“Most of us complain that our students won’t even read, and now we are worrying about them being so engaged that they might throw caution to the wind and start shooting?” – Associate Dean of the Graduate School and Professor of History at Arkansas State University Erik Gilbert, quoted in Stop Worrying About Guns in the Classroom. They’re Already Here. [via chronicle.com]
“Cowboy up, Texas professors”.
I think I like this guy.
Maybe, though he also goes on to write:
“People who are terrified by the prospect of a few students who have gone though background checks bringing concealed weapons to class are being just as irrational in their risk assessment as people who won’t leave the house unarmed.”
I’m not so sure that he’s issuing a call to action or to stiffen one’s spine. It may be more along the lines of:
“You’re all mental, on both sides of the issue, but harmless. So learn how to stop worrying and enjoy the gun.”
That’s far better than what we normally hear out of academia, but it isn’t exactly Heston, a rifle, and cold dead hands. Just sayin’.
If he thinks we’re crazy for carrying a gun but supports our right to do it anyway then he is even more of my friend than he was before. I think he’s crazy for not carrying a gun, but I support his decision 100%.
Mega sigh… This gets so tiresome. Those who are looking for an opportunity to shoot indiscriminately are already carrying. They’re not waiting for “permission.” Rational self control and responsibility are the obvious first requirements, and I fear there’s not much of that evident in today’s colleges and universities, but they all have the natural right to self defense.
And if the “students” are not even willing to read… what the heck are they doing in college? I realize this is an old, old problem, but the solution has always been clear. If “students” won’t do the work why are they allowed to remain cluttering up the place? They obviously need to be sent home. What they do after that is their own problem.
They have a gun so they can scour the college for the elusive books they can’t find.
Equal opportunity. Some students are reading some students aren’t. You have to give those that aren’t an equal opportunity to read and study those college textbooks. Apparently, the equal opportunities never end.
“what the heck are they doing in college?”
Because they are the conduit that money from the state uses to get into the hands of the college administrators and teachers unions, insuring their vote for the Democrat party.
This also secures the students obligations to pay the state for permission to work somewhere, if they can get a job.
In other words, it’s a protection racket.
Bingo! +1000
Yeah, I know… I was an associate professor of nursing at a community college for a while in the 80s. Most of the students were actually adults, 25 – 35ish. Most of them could not read, write, analyze or think at much above what used to be grade school level. Some couldn’t have competed with first graders, actually. They pretty much wanted things spoon fed, in very small bites, and thought memorized lists regurgitated in multiple choice “tests” were too hard. I quit in disgust and went on to teach in private hospitals and other nursing businesses. Not a lot better, but some.
In college, I took in a large amount of data and perfected expository writing skills. I avoided the dreaded Freshman English class by scoring out of it, but maybe half of my friends entering college knew next to nothing about organization and exposition. Indeed, one of my best friends was atrocious at writing (I used to type his papers) until all of a sudden the light went on in his junior year, and his writing improved dramatically practically overnight. Few students understand that the art of communicating in the written word is so critical to future success. On the other hand, I did not learn true analytical thinking skills until the first year of law school.
Dear MamaLiberty: My wife really needs to meet you. Nursing was her way out of small town dead end drama and bad family dynamics. Fought her way up the nursing education ladder. Taught nursing at community college and then private college Bachelor’s level — watched things deteriorate to the point of students sitting there blatantly answering cell phones and pagers in the middle of her lectures, and then confronted by their parents still demanding A’s for the little princess because, hey, we paid for this. She got out, too, although the rest of health care is not exactly a bed of roses, either, as you point out in your later response. She should learn to shoot and carry but all those years of helping people have made her not interested. Maybe you could convince her. Meanwhile, I have to fire someone tomorrow and will probably ruin the person’s life. Her husband may kill her. Or he or she may come after me. That is the reality we all face, whether the anointed professors at UT want to admit it or not. I will have my pistol with me, clean, lubed, and loaded, even though it is not exactly welcomed in my place of employment. I will feel more secure for carrying it, and hope to God that I won’t have to use it.
Having also worked in “higher education,” I approve this comment.
+1000. Well said.
It’s a racket. And in some cases, outright extortion.
College students (or more likely their parents) are paying for a service.
It’s none of the professor’s concern if they are not willing to make use of said service. This isn’t primary education. They aren’t obligated to make students participate.
Sian, it’s complicated… As a former community college teacher, I was responsible to the administration for what was being taught in my classroom, and responsible to the students (and their parents) there as well. Those students who did not do the work were given failing grades, but often those on the margin were more difficult to deal with and both the admin and parents brought pressure to bear to give them a pass when they had not earned it. The whole program was “dumbed down” so bad to start with that it was disgusting. That and faculty politics was why I left.
The answer is to eliminate taxpayer supported “education” completely and then those who actually do pay for their children’s education will have complete control over the situation. I worked and paid for my own education many years ago. It can be done in a rational society, but the current liberal control, PC nonsense and all the special snowflakes who won’t even take advantage of the real privileges they have… A big, steaming pile of garbage.
Many years ago it didn’t cost $40,000 a year for tuition to attend a private college or university. When I attended Tulane in the ’70’s, it was around $10,000, not including living expenses and books. Many current A&S graduates struggle to find jobs that pay better than minimum wage; they must incur more debt to obtain a professional degree that may lead to higher paying employment that will help pay off the massive debt. The students who are exempt go to nursing school or obtain an engineering degree.
