UT bans gun ownership of all student athletes.

[Guest redbarron06]

Anybody else seen this?

New policy strips student-athletes of Second Amendment rights

Guest Editorial -

Friday, February 26, 2010 issue

Click here to print

The University of Tennessee’s newly announced policy banning all gun ownership by student-athletes is an extreme overreaction to the criminal acts of a few.

UT’s athletic director, Mike Hamilton, said that under the new policy, the university will automatically dismiss any student-athlete found in possession of a gun — even those with permits and even those living off-campus. This over-reaching policy prevents law-abiding UT student-athletes from hunting and engaging in recreational and competitive shooting. More importantly, it also prohibits them from owning a firearm for self-defense, a right guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.

Let’s be very clear — anyone, student-athlete or otherwise, who commits a serious crime ought to be punished. But the law-abiding should not, period.

Sports teach everyone that actions have consequences. Sloppy work in practice leads teams to defeat. Criminal acts lead to punishment. A quality team — on and off the court or field — is what Vol fans want. That is not achieved by depriving students — athletes or not — of their civil rights.

Chris W. Cox

Tennessean and NRA chief lobbyist

So if this is true, can UT not be sued for violating the state preemption law. After all, it is the state legislature not the state school system that makes laws in this state.

[Guest Stonewall]

Sounds like they may be open to all types of legal actions - Discrimination, invasion of privacy, civil rights charges whatever.

Hopefully the authors of this treasonous travesty will receive a suitable reward. Maybe this will be one of those 1 in a thousand cases where even the ACLU gets it right!

[Guest jackdm3]

Even off campus?!

Ruh roh!

I want some lawsuit money, too!

*The ACLU is on the bad list for contributing funds to anti-gun organizations. Wonder if they show.

Edited February 28, 2010 by jackdm3

[titan14]

I'd like to see the policy....in black and white....hamilton is an idiot....but he SURELY is NOT this freakin stupid.

And if he is, how stupid is the president and whoever else approved this policy?

Lawsuits will be won, if filed.

[Smith]

As much as these people consult with lawyers on this stuff surely they didn't make this big of a mistake. Then again the arrogance and ignorance of some in higher learning is astounding. If true, this sure doesn't help correct Hamilton's track record for making bad decisions.

[Guest 270win]

This is crazy. How can a university think it can tell students what they do on their own time as long as they are legal?

[Krull]

This is a law suit waiting to happen. Even a private university wouldn't get away with this.

[Almond27]

I bleed Orange, but I hope someone sues UT's pants off so they fire Mike Hamilton over this he might be the biggest dummy East of the Mississippi if Al Gore hasn't already claimed that title. Fatty Phil for AD enough this buffoon Hamilton. Chris Cox wrote this article seeing he's a NRA activist I don't think this will work out well for Mikey.

[nightrunner]

link isnt working for me, anybody got a link to the source?

[Guest italia]

This is a law suit waiting to happen. Even a private university wouldn't get away with this.

Just like a private business that correctly posts "Guns Banned on Property" notices, a PRIVATE college or university probably could get away with it. Not that I'm agreeing with it. Just sayin'.

[nightrunner]

Just like a private business that correctly posts "Guns Banned on Property" notices, a PRIVATE college or university probably could get away with it. Not that I'm agreeing with it. Just sayin'.

ON campus, absolutely. But NOT OFF campus.

[strickj]

As much as it stinks, I don't see any rights being violated here.

You don't have a right to play football. If you wanna play, you have to follow their rules. If that means no drinking, no nookie, or in this case, no guns.(all of which are legal)

If they want to own guns, then they'll just have to make the decision to quit the sport to which they have no rights to play.

It would only be wrong if the students had a right to play...

[pitt2magic]

Yet another reason not to attend UT. The rest of the SEC is probably laughing their tails off this morning.

[Hgunner]

Yeah leave it to UT, lets ban atheletes from having guns instead of, lets stop

recruiting and giving scholalships to thugs.

[USMCJG]

As much as it stinks, I don't see any rights being violated here.

You don't have a right to play football. If you wanna play, you have to follow their rules. If that means no drinking, no nookie, or in this case, no guns.(all of which are legal)

If they want to own guns, then they'll just have to make the decision to quit the sport to which they have no rights to play.

It would only be wrong if the students had a right to play...

