A UT Professor on Campus Carry

[Texas Size 11]

I'm in the process of posting a response now...their site is very slow. Ridiculous blog. Here is what I wrote:

This is one of those arguments that will go on to the end of time because of the high emotional ties each side has to their belief in this subject. Anti-gunners will always have their statistics and Pro-gunners will always have their statistics and neither finds validity in the other because of emotions. Plain and simple. I do hold a CHL and the Dr. should realize that she comes into contact with CHL holders every day in the grocery store, at the book store, and most any place she goes to. She has probably been within inches of a concealed weapon standing in a line and it would appear to this point, that she has not been gunned down or intimated by a CHL holder. We are not the nuts that she makes us out to be. We are normal people - parents, educated, spouses, PTA members, little league coaches - you name it, we are in your community. What we are not are criminals, we just refuse to be victims. There will not be a flood of weapons on your campus, the criteria for a CHL filters out most students. Those who are eligible are not the individual you described in your diatribe.

You mentioned the fear of handing out a grade that a student might not like and be in fear of getting shot...what is to stop the same student from attacking you with a knife or any other weapon for that matter? There are plenty of other ways to injure somebody that are not firearm related and it would appear such an incident has not happened to you at this point in your career.

I am an educated person who has been through graduate school. I am a leader within a large business and enjoy shooting with my friends and family and I do carry to defend myself. I have a sister who has been robbed at the college we attended and a friend who was forced to drive a person to another state at knifepoint. Fortunatelty neither suffered physical injuries, but they are still scared of this incident occurring again. That is why I choose to arm myself and have taught my wife and children to do the same. If that makes me "distorted" then so be it.

I can tell you this...I will not let me kids attend a university with this kind of mentality so UT is going to be crossed off our list if this is the prevailing attitude in Austin.

Oh, and check up on the statistics of the 20 states that already have concealed carry on campus and see what if any of the horrific scenarios you have dreamed up have happened...you won't find anything.

[Derf]

A professor in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing (Yes, there really is an actual university department for that. ) at the University of Texas has weighed in on the proposed Campus Carry bill (HB750) working its way through the legislature - needless to say, she opposes it, and has had her commentary published in the Austin American-Statesman paper and at the paper's website here:

http://www.statesman.com/opinion/syvers ... 41292.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There have been some responses that take issue with her assertions, and, truth be told, she's really not doing very well in defending her views.

* Rather than refuting dissenting opinions, she characterizes them as "ill-founded" and the persons who disagree with her are "deluded."
* She equates "freedom" with "disarmament" and disparages our ideas of freedom as being "narrow, individualistic, and self-centered." (Her outlook is distinctly collectivist.)
* She adds in the obligatory comment equating self defense with vigilante violence.
* And finally, she closes her latest response with an argument I have never - NEVER - seen uttered before: even when packing a gun, we will all still get old, get sick, and die.

So she felt a need to point out that firearms don't stave off old age. I don't know whether to or at this coming from a professor at UT.

I pity her students - at least the ones studying for a REAL degree, who are just using her class to fill out a humanities or social science requirement.

This statement in her smug "dear dissenters" comments tells you what informs all of her other remarks:

"The more people wandering around with guns, the less free we all are, because we trade our relative safety of living in peace for your deluded ideas of safety by the threat of violence. You then become no different than the very ones you fear and hate. "

"But vigilante violence does not offer safety nor peace. That is why police forces were created in civilized societies."

She's one of these lunatics who believe that being raped or murdered is morally superior to defending yourself. She can't distinguish a moral difference between a thug raping and murdering people and people defending themselves from being raped and murdered. While this is a fundamentally immoral belief it's somewhat tolerable when it's genuinely held and the person who holds it is against all violence and willing to sacrifice their own life for that belief. But she doesn't have such convictions. She wants to compel others to make the sacrifice she professes to believe, to be non-violent unto death, while at the same time it's alright with her for the police to use violence. Apparently then, violence can produce safety, but only after the magical application of government pixie dust.

The other thing her ravings demonstrate is that "liberal arts" professors are employed on the basis of their political views and how well they fit within the liberal collective, not for their aptitude. There is no real fix for the problems of this country that doesn't include a thorough scrubbing of college "liberal arts" departments --making political views secondary to competence.

