Utah State University and "Free Speech"

[BubbleBurst]

So. I think most people hanging around these boards has heard at least something about Anita Sarkeesian's speech at Utah State University being cancelled following an e-mailed threat of a school shooting. If you haven't:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...bility-to-prevent-concealed-weapons-at-event/

Putting aside any debate about other issues, isn't this a worrying signal to people who want to shut down someone's (anyone's) ability to publicly speak in Utah, or states with similar gun laws? Anyone who wants to try and stop you speaking just got a brand new weapon to use, because they just got told that law enforcement has its hands pretty well restricted.

Is this just me? Am I being paranoid about the implications here?

 

[kyp275]

the only implication here is that law enforcement is not going to expend their limited resources on what they consider to be non-credible threat, and universities also would not spend their own resources (yes, they could've if they really wanted) nor deal with the potential liability issues.

Imagine if the police are required to post a security detail for every person who receives a death threat.

 

[Pink Gregory]

These likely aren't new laws. It's not a new weapon to use.

This probably isn't the first time such a thing has happened, you're only hearing about this one because it involves something you're aware of.

 

[murrow]

If someone was really bent on murdering a speaker, wouldn't he be able to smuggle a gun in anyway? Or just ambush her outside, where he could easily mingle with a crowd?

Maybe I'd have to be an American to understand. My country has very strict gun laws and yet anyone crazy enough to kill has little trouble acquiring/carrying guns illegally.