Posted on 03/23/2002 8:37:56 AM PST by lowbridge
You would think that a forum being held at a college in Los Angeles (arguably, but hardly so, Gun Control Capitol of the West) with the topic "Gun Ownership vs. Gun Control - Which Is Safer?" would present a safe haven for the emotional rhetoric of gun-controllers like Charles Blek and impressionable youngsters like Jennifer Mendoza.
However, when a debate is sponsored by a Libertarian group such as Students For Individual Liberty, the emotionalism that works so well with the gun-control True Believers and collegiate skulls full of mush is just so much raw meat to be tossed before hungry tigers.
L.A. Harbor College in Wilmington, California was the setting for this debate this past Wednesday, and not a chair was available. When there is the promise of podium-chewing action between the biggest anti-gun female group in America and an up-and-coming activist group that focuses on women's support of the Second Amendment, it's not likely those on the stage will outnumber their audience.
Taking the side of the Second Amendment were wife and mom Anna Zetchus Raetz, spokeswoman for Liberty Belles, and Randy Herrst of the Center For The Study Of Crime. Both came armed with confidence, statistics, and knowledge of the Constitution.
On the side of gun control were Charles Blek of the Orange County Citizens For Prevention Of Gun Violence (and wife to Million Mom March general Mary Leigh Blek) and Jennifer Mendoza, an L.A. Harbor College student in favor of gun control, armed only with emotion, sound bites, and in Miss Mendoza's case, unsourced statistics. Miss Mendoza is a very sweet, pretty young lady, but she smiled nervously throughout the proceedings and was unable to provide any backing for her claims. Mr. Blek seemed very uncomfortable with the notion that talk of his son's tragic murder by thugs with guns and a few well-placed statements on the populace's desire for more gun control laws and police support for those laws were not going to be nearly enough to make his case for "responsible gun control".
Each of the speakers were permitted about ten minutes each for opening statements.....
Rest of article here:
http://www.libertybelles.org/events/debate.htm
I also sing "Lolly Lolly Lolly get your adverbs here!"
Hmm... sounds like people who don't know history are out and about.
But, hey, at least we're out and about.
;^)
Thank you!
I'm sorry if my post confused anyone!
Thank you for the kind words, gc, you're a love. And thank you for taking the time to come and attend the debate, your presence was very appreciated.
...logic triumphs over emotion every time!
The saddest part of the "emotion" was that Mr. Blecccch(pitouie!) made not one point, nor proposes one piece (out of the multitudes) of legislation, that could have in any way prevented his son's death. That was our side. We wanted his son to have had the opportunity to survive, to fight back, to be saved.
Blecccch(pitouie!) is, unfortunately, an angry man. He couldn't hide it. I'd love to be able to look back at him fiercely, as an adversary, hate him for making my life a misery of constant activism instead of an idyllic beach-filled existence, but I can't. I really feel sorry him.
Of course, if I have the privelege of debating him again, I'll find a way. Grrrrrrrrr!
That is SWEET!!!!!!!!!!
I wish someone would sometimes ask Mr. Bleck which of the thousands of gun laws kept that weapon out of the hands of the guy who murdered his son--or which of the myriad of gun laws passed since then would have kept his son alive.
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