Heh, I can only speculate, but she must be one of those folks who thinks that the police stop crimes rather than pick up the pieces afterward. I spent 6.5 years of my life as a LEO in the dump known as DC, and can confidently state that the only crimes that I managed to prevent were either by accident (uniformed patrol) or dumb luck with surveillance when working plainclothes. Then again in DC, nobody but the police, and criminals carry, which is likely the kind of 'utopia' that the author of that article thinks should be bestowed on everyone. All you need to do is look at the crime rates in DC and other gun-busting locales to see the folly in their social goals.

Yes, there is a lot of emotion around concealed carry that prevents some folks from having rational discourse on the matter. A crying shame too, as facts are on our side.

[VMI77]

Heh, I can only speculate, but she must be one of those folks who thinks that the police stop crimes rather than pick up the pieces afterward.

I think it's worse than that.....I'm speculating too, but I think she has the collectivist attitude that individuals don't matter --in other words, that rights are collective, that an individual has no rights, including no right to self-defense, and in fact, can and should be sacrificed to benefit the collective (unless the individual is her, or someone she cares about). This is the fundamental division between the hard left and the rest of humanity. Of course, people like this professor see themselves as superior to the rest of the collective, and expect to be one of those directing it --as exemplified by her use of language-- and she expects all the sacrifices to be made by those of us lesser little worker bees.

[74novaman]

Heh, I can only speculate, but she must be one of those folks who thinks that the police stop crimes rather than pick up the pieces afterward.

I think it's worse than that.....I'm speculating too, but I think she has the collectivist attitude that individuals don't matter --in other words, that rights are collective, that an individual has no rights, including no right to self-defense, and in fact, can and should be sacrificed to benefit the collective (unless the individual is her, or someone she cares about). This is the fundamental division between the hard left and the rest of humanity. Of course, people like this professor see themselves as superior to the rest of the collective, and expect to be one of those directing it --as exemplified by her use of language-- and she expects all the sacrifices to be made by those of us lesser little worker bees.

The good old "all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others" idea.

Same thing with Soros and his Media Matters group attack on Fox.

People have a right to free speech....unless they disagree with Soros, apparently.

[WildBill]

A professor in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing at the University of Texas has weighed in on the proposed Campus Carry bill (HB750) working its way through the legislature - needless to say, she opposes it, and has had her commentary published in the Austin American-Statesman paper and at the paper's website here:

http://www.statesman.com/opinion/syvers ... 41292.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I pity her students - at least the ones studying for a REAL degree, who are just using her class to fill out a humanities or social science requirement.

First of all Rhetoric and Writing and English are all real degrees. They are all essential subjects to study if one is to get a real education. In addition to teaching humanities and social sciences, these subjects help keep colleges and universities from becoming mere trade schools.

In my view, the professor's argument against campus carry is not convincing. As she describes it, the UT campus is a microcosm of Texas and all of her reasons for not allowing campus carry can be applied to any place outside of a school. I believe that she is simply anti-concealed carry, on campus and everywhere else.

[Oldgringo]

A professor in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing at the University of Texas has weighed in on the proposed Campus Carry bill (HB750) working its way through the legislature - needless to say, she opposes it, and has had her commentary published in the Austin American-Statesman paper and at the paper's website here:

http://www.statesman.com/opinion/syvers ... 41292.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I pity her students - at least the ones studying for a REAL degree, who are just using her class to fill out a humanities or social science requirement.

First of all Rhetoric and Writing and English are all real degrees. They are all essential subjects to study if one is to get a real education. In addition to teaching humanities and social sciences, these subjects help keep colleges and universities from becoming mere trade schools.

In my view, the professor's argument against campus carry is not convincing. As she describes it, the UT campus is a microcosm of Texas and all of her reasons for not allowing campus carry can be applied to any place outside of a school. I believe that she is simply anti-concealed carry, on campus and everywhere else.

Is it true that readin', 'ritin, and 'rithmatic, along with cursive penmanship, are no longer taught in the public schools? GAD!

[WildBill]

Is it true that readin', 'ritin, and 'rithmatic, along with cursive penmanship, are no longer taught in the public schools? GAD!

Me not know.

[Ameer]

Is it true that readin', 'ritin, and 'rithmatic, along with cursive penmanship, are no longer taught in the public schools? GAD!

