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TTAG reader CW writes:

As a faculty member at a college, I read the chroniclevitae.com daily to see what is going on in the world of academia. Gun issues have been upfront and personal in recent weeks; the University of Texas campus carry bill and the UCC shooting have spurred a spate of articles relating to firearms. Armed and Educated provides a good cross section of the opinions and the styles of argument used in the firearms-on-campus debate. Apparently some of the authors think that they’ll be required to carry a firearm in class, which doesn’t do much for their credibility. Also of interest . . .

are the emotions, feelings, and head-in-the-sandism of several of the authors. James M. Lang, professor of English, director of the Center for Teaching Excellence  Assumption College, exemplifies the breed.

I still have no sympathy for the Second Amendment and other principles of our political and legal system that enable wide gun ownership in America, and would love to see them repealed. At the same time, I recognize that they are the laws of my land, and that those laws extend to the campuses of public universities. I would not endorse a push by public colleges and universities to distance or exempt themselves from other social legislation, such as laws governing hiring practices or sexual assault. But I also would not teach in a classroom that contained a gun — nor do I believe that any college professor should have to do so . . .

So while I recognize that the law may allow guns in classrooms, I would never allow them in my classroom.

I’m not exactly sure how Professor Lang thinks he’d be able to enforce that. The mind boggles.

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53 COMMENTS

  1. I didn’t know that much cognitive dissidence could exist in one mind without physically destroying it.

    “So while I recognize that the law may allow guns in classrooms, I would never allow them in my classroom.”

    We can have so much fun with this one. Lets do a few right now.

    “So while I recognize that the law may allow gays in classrooms, I would never allow them in my classroom.”
    “So while I recognize that the law may allow women in classrooms, I would never allow them in my classroom.”
    “So while I recognize that the law may allow blacks in classrooms, I would never allow them in my classroom.”

    • Great response, “Vhyrus”!
      Now if we just had his email and contact info we could troll him. Call him in his office and leave a message like this,

      “You probably don’t remember me, but I’m the short guy who sits in the back of your class. I left my jacket over the back of my seat, and, umm, the really bad thing about it is I keep a gun in the inside pocket, so could you please check and see if it’s still there? You can call me back at _ _ _ – _ _ _ – _ _ _ _ “

        • Lol! When I read it, I pictured somebody resisting/protesting against their own sense of reason – which also seemed applicable.

    • I was going to go with gypsies, tramps and queens, but the point’s been made nonetheless.

      This prof is even worse than “I support the Second Anendment, but….”
      He’s actually at the “I support the Constitution and the government deriving its just powers from the consent of the governed, but….” level. That’s a mighty big “but.”

      Who needs law school, the rule of law, the Constitution, civilization, or fancy book learnin’ when one can disclaim in one fell swoop of a coordinating conjunction all obligation to respect human rights?

      A firearm is just a tool. This professor is by far the most dangerous tool in the room. Any room.

  3. It’s also amazing that they seriously believe they aren’t already there. When I was in college and of legal age, I got my permit and carried…. Everywhere. My life was more important then they could imagine and I wanted the best tools to protect it. And amazingly my gun never ran off and attacked anyone on campus in all those years. Guns are in your classroom whether your accept the theory they are or not.

    • You have a well-behave firearm, sir.

      Mine is always getting in trouble, hanging out with the wrong crowd, ending up in the drunk tank. But that gun lock just seems a cruel thing to do.

  4. That is excellent. Don’t show up to class. Or refuse to teach. Or throw a student out if they happen to be lawfully carrying. See how long your liberally diseased mind has a job.
    Students might finally get the chance to have an instructor that can fix all the damage you and your cronies have caused over the last few decades.
    What a loser.

    • Yep. I didn’t see any down-side to what he said. If he doesn’t want to teach, because there might be a gun in the classroom, then we have a good reason to fire him, and replace him with someone who won’t try to indoctrinate our youth with all that Progressive crap. Where’s the down-side?

  5. “So while I recognize that the law may allow guns in classrooms, I would never allow them in my classroom.”

    Wait. What?

    • It’s how these people speak. They say they respect the 2A while attempting to subvert and cut away at it every chance they get. They say they want dialogue, but will only settle for a one sided shouting match. They say the don’t want to ban guns, yet they attempt to make it effectually impossible to obtain or use them legitamately. They say they are all about “tolerance,” yet they call gun owners nasty names and say that we are bitter, paranoid clingers who might fly off the handle at any second (who are the paranoid ones again?), and that we are ignorant and bigoted, which they have the gall to say after they talk about something they haven’t even bothered to learn about (guns) and showing great intolerance to a group of people (gun owners).

    • The classroom belongs to the students who pay for it. You are their employee, and have no authority they do not give you.

    • Let me translate: While I recognize that the law allows guns in my classroom, I will flout the law and expect no consequences for it.

  6. The mind boggles indeed. The mind boggles more than bogglingly bounteous boxes containing a bogglingly bountiful Boggle games.

  7. “You are not entitled to your opinion.”

    “You are entitled to your informed opinion. No one is entitled to be ignorant.”
    – Harlan Ellison

  8. “Armed with Reason”? If that is supposed to be the answer to dealing with an assassin in the classroom, then a more appropriate slogan would be “Armed with Denial”. I’d also suggest the shirt be red so the colors don’t clash.