Interesting perspective. By the same token, any business could forbid their employees from owning guns. This sounds like it could be just the angle that the gun grabbers have been looking for. They could just bribe businesses with political favors in exchange for having said businesses restrict the rights of their employees, even when those employees are away from work. Not only could they do away with the RKBA, they could remove all of the freedoms enjoyed by every working citizen of the United States with the help of private businesses.

[Krull]

Just like a private business that correctly posts "Guns Banned on Property" notices, a PRIVATE college or university probably could get away with it. Not that I'm agreeing with it. Just sayin'.

Misunderstood point,,,,, a private school could not ban personal ownership of firearms. As far as I know there Is not a college in the country that allows firearms on their property,,,,,, this is a long cry from telling students or athletes " you can not own a gun".

[Guest italia]

As far as I know there Is not a college in the country that allows firearms on their property,,,,,, this is a long cry from telling students or athletes " you can not own a gun".

True - it is a long cry. However, my point is that it would not be the first attempt by a PRIVATE entity to "attempt" to regulate 'off-work' or 'off-campus' behavior or choice.

Many private companies forbid employees to smoke outside of work, thus dictating employees' choice in their private lives.

Private business entities often have 'codes of personal conduct' in pre-employment agreements that afford them a conduit to attempt to dictate how people live their lives outside of work. Codes such as these offer private businesses an outlet to exercise rights such as a right to terminate employment in a State where 'at will employment' does not exist.

[Guest bkelm18]

Interesting perspective. By the same token, any business could forbid their employees from owning guns. This sounds like it could be just the angle that the gun grabbers have been looking for. They could just bribe businesses with political favors in exchange for having said businesses restrict the rights of their employees, even when those employees are away from work. Not only could they do away with the RKBA, they could remove all of the freedoms enjoyed by every working citizen of the United States with the help of private businesses.

Took you that long to figure that out? Though I find it hard to believe, actually extremely impossible to believe, that the gun grabbers could persuade every single business entity in the country to ban gun ownership. Maybe 1% of 1%. That's a bit more plausible.

[USMCJG]

Took you that long to figure that out? Though I find it hard to believe, actually extremely impossible to believe, that the gun grabbers could persuade every single business entity in the country to ban gun ownership. Maybe 1% of 1%. That's a bit more plausible.

I knew I should have used this-

[DMark]

Isn't this the same UT that just invited Al Gore to be this spring's commencement speaker?

Wonder if they will also ban my Daughter's car off campus since she placed a NRA sticker in the window.

[Guest jackdm3]

Remember when the student got hot water for wearing that empty hoster?

[Guest 270win]

The alums and donors at UT need to raise cane over this AD going too far and punishing responsible athletes instead of dealing with the few trouble makers. I don't have much say in this, being an Arkansas Alum. I will say we don't have this silliness in Fayetteville and never did out of Frank Broyles or our new AD. By policy, students couldn't keep any guns on campus. By law no one (few exceptions like permits, hunting, journey, residence) could carry/possess handguns on campus as weapons. We could have long guns on campus without fear of any criminal problems thank goodness. That crap in Knoxville is just CRAZY.

[tntnixon]

If that means no drinking, no nookie, or in this case, no guns.(all of which are legal).

If these are in the Constitution then I'm being denied my rights:D.

According to this article

Does University of Tennessee discriminate against student-athletes? Mr. Hamilton had not cleared this policy with the legal department, yet and it will probably be tweeked.

My suspicion is that Mr. Hamilton has made a knee-jerk reaction, and didn't fully understand the legal implications of it. Even the legal commentator of the television station where he unveiled this new policy had some pretty strong reservations about it's legality.

The policy hasn't even been written at this point and isn't expected to go into effect until July. I bet it will read significantly different than Mike Hamilton's off-the-cuff remarks.

All that being said, Mike Hamilton needed to be fired before this decision was made by him. He has only confirmed what I already thought of him.

One other side note, there is a certain Governorial candidate by the name of Haslam that has a very strong enfluence on the goings on On Rocky Top. This gentleman needs our votes and I would encourage each and every one of us to contact his campaign and express our anger at this decision.

[Worriedman]

Wonder where the Ruling Class at UT thinks we got our name? Guess they ought to hold a vote to select a new handle. The "Volunteers" sends a message of violence, as it comes from the recognition of a populace armed and ready to visit war upon a group (The Red Sticks) bent on killing the inhabitants of the State. Surely Old Hickory should have made the militia members that answered the call of Governor Blount, stack and melt their rifles, and go have a conversation with the Creeks and the British.

[greenego]

Unless this is a condition of playing sports at UT or a condition of receiving a scholarship I don't see how it can stand.