Yes, Mark… Totally the result of “public,” taxpayer supported “education” and government run/ruined economy. And all the special snowflakes who have zero grasp of reality, of course.
Someone of college age should know they will not find a job after obtaining a $100,000. degree in weggie weaving III… it would seem smart to pursue some other career. Medicine and engineering will always be essential professions. Too bad government has screwed up honest medicine almost to the point of extinction. I suspect engineers face a similar situation.
Paying for such destruction and insanity with stolen taxpayer funds really seems too stupid to need explaining…
it’s always about the money. who cares if college students learn anything? get the money. cash for class is not dependent on any known outcome. the profs complaining about students who don’t pay attention should be all over the school administration for letting dumbos be enrolled.
I thought grades were supposed to take care of that problem…how foolish of me to think performance matters anymore.
So obvious, so well put, so unheard by the pearl-clutching academian Statists.
In the Twilight Zone nightmare of current academia; bound in the chains of political correctness, micro-agressions and safe spaces; while disarmed, figuratively and literally, by the delusion and denial of the progressive “intellectual elite” and GFZ signs; an academic speaks from a place of wisdom, truth and clarity. Hood a thunkit?
LOL
During my 7 years at a large northeastern university (Undergrad and a joint graduate degree) I carried pretty much every time I was on campus even though it was against policy. Concealed = concealed and I was not about to allow some short sighted, ignorant policy written by people with ZERO knowledge of criminals or self-defense make those types of decisions about my safety – as long as I had a legal alternative.
“Legal alternative?” So, all carry is made “illegal”… the metal detectors go up, maybe random strip searches… lots of ways to eliminate that alternative – legal or otherwise. Then what would you do?
Not sure what you’re asking. In my state carrying on campus is not illegal, just against policy in pretty much every university and you can get kicked out of school (maybe – depends on the school). Chance of discovery was very low.
If they made concealed carry illegal, I’d do the same type of calculation. Was the criminal threat enough to run the risk of carrying a gun illegally? etc etc
We could use a few more History professors like Mr. Glibert.
Irrational fear is still fear that needs to be addressed, if you want to win (maybe you don’t).
Anyone notice the most important element in the full article?
Once one adopts a stanch political ideology as a quasi-religion, addressing their views, directly to the person, will be as effective as arguing the pro’s of abortion rights to stanch evangelicals or arguing the negative aspects of Sharia law to Islamic fundamentalists.
You can try, but you’ll be trudging through years of single-line thought and virtue-signaling (I’m good because I believe X, you’re bad because you believe Y.)
So, without face to face inaction, you cannot be sure if the person’s fears you are addressing will be worth addressing, directly anyways.
On the second comment, I don’t usually read the full articles. I’m picky about which articles I will yield the revenue of my click to.
I highly recommend the article, for reasons you don’t expect.
While fears may be abject, it is proving folly for pro-gun advocates to completely ignore it. To spin the problem out, refusing to take those fears into consideration leaves two unalterably opposed religions where in only armed conflict can temporarily resolve the matter. Consider, as someone else here noted, the “audience” is not the hard-core opposition.
I willl look at here in a bit.
I fully understand the duality of stanchly opposite beliefs vying for surpremacy over the other, being that one must over take the other willingly or by force. At some point, one group must yield, or stand their ground, there’s no third option.
The only problem with people within the group which have already be fully ideologically subverged is that once to a certain point they are broken. They cannot be changed, therefore the need to understand them worthless.
BF Skinner talks about this in his book “the Science of Human Behavior.” There are hardline points in the human brain and/or human understanding of ideals which once crossed cannot be changed. Ex: at a certain point in brain development of the concept of language or communication is not understood, it will never be learned – that part of the brain in regards to learning will not develop and never will. The person will become feral, to put it simply.
So, whether willful or not, the organism does not have to understand the “why” a behavior functions for it to function. One could argue its evolution – adapt or die. And some times, die is the only answer, whether figurative or literal.
I’m not saying it’s righteous, I’m just saying that’s the way I see it.
“Irrational fear is still fear that needs to be addressed”
Yes. Psychiatrists have medication for that.
“Irrational fear is still fear that needs to be addressed”
Yes. Psychiatrists have medication for that.
– Cute but doesn’t get it.
Nicely done. Professor speaking to a specific audience. These sorts of articles should be blasted over every method available, circulated on our Facebook pages, Twitter and whatever. Getting professionals in the various occupations to write articles of this type might be helpful is presenting our case.
How long until this professor runs afoul of his university’s self-appointed zampoliti? I can hear the Facebook and change.org servers churning right now. The only question is will the university back his right to speech or knuckle under to the student ayatollahs?
My respect for Arkansas State just went way up.
As the campus carry date draws closer, be ready for more and more extinctions bursts…
It’s only going to get worse, until the anti’s realize campus carry is not going away, then they will finally settle down a bit.
Keep moving forward y’all. Next congressional session in Texas, let’s push for more pro-law changes – do not stop. Some of the fine folks in the Ozark’s have our backs.
Sensible man. A rarity in education.
It amuses me that the people who are terrified of being shot by someone with a permit are not at all concerned about being beaten to death by a big, strong football player.
If someone is so angry and out of control that he is willing to ruin his life by physically attacking the target of his anger, he isn’t going to be deterred by laws or policy that prohibit weapons. Remember the 55 mph national speed limit? The only time people obeyed it was in the presence of a cop.
Wow, a prof who is not a moron.
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