Prof. tries to ban empty holsters

"UNH officials work to prevent violent incidents before they happen by picking up on signs forewarning trouble, (UNH Police Deputy Chief) Dean said. He said such preventive efforts are much more effective at stopping school shootings than arming students. Despite the work, he said, a foolproof plan to prevent such shootings remains elusive.

"I just know that more guns aren't the answer," Dean said."

Yes, quite. Perhaps Deputy Chief Dean would like to formalize that as Police Department policy? As in "fewer guns (for police) = less crime". Every cause can use more martyrs -- you go first.

I could not resist.....

Dear Priscilla:

I am somewhat sorry you find yourself in the middle of such controversy. The "gun debate" is indeed heating up, with sincere arguments on all sides.

I truly hope that you've not had any threatening emails and would be very ashamed with fellow gun rights advocates if you have.

But perhaps you might consider backing off your position regarding an empty gun holster in your lecture hall. I suspect that it's truly a loosing position on this issue. These people that support campus safety via personal responsibility are serious and they are not going away. In as much as they won't allow regulations to squelch their 2A rights, they won't allow regulations that squelch their 1A rights either. Certainly, wearing an empty holster falls under acts protected by the first amendment (at least if interpreted broadly as most of us adacemics feel it should be). Likewise, the wearing of a real gun inside that holster falls under acts protected by the second amendment (at least if interpreted broadly as most civil rights activists interpret the other "rights of the people").

After all, you're in New Hampshire. "Live Free or Die" really does mean something....and most that understand freedom know that it doesn't entail being disarmed.

Best regards, and good luck.

State school?

Sounds like a free speech violation to me. After all, if wearing a jacket that says "F***ck the Draft" and burning an American flag are free speech, so is wearing an empty holster.

"Dean, who described himself as a lifelong gun user and a member of the National Rifle Association, said students with guns could create confusion in a school shooting situation because officers are trained to quickly find and take down shooters.

"If I enter a classroom and there are two people with a gun, who do you think is going to die," he asked. "Both people.""

While having a gun in hand when the police show up is always dangerous, history has shown that, in school shootings, the police would be better to respond with a mop and a stack of forms leaving their guns in the car. The killing usually being over with by the time they arrive and enter. In a shooting situation, 30 seconds is literally a lifetime, actually about 10 lifetimes.

Deputy Chief Dean also reveals his inexperience. Since Columbine most forces require responders enter upon arrival rather than wait to coordinate. This puts a lot of people with guns in the building who don't know where each other are. That second gun DC Dean is so eager to kill might be an officer who got their first.

The Police Chief sure has a good attitude toward law enforcement..."Kill everybody and let God sort them out." I mean, why risk having an officer shot when you could just call in an air or artillery strike? Rubble doesn't make trouble after all.

My university banned "concealed" empty holsters. Strange how some people respond to what should have been a simple silent protest. Overall, It could have been worse. This was a compromise negotiated with the Chancellor after initialy bannig the protest.

To All Faculty, Staff & Students,

Monday, April 21 through Friday, April 25 the Firearms Club at Embry-Riddle will be participating in a nation-wide, non-violent protest in support of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus. They will be wearing ConcealedCampus.com T-shirts identifying themselves as a participant. The holster must be empty, open and worn as the outer most garment. Chancellor Connolly has approved this event and Campus Safety has notified Daytona Beach law enforcement of the protest.

You can find more information about the protest at: concealedcampus.org

an offensive maneuver on two positions, already in condition zero and sighted up, with his sidearm? through a choke point?

dean clearly hasn't got any combat experience, so, i hope he carries a 45 and can dive like keanu reeves on wires. he's going to get himself or one of his officers killed, otherwise.

"UNH Deputy Police Chief Paul Dean said nothing in the emails constituted a threat, so Ham broke no laws or rules in posting Reinertsen's address,"

uh. what? how about: he broke no laws or rules. period. the depravity of other people who happen to share one of his opinions on liberty is no condition on which to judge his actions. ever.

To John @ Embry-Riddle:

As an alumnus of that fine institution I'm glad that the level heads were able to prevail there and that the silent protest is proceeding!

Go Eagles!

Oh, and on-topic:

He said that to his knowledge he is the only student at UNH participating in the protest and received a permit from UNH police to do so. Police said Ham was the only one who had signed up to carry the empty holster.

Wait, so he had to obtain "a permit" from police to wear an item of clothing made of leather and/or nylon and/or kydex? Yikes.

"I just know that more guns aren't the answer," Dean said.

This guy obviously hasn't heard/read much about SCCC, whose PR guy gave the best quote ever after the NIU thing went down:

More guns are not a problem if they're being put into the hands of responsible, law-abiding citizens.
Fewer guns are not a solution is they're being taken out of the hands of responsible, law-abiding citizens

What? A Liberal pointy-head doesn't believe in freedom of expression for viewpoints 'she' doesn't like? Say it ain't so!