    • No, that’s one of those ironic t shirts that are so popular. You know, the ones that say something so far from the truth it’s almost funny.

  10. Not sure I’d agree being on campus and/or attending an institution of higher education means a person is educated. In fact, the opposite is more likely.

    • I believe in formal education, myself, but even I’d agree that the most important lessons in life cannot be taught in a classroom.

      This professor probably doesn’t share that view, and so probably hasn’t learned those lessons. And here we are.

  11. In response to Professor Lang: If you won’t teach in a classroom in the presence of a legal carrier of a firearm, as is his/her constitutional right, then good riddance. The fewer of you ultra liberal, godless, communist a**holes that are polluting the minds of our children in the universities, the better. There are many places you might be happier, such as countries in Europe. Go there, and do not delay, Please!

  12. This why I’m a single issue voter. This one issue tells me all I need to know about a person in a position of authority and where they stand.

    Support the second amendment where I can be armed in their presence, and I know they trust me as a free and responsible mature adult. So then I can trust them with the responsibility of managing my and other citizens rights and freedoms; provisionally, of course.

    Don’t trust me to be armed, then all they want is a peasant, peon and virtual slave to ruled over with force of government arms.

    • “This why I’m a single issue voter. This one issue tells me all I need to know about a person in a position of authority and where they stand.”

      +This.

      A person who is pro 2A might, or might not, be an a__hole. A person who is anti 2A is definitely an a__hole.

  14. If you don’t like your job quit. There are plenty of young academics who would like your job, and many of them would happily swallow their hopolophobia to get a tenure-track position.

    Insty made a very good point this morning – academia has voluntarily made itself an arm of the Democrat Party at a time where the Higher Ed Bubble is about to burst, and the GOP has an unprecedented amount of control at the State level. If public employees (i.e. profs at State Schools cannot obey the Constitution, then they can GTFO and don’t let the door hit you where the Good Lord split ‘ya. Time to make them pay for their allegiance – it’s what the Dems would do if the positions were reversed. Campus Carry is a great wedge issue – but we need a purge for much broader reasons.

    http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/217963/

    • Republican do have that power and they need to start using it. Best thing would be political diversity protections. Allow people to sue a public university if they where denied a job, tenure, etc for political beliefs. Also ad to that the democrats favorite hostile environment remedy, so trying to run off conservatives won’t work. Let’s even grade the schools on diversity and tie it to funding. Roughly 50% of Americans hold conservative beliefs so at a PUBLIC school shouldn’t 50% of teachers?

  17. “I still have no sympathy for the Second Amendment and other principles of our political and legal system that enable wide gun ownership in America, and would love to see them repealed. At the same time”

    I still have no sympathy for the 1st Amendment protecting the right to free speech of the wide range of people who voice their opinions different from mine and would love to see it repealed.

    “But I also would not teach in a classroom that contained a gun — nor do I believe that any college professor should have to do so . . .”

    Then why don’t you leave?

    There are 10 teachers right behind you to take your job.

    “So while I recognize that the law may allow guns in classrooms, I would never allow them in my classroom.”

    Just try to stop me. You don’t get to make that choice.
    Contrary to what is in your mind, you are not God in that classroom. It is not your own little domain that is exempt from the law.

  18. Unarmed, liberal moon bats who can only post signs with larger print as their “Gun Free Zones” are repeatedly ignored are, well – unarmed.

    Students who choose to be armed and ignore their signs are – well – armed.

    Guess who wins.

  19. It’s become very clear that many of our professors just aren’t very bright. And/or, many of them allow their emotions to block all rational thought.

  20. Still boggles my mind as to how educated people ignore facts of daily life.
    Scared rabbits that piss themselves at the thought of anything bad happening.
    They just want to teach garbage, and enjoy American life without a sense of commitment to what it really means to be American.
    Freedom has always come with a price tag….nobody rides for free.
    These people are disappointing and uderestimate how ruthless and violent criminals truly are.
    God bless them but dont tell me i can’t protect myself or family just cause your too afraid to act.
    The debate should be simple.

  21. “But I also would not teach in a classroom that contained a gun — nor do I believe that any college professor should have to do so . . .”

    Great! so get the hell out of the classroom, go and get a job selling coffee at Starbucks (where you can be safe from guns) and stop brainwashing our chillun.

    BTW, Prof of engrish, you should not start a sentence with a coordinating conjunction.

  22. I have no sympathy for academics. At a time when tuition is out if control, you’re outside carrying on like a spoiled child. Apparently, your duties do not keep you sufficiently busy. Exactly what is the public getting for what they pay you?

  23. He can prevent having a gun in his classroom the same way the UT prof, formerly of Michigan State (good riddance), did…by quitting.

  24. “Apparently some of the authors think that they’ll be required to carry a firearm in class”

    They need to take reading comprehension class.

  25. So teaching in a classroom that has a gun in it is a violation of his conscience. He must be real happy he’s not a christian baker.

  26. I still have no sympathy for the Second Amendment and other principles of our political and legal system that enable wide gun ownership in America, and would love to see them repealed.

    That’s okay, prof. I still have no sympathy for a tenure system that enables didactic fools to continue polluting the minds of students, and would love to see it repealed or see you quit.

  27. I see no difference between these white PhD college professor’s and the lower educated white people of 50 years ago who denied firearms to black people for racist reasons.
    The educated whites just use better english grammer.

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