Image from campusreform.org
Universities are developing a deserved reputation for places that act as little fascist states, only allowing speech that the University Administration agrees with, or is considered "politically correct". The University of Alabama has lived up to the reputation by citing a student who was peacefully wearing an empty holster in a protest over the Universitity's no weapon policy. The campus police explicitly say that they are citing the student because "someone called it in". The campus policy does not prohibit holsters. The citation is for "Engaging in activities that threaten the safety of the campus community" and for a general prohibition on engaging in conduct that violates university rules.
In practise, this is a gag on any protest that the administration disagrees with. From campusreform.org:
“Is this just because I have a holster on me?” Parten asks the officer after turning over his identification.
“Yeah, it is, because somebody called it in,” the officer replies matter-of-factly. “You know there's a no-weapons policy out here, but still you want to push it.”
“Uh ... this is a protest,” Parten submits after a short pause, evidently caught off-guard by the notion that an empty holster might violate the policy.
“Did you get permission to wear it?” the officer queries him.
“I don't need permission to wear it,” Parten replies confidently.
“You need permission from the university.”
“To wear a holster?” he asks with undisguised incredulity.
Standing his rhetorical ground, the officer simply shrugs off the challenge and says, “There's a no-weapons policy here.”
“It's not a weapon.”
“I understand that,” the officer concedes. “Take it up with Dean of Students, then, because y'all are gonna be written up for disciplinary [sic], and I will put in there your attitude, you understand?”
There is a video at the site that shows the interaction taking place. If you want to see how free speech is chilled, watch it. When "progressive" fascists on the left want to scream, protest, shut down speakers they disagree with, and take over buildings, "progressives" call it free speech. When freedom fighters attempt the slightest expression of disapproval, their speech is shut down.
For "progressives" free speech means the freedom to agree with them.
UPDATE [via al.com]: The citation was thrown out, the two cops were forced to apologize to the holster carriers, and the cop that issued the citation, Officer David Turppa, was suspended for a week without pay.
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Link to Gun Watch
I'm wondering what authority campus cops have. If you simply walk away from them are they going to shoot you? Physically assault you for what provocation? are they only cops on campus and what happens if you walk off campus? what authority do these badge heavy turds have? I think I would be filing one civil suit after another, I might wind up owning the college. a uniform and a badge does not make you into a god. I wonder how well a campus cop could walk if someone took his citation book away from him and shoved it where he would always know where it was? I find this whole business of campus security very troubling. if the campus is in a town with local police authority why do the local police not enforce the real and existing laws. And why are the students not filing claims for denial of civil rights against the college? the college boards are not elected by the general public and have no authority to deny rights that any person would have off the campus. It seems to me that if the colleges accept any kind of public funds by student loans or government grants the students are covered by the constitution and are entitled to all rights the same as anyone else no matter where you are. walking down the street any where is no guarantee of safety so why is it any different on a college campus? I think I would have to demand a refund of all moneys paid to that college and a penalty for time wasted in being subjected to that much fraud. the college does not own you just because you are enrolled. You are first a citizen then you are a student. I gave up no rights to attend college. I paid to attend. When they took my money I never agreed to give up any rights. I think it is a good thing that I went to college many years ago because if I was going today. I think some assholes would be getting hurt. let some idiot get in my face for wearing an empty holster and see how fast I would educate him. let him lay a finger on me and I would give that finger back to him in a plastic bag, along with the rest of the hand and arm and a chunk of his butt. I do not loose my temper very often but things like this would turn me nuclear. I would be in that rent a cops face so bad. He would make the mistake that would turn me loose. martial arts 1100 would give him a new understanding of civil rights.
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