gato]

The U. is arguing that any interference with its gun policy violates its right to academic freedom guaranteed by the First and 14th amendments

???? The U is a subsidiary of the state, funded by the legislature thereof. It's not a person in any sense, and thus is not covered by either the 1st or 14th amendments. Not that I see anything about "academic freedom" in those amendments.

Of course there is something in the second amendment that applies to this case, but it applies to "the people", in this case some students, staff, faculty and visitors to the campus. Something about a "right to keep and bear arms.

There's similar provision in the Utah Constitution as well.

"The individual right of the people to keep and bear arms for security and defense of self, family, others, property, or the State as well as for other lawful purposes shall not be infringed; but nothing herein shall prevent the legislature from defining the lawful use of arms." Article 1, Section 6.

[El Gato]

Court shoots down U. gun ban [University of Utah]

Don't ya just love headline writers. They could have said the court axed the ban, threw out the ban, or used any number of other terms. But they always have to get cute.

Bah Humbug.

[2harddrive]

Celebrate FREEDOM! Buy a Gun for 9/11 !!!

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

The U is a subsidiary of the state, funded by the legislature thereof.

But they claim not to be subject to state law. By their "logic", they can legalize LSD and mushrooms since banning it would stifle academic freedom.

Liberalism kills academic freedom but the U administrators aren't trying to ban that!

[Joe Brower]

[basil]

My view is that university campuses (campi?) can be very dangerous places. Seems there are often predators about looking for a coed to rape. Being able to defend oneself against these bad guys should be unqestioned, IMHO.

Those wimpy girls quoted in the article---there's no hope for them to change their opinion any time soon. However, that shouldn't stop the rest of the women on campus from being able to protect themselves.

[looscnnn]

but nothing herein shall prevent the legislature from defining the lawful use of arms." Article 1, Section 6.

I think that is where they think they get the power to ban guns on campus.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

I guess these wimpy girls think having a cop on their cellphone is adequate protection if some nut wants to do something to them. Crazy, especially since Utah has had some really high-profile kidnappings and murders.

[varyouga]

It scares the hell out of me," said Smith, a senior in communication. "I don't want some cowboy coming to class with a gun."

Shim, an undeclared freshman, said, "I don't feel a threat here now, but if there are concealed weapons around, I'd be afraid."

These are the best anti-gun students they could find. Bwahaha.

[varyouga]

What I never understood about leftists is how a 'cowboy' that wants to go in and shoot-up the school is going to be stopped by a gun ban in the school.

Banning guns in Columbine did not stop the massacre. The killers went around unchallenged and executed children while cops were figuring out what to do. Had some of the staff been armed, there would have been a different outcome.

[Jack Hammer]

Which part of "shall not be infringed" is difficult to understand...