I need to vent

S

Sport

New member
I've been teaching hunter education for my state for nearly twenty-
five years. We teach the October class
at a local university. Three years ago the
university implemented a policy requiring we
instructors be escorted from the parking
lot to the classroom when we brought fire-
arms to class. The concern was that students
might get upset at the sight of rifle or
shotgun cases (I guess). Although I thought
it was a litle extreme, I dealt with it.

Last night I arrived with a half dozen cased
guns, met the campus cop in the parking lot
and he insisted on inspecting the guns right
there to make certain they were unloaded.
It's 6:30 pm, daylight, and I'm pulling
rifles, shotguns,and handguns from their
cases working the actions in front of who
knows how many students..all of whom are
gawking. If the school doesn't want to give
the poor little students vapors, why the
sam hill am I uncasing guns in a public
area?

I just need to vent a moment. I and a bunch
of other dedicated hunters/shooters donate
a lot of time and expertise to the state
each year. We have all taken the various
instructor classes and refresher seminars
and have a spotless safety record.
State law specifically exempts hunter safety
instructors from firearms prohibitions at
schools when we're carrying out our duties.
Despite that,I'm beginning to feel like a
criminal and don't like it one damn bit.
 
Venting is a good thing and none of us like to feel violated.

That being said, the University has the right to make requirements regarding dangerous or potentially dangerous items on campus including but not limited to explosives, firearms, automobiles, and chemicals. These often are beyond state law requirements. Remember that most universities are their own jurisdiction and can have their own requirements just a like a town has city codes that go beyond those of the state. Part of the price you pay for being on their campus is abiding by their rules.

As far as the cop, I would guess he was probably more interested in what you had than whether they were loaded or not. He probably knew they weren't loaded and just wanted to have a look-see for himself. His job was such that he was probably instructed to escort you, but was not allotted time to casually view the goodies in class. Maybe he was actually following orders. Maybe he was actually a jerk.

Maybe for your next class there, you can have the students meet you and the cop at your car and go through the process with you so that they can see that hunter safety instruction goes beyond hunter safety.

As far as the spotless safety record, I have no doubt. However, the university and quite likely the guy assigned to escort you, don't want to have the honor of being the first place where a spot occurred on that record. The cop was performing a pre-emptive or pro-active action. Cops are usually reactive to situations gone bad, so here was a chance to ensure the situation would not go bad. Of course this doesn't make you feel good, but lets face it, how many times do we complain about an incident that "could have been prevented" by cops that wasn't because proactive measures were not taken?

A question you might ask yourself it whether or not that cop knew you personally and knew of your record. Did you forward your credentials to the university police so that they were aware of you and your spotless record?

My point to all this is that while you felt violated, and I would as well, the error seems to be one on the side of safety, where it should be. So I agree with your sentiments, but also understand the cautionary perspective of the university.

As far as spotless records, some still have them, but we all had one at one time, right?
 
I'm beginning to feel like a
criminal and don't like it one damn bit.

Welcome to the "brave new world"/NWO.

Having fun yet? This is the future in Amerika. Get ready for it. Our childrens' children will only see guns in a museum.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Dennis Olson:
I'm beginning to feel like a
criminal and don't like it one damn bit.

Welcome to the "brave new world"/NWO.

Having fun yet? This is the future in Amerika. Get ready for it. Our childrens' children will only see guns in a museum.[/quote]

Dream on, Dennis. If things don't change, our childrens' children will see guns all the time, as they walk past countless checkpoints and show their papers to the nice men in the black body armor with the machine pistols and SMGs slung over their shoulders.
 
The future will likely look like one big, Northern Ireland. The differance is that the noncombatants will be a lot more docile and dull-witted.
 
i remember taking an archery class on PSU's main campus back in the early 80's.

I used to ride my mountainbike to class,
with my Bear Whitetail LTD compound across my handle bars & my field pointed arrows in my bow mounted quiver.

i wonder if i could do that today?

dZ
 
Gopher.45

I appreciate your thoughtful reply.
You are correct. School administrators can make any rules they choose. The fact is,
this particular hunter education class has been taught at this location for at least
fifteen years. It is not we who have changed;
it is the "powers" at the school.

Our flawless safety record should count for
something. Frankly, the campus cops come and go. We instructors stay the same. Same six
guys who give of their time and expertise
year after year.

Last evening there was a herd of four "warthog" type coeds who literally were
aghast at THE GUNS! You know the type; stringy hair and thirty pounds of extra
burgers stuffed in their "cool guerilla
fatigues". I could sense the distaste from
them as I-a volunteer- demonstrated to THE
MAN that my guns are safe.
Yes, they have the power; but I don't have to like it. Nor do I have to volunteer to
be harassed.

DZ. When I was a kid in the sixties I and my
buddy bicycled through town with our .22s
riding across the handlebars of our bicycles.

Times really have changed.

God Bless Amerika!
 
I dont have a problem with the escort or the safety check as much as I have a problem with where the check was conducted. This should have been done in private and out of sight of the general student population. If the university is going to allow/permit hunter safety classes they need to make the necessary preperations for such checks ahead of time. The officer that carried out the inspection was more than likely following some goof balls orders, I'm betting he didnt want to do the checks any more than you wanted him to.

------------------
No man is above the law and no man is below it,nor do we ask any mans permission when we require him to obey it.
 
Sport,
Your record should count for something, no doubt. As far as volunteering to be harassed, nobody wants that. These are trying political times and I salute people like you who are working to enlighten others.

I used to teach college as well, as a paid adjunct. Trust me when I tell you the environment there has changed considerably from when I was a student. Did you know that publically asking a disruptive student to leave a classroom can be considered an infringement of that student's rights? Bogus! That being said, I looked to the students I reached for gaining self satisfaction for a job well done IN SPITE of conditions that squelch a productive teaching environment, imposed not by The Man, but by The System.

Texaken is right about the place of inspection issue.

Keep the faith, keep your strength, and pray that the warthogs will come to their senses sooner than later.
 
Venting is good when done the right way.

I think the biggest issue is the location for the inspection of the firearms. Is this cop allowed to perform this inspection? Is it sanctioned by the unniversity?
 
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