Why it is useless to debate anti-firearms legislators

[jimpeel]

This virulently anti-firearms Maryland State Senator chose to play video games rather than listen to testimony which opposed his position on firearms. Your government in action.

How can this legislator protect our constitutional rights when he won't even pay attention to his constituents and treats them like vassals?

SOURCE

Anti-Gun Maryland State Senator Ignores Pro-Gun Testimony by Playing Chess

Katie Pavlich
News Editor, Townhall

Feb 07, 2013 12:30 PM EST

During a public hearing last night in Annapolis about new sweeping gun control proposals in Maryland, State Senator Jamie Raskin decided to ignore testimony by pro-Second Amendment attendees and play chess instead.

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[CowTowner]

Sounds like another that needs to find other means of employment soon.

[speedrrracer]

Completely disagree. It is never useless to debate the anti-gun legislators.

You have to recognize the goal is not to convert the fanatics! The goal is to WIN.

Remember, the majority of people out there are not deeply invested in this issue. They're not gunnies and they're not rabid antis. They are the hearts and minds that can be influenced, and their votes win elections.

The legislator playing chess is only damaging his/her own chances of getting re-elected, even by many who are anti-gun. Nobody likes to see someone slacking on the job, so now that person has harmed their career, and what's more, they are a poor representative for the anti-gun cause. Anti-gun and lazy/uncaring is the association that's being made. That's good for our side.

Keep being honest. Stick to facts. Be reasonable, polite and set a good example. Screw the fanatics, they aren't our targets, and they don't matter in terms of our goal.

[1-DAB]

vote him out of office next time around.

[jimpeel]

That's the point. Don't debate them, get rid of them.

[amathis]

Email him and give him an ear full! [email protected]

[jimpeel]

Done.

[sholling]

Anti 2nd Amendment politicians have the same mindset as the anti 13th and 14th Amendment politicians that wrote Jim Crow laws. No amount of logic or information in support of civil rights is going to sway them. They have their minds made up that there is no room in this country for civil rights that they don't like and will use their power to block civil rights at every turn. Sadly with the media firmly on their side their jobs are safe and they know it.

[KyJim]

I agree with speedrrracer. The debate is not about convincing the fanatics. It's about convincing the fence sitters and those who are still forming opinions. This group just might be turned off by those who will not even listen to a contrary opinion. That's another reason we should listen respectfully to someone with an anti-gun opinion and then rebut their arguments.

[MLeake]

I emailed him this:

Senator Raskin,

No matter what your feelings are with regard to gun control, your actions at the Annapolis town hall meeting - to wit, playing chess and ignoring the testimony of those with whom you disagree - made you look like a cross between a commisar and a clown.

Your behavior has gained a national audience. Actually, since I read about it in Afghanistan, it has arguably gained an international audience.

The thing is, even those who may like your position on the gun control debate may have a very hard time swallowing the sheer arrogance, and the contempt toward a significant percentage of your constituents, that you have put on display.

I don't live in Maryland, but I am going to contribute to your next election opponent's campaign chest, and I suspect many others like me will do the same.

With deepest disdain,

Morgan Leake
Lieutenant Commander,
United States Navy (retired)

When is this clown up for re-election, and whose campaign should I support?

[kilimanjaro]

He needs an email to the point, saying, "At a recent public meeting you played chess on your computer instead of listening to your concerned constituents." Also, send a letter in that regard to every newspaper in your area, it may be printed. Don't even have to mention RKBA, just that he was ignoring his peeps.

[Puddle]

Email sent.

If I did that during a meeting where I work it would be a career limiting move. Hopefully his career in office will be limited, too.

[Al Norris]

I would like to set the record straight.

This was not a "Town Hall" meeting. This was a committee of the MD Senate, having an open public meeting to take testimony for or against a certain anti-gun bill. In that respect, it was far worse than anyone has made it out to be.

Fact: 4000+ MD citizens signed the ledger to offer either written or vocal comments on the bill.

Fact: The committee chairperson had allotted 4 hours of testimony from both sides of the issue.

Fact: The anti-gun side didn't even use up 3 hours of their time (they ran out of people).

Fact: The major number of the anti-gun side were city, county or state employees

Fact: At 9:00pm, the remaining people who had not yet testified, were given about 10 seconds to state their name, where they lived and whether they supported or opposed the bill... Which by this time, the remainder of those who wanted to testify, were opposed.

Fact: The turnout of such a large group of pro-gun MD residents was the culmination of a coordinated drive by Maryland Shall Issue (MSI) and MDShooters.com.

Here is an NRA eBlast about the event: NRA-ILA | Maryland: Fight Against Senate Bill 281 Begins with Massive Pro-Gun Turnout for Senate Judicial Proceedings Hearing

The problem with the above is that no one at MDShooters had any knowledge that this was an NRA event. As one person commented:

The NRA was there?

Seriously. Other than all the members who were there standing in line for hours? Members like me?

If they'd sent Wayne Lapierre, I would have asked him to leave for fear of hurting our cause. They need a better, more polished, more empathetic-appearing mouthpiece.

Maryland is at the point of the spear now on gun control legislation: what are we getting from the NRA? Hell, at least MSI was there with the ubiquitous blue stickers.

I'm not suggesting we all ditch the NRA: I just upgraded. But they need to get their act together because the feces is hitting the rotating aerodynamic device. At least have a presence there handing out signs or stickers or SOMETHING. They've got another chance on the 5th of March. They should put their money where their mouth is. Crap: grill us some hotdogs or something...

[Madcap_Magician]

In Minnesota just this week something very similar happened. There were public hearings on a raft of anti-gun bills, and the authors of those bills announced that they would give equal time to supporters and opponents of the bills. What they didn't announce was that after the supporters of the bills had their say, they were all just going to walk about before the opponents got to say anything.

[adamc]

YUP

as I posted before... Here in Connecticut we are toast.. our local AND washington leadership has already decided and the deals are done..

A letter I posted from one of my Washington Senators blatantly says so..
and also comments from Hartford says "Ditto"

[KBP]

The big issue today (pushed hard by gun control legislators) is to keep all guns out of the hands of felons, mentally ill people and criminals. Just about everyone agrees on this. The anti-gun people see the solution is to pass more and more laws and restrictions on EVERYBODY. This is not necessary! Somehow they feel felons, criminals and mentally ill people will follow the new rules. If this is true, all we have to do is agree to all the new laws but with one important exception- all the new laws only are valid for felons, criminals and mentally ill people. This way, they get their new laws and the rest of us keep our rights! SIMPLE!

[thecelt]

Vote his ass out, spread the word to anyone you know.