Firearms banned at Cambridge SU due to 'triggering'

The military have been banned from CUSU events due to potentially triggering students says the Mail - due to 'triggering'.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7967651/Cambridge-University-union-bans-military-personnel-Freshers-Fares.html

Not quite accurate as usual. In fact, it's firearms that the CUSU have banned.
https://www.varsity.co.uk/news/18644

A typical right wing tabloid lie, it's not that remarkable really that a student body wouldn't want to have firearms being displayed at public events.

The OTC and Rifle Corps people are predictably worked up and presumably phoned the Mail to complain. :sad:

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1

Drewski

Original post by Fullofsurprises

Members of the UOTC (and other university reserves) aren't allowed to carry weapons in public.

This is nothing but ignorance from a supposedly intelligent bunch of children.

And it's not that much of a lie... They tried to ban the military completely, but common sense prevailed.

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 2

Fullofsurprises

Original post by Drewski

Members of the OTC (and other university reserves) aren't allowed to carry weapons in public.

This is nothing but ignorance from a supposedly intelligent bunch of children.

I agree there's some point scoring, but on the firearms in SU events bit, I believe they have been displayed as these are private invitation events technically. At least, that's what I've heard - I never bothered much with SU events at Ox. so I don't know if they had them.

Reply 3

Joinedup

Well having seen university politics in action I suspect it's a stalking horse for certain groups that want to ultimately shut down certain other groups.

Reply 4

Fullofsurprises

Tab confirming that weapons have been displayed at CU freshers fair, chained to desks.
https://thetab.com/uk/cambridge/2020/02/05/cusu-votes-to-ban-all-societies-and-external-organisations-from-bringing-firearms-to-freshers-fair-131422

Reply 5

Fullofsurprises

Original post by Joinedup

Well having seen university politics in action I suspect it's a stalking horse for certain groups that want to ultimately shut down certain other groups.

I think the right wing press are jumping on it and exaggerating it. It sounds as if some students had complained and the welfare officer is trying to respond to their complaints.

Reply 6

Drewski

Original post by Fullofsurprises

This ruling is fine so long as it also applies to the Cambridge Fencing club, and the Cambridge Athletics club - after all, javelins, hammer, shot put and discus are just other weapons and they wouldn't want to be accused of hypocrisy at all.

Reply 7

Drewski

Original post by Fullofsurprises

I think the right wing press are jumping on it and exaggerating it. It sounds as if some students had complained and the welfare officer is trying to respond to their complaints.

They could respond with "there's nothing wrong with displays by competent individuals in a safe and restricted environment".

The students would get very short shrift if they tried to, for example, complain about armed police at train stations and airports. Static displays with inactive weapons devoid of ammunition will only trigger the stupid.

Reply 8

Drewski

Original post by z-hog

It's nothing to do with firearms, she has a long history of putting the boot in anything military.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2018/10/10/fears-glorification-war-sees-cambridge-university-students-reject/

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I look forward to her motion against fencing and the modern pentathlon

Reply 9

z-hog

After debating the firearms motion for nearly an hour, an amendment was made which removed two clauses. The first called to prevent military organisations from attending CUSU events, including the Freshers’ Fair, and being advertised on CUSU’s social media channels. The other removed a clause which sought to prevent military organisations from attending CUSU Freshers’ Fair by using a society to front their attendance.

So the idea was originally to ban the military, the 'firearms' thing just an umbrella. Only pointing it out for the benefit of the naive and unsuspecting brigade who don't know what we're dealing with in cases like these.

Reply 10

Fullofsurprises

Original post by Drewski

I look forward to her motion against fencing and the modern pentathlon

Wouldn't you agree though that there is a difference between displaying what are basically sports equipment and firearms? Some students come to our universities from war zones. It must be pretty strange, not to say cruel in some cases, for them to see guns being glorified in universities.

Reply 11

LeapingLucy

There are probably students at Cambridge, especially at the postgraduate levels, who have spent part of their lives in war zones - Syrians, Ukrainians, Somalians, Yemenis, Bosnians, Kosovans etc.

The presence of firearms at a university event could be something extremely triggering for them, and could lead them to feel like they can't participate in that event.

Reply 12

Drewski

Original post by Fullofsurprises

Nope.
They're all weapons and they're all sports equipment.

The ban was also aimed at the rifle club, a sporting club that would only shoot bits of paper.

It's sheer stupidity.

Reply 13

username4986690

So the real reason was to curb the military from attending Freshers Fair which is just farcical but hardly surprising, SUs are not typically known for their levelheadedness.

I remember we had issues joining the NUS due to our armed status as a university.

Reply 14

Drewski

Original post by LeapingLucy

If they're postgrads they're not attending fresher's fairs.

And if they're post grads they should have some semblance of brain power to realise the difference between lunatic wielding a 40 year old AK47 and a university club with a small bore target rifle.

This is just a silly girl whipping up a pathetic anti-military crusade because she doesn't like a 70year old stereotype.

Reply 15

LeapingLucy

Original post by Drewski

Really? Postgrads attend freshers' fair at my university.

And people with PTSD aren't always going to be able to be rational about something their brain automatically perceives as a threat.

Reply 16

username4986690

Original post by Fullofsurprises

A target rifle typically chambered in .22 is a piece of sporting equipment, a sword can be a piece of sporting equipment.

Reply 17

Drewski

Original post by LeapingLucy

Really? Postgrads attend freshers' fair at my university.

And people with PTSD aren't always going to be able to be rational about something their brain automatically perceives as a threat.

You can't allow for everything. What if their relatives had been run over by a car? Does the University prevent everybody from owning a car? No.

There's a huge difference between having a locked and secure (and usually deactivated) weapon on a table and a gang marauding around with threatening behaviour.

And let's not forget, the weapon ban was an afterthought. It was not her original intention. She just wanted to ban the military. That has nothing to do with anything other than her own prejudices.