Journalism prof calls the NRA treasonous

The West Virginia Gazette describes Christopher Swindell as a professor of journalism. And the Gazette carries an opinion piece from Professor Swindell that includes the following:

Here it is. The NRA advocates armed rebellion against the duly elected government of the United States of America. That's treason, and it's worthy of the firing squad. The B.S. needs a serious gut check. We are not a tin pot banana republic where machine gun toting rebel groups storm the palace and depose the dictator.

The website Rate My Professors shows Chris Swindell as teaching journalism at Marshall University. Among comments left there in the past:

Dr. Swindell is cool. He is kinda crazy and a communist but whatever. He likes to make jokes and doesn't care if you crack jokes too. I made jokes at his expense and he complemented my wit. If you can get in his class, GET IN!

And:

Despite being a communist, Chris is an awesome professor. His ability to outline what you need to take away from his course and his willingness to understand your point of view as a student is refreshing and impressive. If you have a chance to take him as a professor take it! 

I'm curious. Does this professor openly bill himself as a communist? The comments were written five or six years ago, well before the current political climate. And why do journalism students encourage others to take a class while describing the instructor as "kinda crazy and a communist"?

In a previous column, Swindell opined in 2011 how the Tea Party "hates our country."

While I write this, I see others have picked up on Prof. Swindell's NRA column. The Other McCain seems a good starting point if you'd like to read more.