CU Regent, Tom Lucero introduced Dr. Krannawitter and discussed the importance of the Center for Western Civilization at the University of Colorado.  He espoused the significance of studying the fundamental principles upon which our nation was built and praised Dr. Krannawitter for his ground breaking work on Lincoln.

Dr. Krannawitter’s book starts by confronting racism and slavery.  “It might sound strange at first, but the problem of slavery in the American Founding and the years following may best reveal American’s goodness.  That is, slavery was clearly a problem to be solved in America, but slavery is a problem only in a good regime; slavery is not problem in a bad one.”

He described Lincoln’s beliefs that “there exists what he [Lincoln] called an ‘abstract truth applicable to all men and all time’.”  He asked the audience to consider whether we today believe that any truth can apply to all the people through all time.

The deliberation as to whether Lincoln actually believed in human equality “or whether he was, as many scholars today argue, a ‘typical racist’” is the basis for why Dr. Krannawitter believes Lincoln is in need of vindication.  He argued that the most important verity about Lincoln was not Lincoln the man, “but rather the principles for which he gave the last full measure of devotion.”

According to Dr. Krannawitter, Lincoln understood the “universality of human equality and believed that blacks were included in the Declaration’s principle of equality”.  Although some scholars believe this remains an “unresolveable question,” Dr. Krannawitter discussed the broad implications and reminded the audience that in America, we cast moral judgments on our fellow citizens based upon whether they affirm the founding principle of equality; “we might tolerate, but we tend to look down upon, citizens who disavow the equal rights of others.” He went on to establish that this “dedication to equality inspired in many Americans a belief in the moral superiority of America, a view that America should serve as a kind of political and moral role model for the rest of the world.”

He concluded “the lesson Lincoln offers is a lesson of American exceptionalism and goodness. “  He went on to explain “that through Lincoln, we can become better students of Western Civilization, and we can become better prepared to defend the Crown jewel of Western Civilization, the free United States of America.”

Dr. Krannawitter is a frequent and favorite speaker at Leadership Program of the Rockies, well respected author, Professor at Hillsdale College, Senior Fellow at the Claremont Institute and is nationally renowned for his passionate work on equality, natural rights and the American Founders.

A Horrendous Mass Murder–That Didn’t Happen

This is one of those news stories that would have been splashed all over the national news media for days on end, because so many people would have died–but one student had a gun, so only one of the bad guys died.

Hadn’t heard of it?  Not surprising – because it doesn’t fit the “narrative” on guns propagated by the Liberal Establishment Mass Media (LEMMings).  The LEMMings don’t want you to know about the thousands of lives saved annually by the defensive use of handguns by responsible individuals – many times without firing a shot, with approximately two million defensive gun uses (DGU’s) per year by law abiding citizens.  In this case, shots were fired defensively – killing one of the assailants, and with virtual certainty saving the lives of 10 innocent students:

“Apparently, his intent was to rape and murder us all,” said student Charles Bailey. 

Bailey said he thought it was the end of his life and the lives of the 10 people inside his apartment… the gunmen started counting bullets. “The other guy asked how many (bullets) he had. He said he had enough,” said Bailey.

Counting bullets? They weren’t going to let any witnesses get out of there alive. If you have any doubt as to whether keeping colleges gun-free zones makes sense, I think this answers the question.

CU Regents declare “Open Season” on Colorado students

The stubborn, ideological refusal of the majority of the CU Board of Regents to recognize the constitutional rights of students – and more importantly, to recognize their inherent right of self-defense – is disturbing, even morally repugnant.  Those Regents voting to impose this policy – contravening the letter and intent of Colorado’s Concealed Carry Act, C.R.S. § 18-12-214 – are putting political posturing ahead of the safety of students and faculty on CU’s campuses statewide.

The case in Georgia last week is only the most recent of many massacres averted by armed citizens – less than a year and a half ago in Colorado, a massacre-in-the-making was stopped in its tracks by a citizen with a gun at the New Life Church in Colorado Springs; there have been at least three other school shootings stopped by armed students or faculty.

Even the judge dismissing the lawsuit on narrow technical grounds (defining the Board of Regents as a “statewide entity” instead of  ”local government”) weighed in on the policy aspects:

In his ruling, Miller noted that “reasonable minds” could certainly differ on the conclusions that the regents reached when they adopted the policy.

He also stated that “any right-thinking person” could not be insensitive to the argument that a well-placed concealed weapon among the student or faculty might have averted some killing sprees on college campuses.

The CU students bringing the lawsuit as Students For Concealed Carry On Campus:  John Davis, a UCCS senior who spent 12 years in the military and is a sergeant in the Army Reserves; Eric Mote, an engineer who graduated in May from UCCS; and Martha Altman, a student at CU’s Denver campus, all represented by Jim Manley of the Mountain States Legal Foundation – are exactly the kind of mature, responsible adults that “any right-thinking person” would WANT to be armed in defense of themselves and others.

According to Manley, an appeal is due June 15th and his clients plan to file shortly.  Unfortunately, they will be fighting an uphill battle against a biased, Constitution-despising Colorado Supreme Court.

However, the CU Board of Regents doesn’t have to wait for an appeal - the new majority can do the right thing and reverse this policy.

Contact the Regent representing you – and urge them to overturn this policy and restore the right of self-defense to students and faculty at the CU campuses – before the blood of innocents stains their hands.