Gun Debate Update.: Levy v Henigan

Levy's opponent on WGN tonight will be Dennis "I forgot 'of the people" Henigan of the Brady Bunch.

Via the Charlotte GRE.

The Debate:

Opening w/ Levy giving a brief of Heller.

Henigan tries for an emotional appeal w/ Brady's history and claims of 'sensible' gun laws.

"Brady Campaign does not support handgun bans".

"Localities need to make 'tough' decisions". Which is why they keep supporting national gun bans and legislation.

Levy gives history of modern gun control (ie. Miller) "Focused on weapon, not the people". Discussion of Heller and Scalia's views of militia and clauses.

Rosenburg quotes Madison and Adams.

Henigan claims Madison is talking about militia use only. "Out of Context".
Scalia separates clauses. Coming from one who can't even quote it properly, that's laughable.

Rosenburg asks about CCW data. Lott study mentioned.

Henigan dismisses Lott. Cites Donahue. "CCW causes uniform increase in crime".

Levy defends Lott. Cites CDC and NAS studies. DC banned handguns and crime skyrocketed.

Henigan states NAS study shows no correlation vis a vie Lott study. "1.6 million prohibited purchasers stopped by Brady Law". Claims causality to crime decrease.

Rosenburg asks Levy view on Brady Law (NICS etc).

Levy: DC doesn't follow Brady Law.

Henigan: Universal Background Checks next step. Urban areas can pass 'stricter laws'.

Levy: NICS good. Only 2% crime guns from gun shows. Rejections don't stop criminals. 1/4 False positives. Only 294 convictions. DC creates to many hoops for ownership.

Henigan: Brady Law 'modest'. Need stricter laws. DC regulations nearly exactly same as cars. Fingerprinting good idea.

Rosenburg: Access to driver info? Should Gun Ownership info be available?

Henigan: No one is arguing for lists. Registration good.

Levy: NICS retains failed check data. Potential for abuse if data retained.

Henigan: Destroy tax returns?

Rosenburg: Officials abused law.

Henigan: Doesn't mean lists shouldn't be kept.

Rosenburg: What do you want?

Levy: Away from felons, unsupervised kids, no WMD's. "Jurisditionally sensitive laws".

Rosenburg: NRA?

Levy: They're closer to me than Henigan.

Rosenburg: Campaign against this program.
ISRA sent out e-mail. All over blogosphere. Lots of calls/e-mail. ISRA misinformed. *Reads ISRA e-mail*. "I'm a serious conservative including gun laws"
"Is debate a violation?" *Reads E-mail* "I support Levy's view".

Henigan: "Welcome to my world" "Tactics of intimidation". "Callers don't represent gun owners" Cites usual Joyce foundation survey numbers. "Extremists"

Levy: ISRA not extremists. "Director a little bit hasty".

Henigan: Extremism on both sides. Quotes " blood running in the streets"

Rosenburg: Level of gun control?

Henigan: Weak. Guns travel easily across state lines.

Levy: BOR only applies to Fed's until 14th Amendment. 2A unincorporated. Chicago about incorporation. Thinks it will eventually apply. But by which method?

Henigan: Heller allows 'host of restrictions'. Brady campaign agenda constitutional. Claims 'complete prohibition" allowable.

Levy: DC about 3 issues. Will overturn Chicago.

Rosenburg: Gun ban overturned cause crime to decrease?

Levy: Difficult to say but most likely yes.

Rosenburg: Europe?

Henigan: Stronger laws. Little gun crime. Less lethal. "Guns trafficked into Mexico".

Rosenburg: "Gun ownership criminalized, Only criminals will have guns"

Levy: Cites Russia, Mexico, etc.

Henigan: Rambles about # of guns and gun control. Claims you need to limit data to make comparisons work. Of course you do Dennis.

Rosenburg: *Phone calls*.

Caller 1: Balance debate. Saw UK crime increase after gun confiscation. Got CCW when came back to states.

Caller 2: Where does Federalist state militias only? Police not there to protect individual, what to do?

Henigan: Read full passage. Militia purpose.

Levy: Standing armies v Militias. No dispute about hunting or self-defense.

Caller 3: NJ restrictive. Miller misrepresented. Brady website shows explosives/RPG's while blaming US gun shows.

Henigan: "Nothing in the report suggests that". Cites trace data as statistics. Weak gun laws. All the NRA's fault.

Caller 3: *Reads passages around picture* "Inflammatory and misleading"

Caller 4: Very Balanced. Bans on colored guns 'reasonable'?

Henigan: Problem w/ toy looking guns.

Caller 4: California laws 'common sense'?

Henigan: Safety standards.

Levy: DC making mockery of Heller decision.

Rosenburg: *Reads E-mail from Australia 'police officer'* The regular one passed around

Levy: We'ld see the same thing.

Henigan: Noone's talking about disarmament. AU etc. rates lower than US. Strict laws lower crime.

Levy: Due to failed War on Drugs.

Henigan: "Innocents caught in crossfire"

Levy: Guns already banned

Henigan: Trafficking.

Levy: Narcotics Illegal nationwide. Doesn't work.

Henigan: No bans. "reasonable regulations"

Levy: Brady Heller brief claimed ban reasonable.

Caller 5 (1st female): to Levy "If Reagan had been killed, would your views have been changed?"

Levy: His death would not have modified COTUS.

Henigan: Reagan supported Brady Bill. Pass more laws.

Caller 6: "What is Brady Campaign doing to restrict criminals instead of legal gun owners?"

Henigan: Guns make crime more lethal. Pass more laws.

Levy: NY, Chicago, DC not 'sensible' laws. Brady Campaign supported those.

Rosenburg: Brady view on Chicago?

Henigan: We don't support handgun bans. Heller decision endorses 'sensible gun control'.

Levy: Heller found 3 laws unconstitutional. Brady Campaign avoiding incorporation issue because they know they'll lose.

Henigan: DC gun regulations reasonable. Same as cars.

Rosenburg: Original intent?

Henigan: We'ld disagree to original meaning.

Levy: Madison supported militia only.

*End of Debate*