As the ability for the few students with concealed carry permits to carry on Texas public campuses approaches, retired leftist economics professor Daniel S. Hamermesh, has decided to break a contract to teach a class this coming semester. From insidehighered.com:
“As much as I have loved the experience of teaching and introducing these students to economics at the university, I have decided not to continue,” Daniel S. Hamermesh, the Sue Killam Professor Emeritus, wrote in a letter to university administrators this week. “With a huge group of students my perception is that the risk that a disgruntled student might bring a gun into the classroom and start shooting at me has been substantially enhanced by the concealed-carry law.”Hamermesh has published numerous articles. He is a labor economist, who claims that the distinction between "makers" and "takers" is a purely political decision. This article at econlib.org fisks some of his leftists bias.
If the quality of his economics is similar to the quality of his thinking about the dangers of concealed carry on campus, then the university is well off without him. Placing professors such as this in positions of influence on our campuses shows how thoroughly the left has "marched through the institutions".
Hamermesh shows absolute ignorance about how the real world works. The policy to allow concealed carry on campus only applies to students 21 or older who have gone through the process of obtaining a concealed carry permit.
People who have gone to the trouble of obtaining a concealed carry permit have empirically demonstrated, in Texas, that they are some of the most law abiding people in Texas. They are more law abiding than police officers.
Does Professor Hamermesh actually think that a student who is willing to shoot at him, will be deterred by a rule that makes it illegal to carry a gun onto campus? Does he really think that people who have gone to the trouble to obtain a concealed carry permit represent more of a threat than they provide a deterrence to unjustified violence, contrary to all the evidence gathered over the last 30 years?
Hamermesh did note a potential positive aspect of the new law:
Hamermesh said while the university might have done more to advocate against the legislation, he in no way blamed it for the new law.If emotional and irrational professors stay away from Texas schools as a result of the law, Texas will have benefited.
“This is Texas,” he said. “These [legislators] will do anything they can to cater to the right-wingers.”
Asked if he thought other faculty members might follow suit and leave the state, Hamermesh guessed they wouldn’t. But he said recruiting top faculty members might be harder with the specter of guns in their classrooms.
Professor Hamermesh spent all of his adult life sheltered in the arms of various state supported institutions of higher education. Perhaps his phobia does not influence his teaching of economics, but I suspect that it does.
Hoplophobia is often linked to the belief that the state is benevolent and wise, better at making decisions for individuals than they are themselves. That seems to apply to his economic philosophy.
It is easy to see how a person who has spent their entire life in academia could maintain such a delusion. It worked for them.
©2015 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included. Link to Gun Watch
it is people like this professor that are the route of the cancer that drives the left. I had a department manager that thought the facility could not function with out him. When he was told to clean up his act he left in a huff after he went out the front door Management waved good bye and good riddance to him. People like this professor can not be retrained you just have to ignore them until they go away for good. He and his type are what is wrong with the American education system. He might be very good at adding 2 and 2 together but watch him try to change a tire. He is the type that will say you cant hit me and spend the rest of his life denying he has a black eye. It cannot be there because he said so. he will ignore any fact that does not suit his purpose.
ReplyDeleteWow! maybe this is how we can get rid of rabid socalist scum we pay to teach our kids.. good riddance to bad garbage...
ReplyDelete"... a disgruntled student ... "
ReplyDeleteThis 'educator' (and I use the term loosely) is confirming that he knows his teaching methods and/or grading system are sub-standard. He has in all likelihood already experienced one or more such disenfranchised students, and predicts more in the future.
It is indeed beneficial for that institution, its students, and all of society, that he is resigning his position.
The only people who fear law abiding people exercising their right to arms are themselves criminals.
ReplyDeleteAt best, he admits a irrational fear of inanimate objects.
At worst he admits himself a criminal.
Either way, truth comes out.
As a rule of thumb, if a professor ever uses the word "specter", it indicates that his bible and personal belief system are strongly influenced by The Communist Manifesto.
ReplyDelete"A spectre is haunting Europe — the spectre of communism."
This also means that if you then even slightly impugn Marx or communism, that professor will likely lose his marbles.
Noticed it on Texas new site and ignored it.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's time for him to retire or he has a major illness and this gives him an excuse to get out.