KU Journalism Prof Defends Death-wish Tweets Directed at NRA Members' Kids

By Ken Shepherd | September 19, 2013 | 16:30 A A


An unrepentant David Guth doubled down on his hateful tweets wishing death and damnation on NRA members and their children, Katherine Timpf of Campus Reform reported early this morning.

"#NavyYardShooting The blood is on the hands of the #NRA. Next time, let it be YOUR sons and daughters. Shame on you. May God damn you," the Kansas University journalism professor tweeted on Monday afternoon.

Responding to Campus Reform, Guth refused to recant. "Hell no, hell no, I do not regret that Tweet.... I don't take it back one bit," Timpf quoted him as saying. For now, at least, Kansas University is standing by Guth (Twitter handle: @DWGuth):

KU on Wednesday told Campus Reform that they stand by the professor's right to make such statements.

“Faculty have their own social media accounts and use those to express personal opinions, but those opinions do not represent the university,” spokesman Jack Martin wrote in an email statement to Campus Reform on Wednesday.



While Guth’s Twitter account is personal, his biography includes a link that directs to the school’s website.
“An Eastern Shoreman turned professor and historian,” reads his description. “A devoted husband, father and dog owner. Most important: an independent thinker.”
Official school policy demands all in the community adhere to a standard of “inclusive learning and working environment at the University of Kansas.”
Guth made his comments the same day as the massacre at the Navy Yard in Washington, DC which left 13 people dead including the shooter.
Guth also served as the associate dean of the journalism school from July 2004 to July 2009.


A review of Guth's personal blog, Snapping Turtle, shows that has a pre-existing beef with the fact that handgun ownership by civilians is constitutional. From a July 15 blog post about the George Zimmerman not-guilty verdict:

if you want to be outraged, focus on the guns. Zimmerman probably wouldn't have gone anywhere near Martin if he hadn't been packing heat. Instead, we had two alpha males squaring off and an ensuing tragedy. As long was we treat handguns as if they are constitutionally sacrosanct, this sickening drama will continued to be replayed on the streets of every American town. If you want to be angry, be angry at a gun culture that made this tragedy possible.

That's just one of many blog posts in which Guth (pictured at right) rails against the NRA and gun "nuts," etc.

KU may stand by Guth's right to make an ass of himself on social media -- and his blog -- but Guth's virulent hatred of gun rights advocates would give any pro-gun rights student of his pause. It's not inconceivable that students of Guth's who are pro-Second Amendment may feel intimidated about letting known their personal views on the Second Amendment and gun rights.

It's best not to tick off the vein-popping nutjob who grades your papers, after all.

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/ken-she...a-members-ki-0