The Utah Constitution also has similar language to the Second Amendment. In Article 1, Section 6, it states, "The individual right of the people to keep and bear arms... SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED...". It also goes on to say, "but nothing herein shall prevent the LEGISLATURE from defining the lawful USE of arms" (emphasis is mine), which is what the current debate is all about. The University of Utah, and others, have forgotten to read their Utah Constitution, and Utah Law, which both state that it's the LEGISLATURE's job to define the USE of arms, not theirs. The law also states that private business owners, churches and homeowners may also define the lawful use of arms on their private property. The University of Utah is not private property.
As for bearing arms on campus by individuals with concealed firearm permits, The author likens those individuals to street thugs, that would rather shoot you than talk to you. I personally knowing many of the 42,000 + and growing individuals with Utah concealed firearm permits, I can tell you that the trouble and hassle and the extensive, and daily, background checks they go through to get and keep their permits, are not typical of those whom the author typifies as the lawless type. As these individuals are even more scrutinized than even the fine law enforcement officers of Utah, you can bet they are on their best behavior to keep their permits. I challenge anyone to name just even ONE who has acted in such a lawless manner that the author describes.
Law abiding citizens with arms on campus can save lives! Take the Virginia law school shooting January 16th for example. Another student went and retrieved his handgun and confronted the shooter, at which point the shooter dropped his gun and put his hands up and then was tackled by other students. A little known fact that the popular news media have conveniently forgotten to mention, due to editing for space or some other excuse.
And finally as for the second amendment infringing on the first amendment,
you cannot have one without the other! Anyone who doubts this needs to
go back and study world history.
-- M. Scott Reynolds (c) 2002