Cincinnati- University Activists Open Carry

[techguy85]

...snip...

Be assured that I'll have more to say about the matter at UC when the time is right.

I have been educated that your open carry activities were not a "protest" but the other component of my original comments had to do with articulating a position to the governing body, in this case the "student government".

I have also been advised to ask questions so here's one: Did you communicate with the "student government" or its representatives or make a case for campus carry?

What would be the point? The student government has no ability to change University rules on firearms, so talking to them is not really a good use of time and resources. As much as I sometimes disagree with BB62's tone and tactics in this particular case I have nothing but hey, go get them, when it comes to openly carrying handguns on campus, and continuing to do so until they get the message that campus carry should be allowed.

[BB62]

BB62 and MWSY,

Thank you both for responding to my posts. It appears that I was "suckered" into a low information mindset by the reporting in the first post in the OP.

Do I trust the media? Absolutely not. Years ago I was employed in a rather newsworthy position where I was often interviewed by print and TV media. After seeing my words edited to phrases and taken out of context I decided not to participate further with interviews. Shame on me for not remembering this lesson.

As a concealed carrier who knows a bit about the subject I was mislead which makes me wonder what J. Q. Public took away from the article. I look forward to the true story if you can get it posted.

Well, today I can FINALLY go forward with starting to post "the rest of the story". I'll probably start a new thread to do so, and although I won't be doing so tonight because I want to enjoy my Friday, here's the bare bones:

At the University of Cincinnati I attended a total of three student government meetings, and was on the UC's main campus OCing three times - two as both a counterpoint (wearing my "Make America Great Again" hat) to the Socialist Alternative people and as a campus carry activist (wearing "Guns SAVE Lives" stickers), and the third time as a campus carry activist and as what I call an "interactive billboard" for the student group Young Americans for Liberty (YAL), whose members were gathering signatures to encourage the student government to get the UC Board of Trustees to formally poll students about their feelings on campus carry. I'd been invited by YAL to OC on that occasion.

The reason I've been mostly quiet until now is that I've done a records request, and I didn't want some of the requested records to mysteriously disappear. Although I haven't received all that I've requested, I've been told that the General Counsel's office has possession of some of the central records requested.

[BB62]

Dr. Neville G. Pinto
Office of the President, 513-556-2201
University of Cincinnati

Dr. Peter E. Landgren
Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, 513-556-7861
University of Cincinnati

Dr. Robin Engel
Vice President for Safety & Reform, 513-556-5849

University of Cincinnati

Mr. James L. Whalen
Director of Public Safety, 513-556-1111
University of Cincinnati

Dear Dr. Pinto, Dr. Landgren, Dr. Engel, Mr. Whalen, and Chief Carter,

As you know, the subject of concealed carry on campus has recently come to the forefront because of a law signed by Governor Kasich which will go into effect in mid-March, 2017. As you may or may not know, in 2003 I took part in the effort to bring legal concealed carry to Ohio, and for years have been an advocate for campus carry, expanded gun rights & privileges, and greater dialogue about both. Since 2014, I’ve conducted seven “Open Carry/Firearm Education” Walks at six Ohio public university campuses.

Last December, via an article in the Cincinnati Enquirer, I became aware of a scheduled January 11 Student Senate meeting during which the subject of campus carry would be discussed. Through the reporter, I reached out to Senate President Mitchell Phelps, yet I heard nothing back. After much effort (including unreturned phone messages to various offices @ UC) to determine the time and place of the meetings, I attended the first three 2017 Student Senate meetings, held each Wednesday @ 6PM in room 425 TUC.

Prior to the first meeting, I offered to e-mail information on campus carry to President Phelps and another Senator, requesting distribution to the full Senate – and was told it would be.* My e-mail included a link to a University of Texas report, which among many other things, addressed a number of common misconceptions about campus carry, and also offered my help. I sent the information that evening after the meeting.** Indeed the information was distributed to the full Senate, along with the Senate President’s bill opposing campus carry, on the Monday before the next Wednesday meeting.

I came to view the bill as nothing more than political sleight of hand, as the vote on it would allegedly represent student’s views on campus carry – but without any prior formal involvement or education of students.
The second and third Student Senate meetings were a sorry display of prejudice, bias (both racial and otherwise), and ignorance among the student Senators and some of the 31 students who spoke. I won’t bore you with a recounting of all of it, but suffice to say that as a UC alumnus I was stunned and saddened. The Student Senate President made it clear that the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (Thomas Cassady) had no interest in taking up the matter of campus carry unless the Student Senate voted overwhelmingly in favor of it. Given the unfair and uninformed process I’d witnessed, it was clear that Mr. Cassady’s wouldn’t have to worry about his prejudice being challenged.

Also at the second meeting I met a number of students, including the President and some members of the campus group “Young Americans for Liberty”. The YAL, apparently aware of the game-playing that was going on with the last-minute disseminated bill, and the failure of the Student Senate to obtain widespread student input before voting on it, told me of their petition to the Student Senate. The petition asked the Student Senate to reject the bill opposing campus carry. However, only AFTER the Student Senate voted on President Phelps’ bill was another bill, one which sought formal student involvement, voted on.

On the Monday prior to the third Student Senate meeting, the President of the UC YAL group invited me and people of like mind to openly carry in front of TUC (McMicken Commons), where the group would be gathering signatures for their petition. On January 24 & 25, since those of us who open carry would, as expected, draw students’ attention, in order to conserve police resources I contacted UCPD dispatch beforehand and told them where I (and possibly others) would be on campus. At McMicken Commons, a great deal of worthwhile conversation was had with students, staff, faculty and UCPD officers.

