The primary object of free speech protection has always been speech opposing the government. Are cops going to be carrying guns at demonstrations? Uh huh. Then so will I.
It is interesting to read “states could enforce very old laws that penalize people for “going armed to the terror of the public.”” If being armed is what is considered terrorizing, then I suspect hoplophobia – fear of the object, not the manner of how the object is used.
Back in 2013, students at the University of South Florida held empty holster protests to promote both open carry and possession of firearms on the person on campus. Both are still unlawful in Florida. Lawsuits filed in 2013 and 2014 by Florida Carry compelled college campuses in Florida to allow the storage of firearms in vehicles on campus.
“USF Police sent out a campus wide note last week (police at USF Sarasota-Manatee released a similar notification) telling students, faculty and staff about the protest. However, they also stress that it's not against the law to simply wear an empty holster. "Certainly if anyone sees someone with a firearm in that holster, that's a different story. That would be a 911 call that should be generated," says Lt. Charlotte Domingo. "If people are uncomfortable, this is a First Amendment issue and there are many things that people may be uncomfortable about that other people say or do." … And while another group of USF students has organized a counter-protest, they're choosing to make their voices heard mainly through social media. Konstantin Ravvin, administrator for the Facebook group USF Students for a Gun Free Campus, says some members will likely be at the Bull Market, but it won't be an organized effort. "We feel that the shock value of our opponent's protests, in particular the distressing and somewhat confounding sight of empty gun holsters in an academic setting, does not warrant an equally bellicose response, but rather an appeal to the student body by way of petitioning the student government to pass a resolution that would ceremonially deem USF a gun-free campus, in accordance with Florida law."”
Note that Konstanint Ravvin considered the sight of empty holsters to be “bellicose”. Displays of condoms for sale in the supermarket must terrorize him.
The primary object of free speech protection has always been speech opposing the government. Are cops going to be carrying guns at demonstrations? Uh huh. Then so will I.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to read “states could enforce very old laws that penalize people for “going armed to the terror of the public.”” If being armed is what is considered terrorizing, then I suspect hoplophobia – fear of the object, not the manner of how the object is used.
ReplyDeleteBack in 2013, students at the University of South Florida held empty holster protests to promote both open carry and possession of firearms on the person on campus. Both are still unlawful in Florida. Lawsuits filed in 2013 and 2014 by Florida Carry compelled college campuses in Florida to allow the storage of firearms in vehicles on campus.
“USF Police sent out a campus wide note last week (police at USF Sarasota-Manatee released a similar notification) telling students, faculty and staff about the protest. However, they also stress that it's not against the law to simply wear an empty holster.
"Certainly if anyone sees someone with a firearm in that holster, that's a different story. That would be a 911 call that should be generated," says Lt. Charlotte Domingo.
"If people are uncomfortable, this is a First Amendment issue and there are many things that people may be uncomfortable about that other people say or do."
…
And while another group of USF students has organized a counter-protest, they're choosing to make their voices heard mainly through social media.
Konstantin Ravvin, administrator for the Facebook group USF Students for a Gun Free Campus, says some members will likely be at the Bull Market, but it won't be an organized effort.
"We feel that the shock value of our opponent's protests, in particular the distressing and somewhat confounding sight of empty gun holsters in an academic setting, does not warrant an equally bellicose response, but rather an appeal to the student body by way of petitioning the student government to pass a resolution that would ceremonially deem USF a gun-free campus, in accordance with Florida law."”
Note that Konstanint Ravvin considered the sight of empty holsters to be “bellicose”. Displays of condoms for sale in the supermarket must terrorize him.
https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/post/usf-students-hold-empty-holster-protest
https://www.floridacarry.org/news/96-florida-carry-lawsuit-spurs-eastern-florida-state-college-to-comply-with-state-firearms-law