An unnecessary student organization

A group of Tufts students has asked the Tufts Community Union Judiciary (TCUJ) to recognize a new student group, the Tufts Right to Arms Club (TRA). The proposed club would educate students about gun handling and promote a conservative interpretation of the Second Amendment.

While many Tufts students will disagree with the group's politics, debate on this issue has roiled for years and it would be wrong of the TCUJ to deny recognition simply because the club's position is unpopular. Doing so would amount to censorship and would violate the First Amendment's sacred guarantee of the right to free speech.

However, the TCUJ must deliberate in a consistent manner when it considers the need for such an organization at Tufts. Earlier this semester, the TCUJ denied an application for recognition by the Tufts Bhangra Club because it felt its objectives could be met by the Tufts Association of South Asians. TRA's application is similarly redundant as the group's objectives coincide with those of the Tufts Republicans and The Primary Source. Both conservative organizations have voiced their belief that citizens have a right to bear arms and have sponsored shooting trips to teach students about handling firearms. As competition for student activities fees increases, the TCUJ has adopted a policy that new organizations must make original contributions to the Tufts community; it appears that TRA would not.

It is also worth noting that one of TRA's co-founders is the re-recognition chair of the TCUJ, and the way he planned to handle this conflict of interest should concern students. Although the TCUJ's regulations clearly prohibit members from making decisions on matters in which they have an interest, TRA's co-founder said he would consider voting in favor of the club if the margin of support is small. It is disturbing that a member of the body that holds other organizations accountable to their constitutions and by-laws is not familiar with the TCUJ's own regulations and apparently lacks the ethical sense to recuse himself from deliberations about his own club.