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 It's been replaced by a whole new brand of expectation-bending politics.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.
These "students" need to be locked up and deprogramed before they hurt someone.
tuvals:
Oh right, a militia on the New Paltz campus is just what the founding fathers ordered.
M203M4 wrote:
Bookmarking for a record of the "true conservatives" that think something is wrong with 2A.
++++++++++
Bumpkin bump for those who think a 'well regulated militia' refers to deprogrammed, unarmed citizens.
Seriously guys--New Paltz?
Seriously guys--New Paltz?
(my home too)--I met a couple of the SUNY/New Paltz Republicans at a protest warrior/freep a few years ago; they were really nice kids and very committed to conservative principles. But they are probably long gone.
Too much information?
That being said, I could accept a school making reasonable regulations, such as requesting that weapons to be concealed (so as not to be a distraction) or prohibiting the open display of arms in groups of students (to prevent the kind of intimidation discussed in this article). Students should have the right to individual self-defense, but I don't know about forming "militias" to regulate campus activity. That could easily devolve into the abuse of rights of other students.
They were talking down to Alisyn Camerota and using language that sounded like it came from a legal book.
When I went to school, a significant percentage of the students (significant being more than one in 1,000) were armed with gun or fighting knife. What saved my floor one night was aluminum baseball bats -- a band of armed robbers went to the next floor up when they walked by us as we were casually swinging them while hanging out in one room. Upstairs the robbers, at pistol-point, robbed one room and tied up the roomies in it -- afetr making them strip to scivvies. Luckily no one got shot.
Yeah, well neither the Symbionese Liberation Army nor the Black Panthers -- LEFT-WING (and murdering) MILITIAS -- used the term militia. But of all the "militias", it has been the left-wing ones that have been the most murderous and violent, in the twentieth century and since.
IIRC, one roomie did get pistol-whipped.
Onion for sure. These kids should get A's for the way they were able to contrive this story, dangle it in front of the media like some nice red meat and then sit back and watch the frenzy begin.
Love it.
Kudo's to these creative collegians of the Hudson Valley.
These students are reaching out for help and I do not believe they ever cared about anything but the story. The press jumped all over it like bees after honey. I am a mere 13 miles from New Paltz and it is a quaint college town. You are correct in that there are plenty of shooting ranges in or near the New Paltz area. I doubt these students are interested in learning how to use a firearm but are merely seeking some LOVE and attention! (LOL) Future leaders of America!!
let me first start by saying that outright, i do not support your conservative views, i am here in defense of the SUNY New Paltz Militia. There is a responsibillity factor when the 'Campus police' want to obtain and use assault rifles in lieu of other means of ways to subdue one who distrubs the peace of the college. What these students are doing is not criminal, nor is it neglegent. The views expressed on this website are that of closemindedness, as Mr. R.J Parington III, President Justin Holmes and President Dan Curtis have well thought out and brought to the attention of the public this militia through their view, a view that tells of ways the students can protect their rights, which have been violated constantly at this college. If you would at least take the time to view the website, www.wikipaltz.com, you would see that the idea of an "Armed Militia" is not so much in relation of weapons in defense, but rather the prospect of defending the students rights against the law enforcement, which has been known at time to be racist and tries its best to dispose of President Holmes and President Curtis. Just vist the aforementioned website and you'll better understand what these three brilliant men are trying to do.
sincearly,
Alex Curtis
President Curtis' brother
Realize this, Guns permantly solve everything, just ask all the war vetrans, they do some wonders, besides, whats so bad about them forimg a militia? its not like their trying to kill people intentionally or be threatening to other people, they just want to protect themselves
You misunderstand--I have total respect for the second amendment and believe as citizens we have a right, nay, a duty, to arm ourselves. I was referring to SUNY New Paltz students. I met some nice SUNY/NP young republicans, but most of them are far radical leftist creeps who have some kind of chip on their shoulder about local law enforcement. I was referring to the latter.
I just read your other posts and realize that you are not a regular member of this forum--look, I don't have anything against militias as set forth in the Constitution. I do question some of the New Paltz student group's motives.
Sorry--post #58 is meant for you, not for me.
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