However, at some point during or after my/our presence, UC Associate Professor Lattisha Bates apparently felt compelled to issue a libelous, defamatory, racialized statement about me, my and others alleged statements and actions, and/or our individual or collective presence on campus. An image is attached to this e-mail, as is a related letter it appears she, or she and others, created. Both are replete with lies, misrepresentations and mischaracterizations. I trust that it will be communicated to her (and others who may view the world in a similar racist manner) that despite her prejudice, the peaceful exercise of rights and encouragement of civil dialogue is highly prized at UC – and that lies diminish one’s perceived integrity and inhibit productive dialogue. In the meanwhile, Ms. Bates (and possibly other UC employees) clearly needs additional racial sensitivity training.

Through my conversations with others, including police officers stationed at McMicken Commons, it became apparent that multiple false reports were received by/directed to the UCPD including those of alleged aggressive behavior and the possession of longarms on campus last Tuesday and/or Wednesday. Despite the fact that officers told me they informed their superiors that the reports were false, Chief Carter was seen at McMicken Commons.

In addition, UC’s Safety Director James Whalen issued a statement which said in part: “Please be assured that UC Police have been, and will continue to, be in close proximity to monitor the individuals, answer questions and ensure a safe environment for students, faculty and staff and visitors.” I find such statements to be incredibly self-serving, as if law abiding citizens peacefully exercising their rights should be the focus of UCPD’s attention. Had Director Whalen said that UCPD would be in close proximity to monitor *everyone* (including a number of unhinged individuals who approached myself and others), I would have no issues with his statement.

I look forward to UC opening real dialogue on campus carry, as well as participating in educating all stakeholders and parents on the subject - since it is already non-optional at public universities & colleges in at least eight states. Also, I look forward to UC addressing the racial animus and bias of individuals like Associate Professor Bates. If I can further the conversations on these or other subjects, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

In the meanwhile, I look forward to your collective response to my note and associated records request, sent in a separate e-mail.


Cordially,

me


P.S. – indirectly related to campus carry, since I was wearing “Guns SAVE lives” stickers and I engaged in multiple consensual conversations and was asked to pose for pictures with students, I was also openly armed on UC’s main campus on January 20, 2017 at a “Socialist Alternative” rally. Prior to my coming on campus, in order to preserve police resources, a colleague of mine contacted UCPD to let them know we’d be openly armed during the time of the rally.

* - The next day, I sent a similar e-mail to the Board of Trustees and UCPD Chief Carter, but received no response.

** - I fully realize that the Administration has no direct influence over the Student Senate, yet at any point *prior to the vote* you and/or the Board of Trustees could have taken steps to a) ensure that students were given information from those on both sides of the issue, and 2) offered to formally involve UC students, as your counterparts at Ohio University have done: http://thenewpolitical.com/ohio-univers ... ry-campus/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[BB62]

Dr. Neville G. Pinto
Office of the President, 513-556-2201
University of Cincinnati

Dr. Peter E. Landgren
Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, 513-556-7861
University of Cincinnati

Dr. Robin Engel
Vice President for Safety & Reform, 513-556-5849

University of Cincinnati

Mr. James L. Whalen
Director of Public Safety, 513-556-1111
University of Cincinnati

Dear Dr. Pinto, Dr. Landgren, Dr. Engel, Mr. Whalen, and Chief Carter,

The following records request is related to a separate e-mail entitled “Campus carry controversy (related to a ** RECORDS REQUEST ** on the same subject)”, sent Tuesday, January 31, 2017.


** RECORDS REQUEST **

Please assemble the following, *in electronic form* to save paper and facilitate review (pdf format preferred), and make them available for my review:

1) Copies of letters, e-mails, notes, etc. TO any of the individuals this e-mail is addressed to (Pinto, Landgren, Engel, Whalen, Carter), or their designees regarding the presence of an openly armed individual(s) on campus January 20, 24, and 25, 2017. Please DO NOT provide duplicates for my review.

2) Copies of letters, e-mails, notes, etc. FROM any of the individuals this e-mail is addressed to (Pinto, Landgren, Engel, Whalen, Carter), or their designees regarding or in response to the presence of an openly armed individual(s) on campus January 20, 24, and 25, 2017

3) Video recordings of the McMicken Commons area of campus taken during the daylight hours of January 20, 24, and 25, 2017

4) Audio copies of inbound and outbound phone calls regarding the presence of an openly armed individual(s) on campus January 20, 24, and 25, 2017

5) Copies of police/officer reports, notes, briefing/training materials, etc. regarding the presence of an openly armed individual(s) on campus January 20, 24, and 25, 2017

6) Copies of police/officer radio traffic regarding an openly armed individual(s) on campus January 20, 24, and 25, 2017

7) Copies of UCPD training materials, briefing materials, directives, etc. regarding openly armed individuals on UC’s main or branch campuses

8. A copy of UCPD’s training materials, briefing materials, directives, etc. regarding the citation or prosecution of individuals for making false reports and/or misuse of emergency numbers/services

9) Copies of citations issued to individuals for making false reports or misuse of emergency numbers/services on January 20, 24 or 25, 2017

10) Copies of e-mails sent to or from Associate Professor Lattisha Bates during the period January 20 – January 30, 2017

11) Copies of Associate Professor Lattisha Bates computer logs for the period January 20 – January 30, 2017


If there are questions, or if some portion of my records request needs clarification, please don’t hesitate to call. I’m open to discussing alternative forms and methods of examining the records I’m seeking to review.


Cordially,

me