I have seen my parents' property tax bill. The $ for HISD are more than the $ for the City of Houston and Harris County. Combined!

If this babble is an example of the ignorance that taxpayers get for their money, I fully support cutting school budgets. Maybe with less $ they can focus on "readin', 'ritin, and 'rithmatic" in English instead of being distracted by pep rallies, basket weaving, and Spanish Algebra.

[Oldgringo]

Is it true that readin', 'ritin, and 'rithmatic, along with cursive penmanship, are no longer taught in the public schools? GAD!

I have seen my parents' property tax bill. The $ for HISD are more than the $ for the City of Houston and Harris County. Combined!

If this babble is an example of the ignorance that taxpayers get for their money, I fully support cutting school budgets. Maybe with less $ they can focus on "readin', 'ritin, and 'rithmatic" in English instead of being distracted by pep rallies, basket weaving, and Spanish Algebra.

That's what I'm talkin' about!

[74novaman]

Is it true that readin', 'ritin, and 'rithmatic, along with cursive penmanship, are no longer taught in the public schools? GAD!

I have seen my parents' property tax bill. The $ for HISD are more than the $ for the City of Houston and Harris County. Combined!

If this babble is an example of the ignorance that taxpayers get for their money, I fully support cutting school budgets. Maybe with less $ they can focus on "readin', 'ritin, and 'rithmatic" in English instead of being distracted by pep rallies, basket weaving, and Spanish Algebra.

That's what I'm talkin' about!

And it sure has a lot of relevance in regards to an ignorant UT professors opinions, which have nothing to do with our grammer and everything to do with the fact we carry guns.

[hirundo82]

Is it true that readin', 'ritin, and 'rithmatic, along with cursive penmanship, are no longer taught in the public schools? GAD!

I have seen my parents' property tax bill. The $ for HISD are more than the $ for the City of Houston and Harris County. Combined!

If this babble is an example of the ignorance that taxpayers get for their money, I fully support cutting school budgets. Maybe with less $ they can focus on "readin', 'ritin, and 'rithmatic" in English instead of being distracted by pep rallies, basket weaving, and Spanish Algebra.

There is a lot that could be cut in school budgets without harming education. Per-pupil spending (adjusted for inflation) has more than doubled since the 1970's, with no improvement in student achievement.

[Oldgringo]

Is it true that readin', 'ritin, and 'rithmatic, along with cursive penmanship, are no longer taught in the public schools? GAD!

I have seen my parents' property tax bill. The $ for HISD are more than the $ for the City of Houston and Harris County. Combined!

If this babble is an example of the ignorance that taxpayers get for their money, I fully support cutting school budgets. Maybe with less $ they can focus on "readin', 'ritin, and 'rithmatic" in English instead of being distracted by pep rallies, basket weaving, and Spanish Algebra.

There is a lot that could be cut in school budgets without harming education. Per-pupil spending (adjusted for inflation) has more than doubled since the 1970's, with no improvement in student achievement.

RISD has just complete a new deluxe $1.4 million track around its 3-A (?) HS football field. Rusk is a hamlet of some 3,600 people with a HS football team that lost 70-80% of it's games last year. Maybe Rusk HS will be a Pineywoods field and track powerhouse to with which to be reckoned?

[HankB]

. . . RISD has just complete a new deluxe $1.4 million track around its 3-A (?) HS football field. Rusk is a hamlet of some 3,600 people with a HS football team that lost 70-80% of it's games last year. Maybe Rusk HS will be a Pineywoods field and track powerhouse to with which to be reckoned?

Allen, TX built a new football stadium. Cost was $60,000,000. Tell me again how schools are underfunded.

Getting back to the UT professor, there's really no reason to continue a debate with such a person, EXCEPT that the debate is taking place in a public forum, where there is a chance to influence interested bystanders. As such, it can only help our cause if we come off as being reasonable, and she becomes increasingly shrill and, well, borderline crazy. (Let's hope some modern day Archie Bunker doesn't decide to weigh in our "our" side. )

[RHenriksen]

Maybe she was simply speaking rhetorically.

[rimshot] You deserve a beer for that one, sir - I'm buying.

[WildBill]

Maybe she was simply speaking rhetorically.

[rimshot] You deserve a beer for that one, sir - I'm buying.

Is that a rhetorical beer, an e-beer or a real beer?