College Libertarians chair Jeremy Linden reached his hand deep into a white box yesterday and pulled out a raffle ticket. He then read out the number, and University alum Laura Dodd stood up, holding the winning ticket.
Dodd walked to the front of the room, shook a few people's hands and smiled for a picture with Linden.
She had just won a gun.
In support of gun rights, the College Libertarians gave away the gun last night in front of 100 people the Pendleton Room of the Michigan Union.
Because it is illegal to carry a firearm on campus, the group will take Dodd to purchase a gun of her choice at another time.
Dodd said she already owns one gun and uses it for home safety as well as target shooting.
When asked what type of gun she was interested in, she said "something concealable."
Linden said the event was "intended to shock" and that it would "bring attention to an issue (College Libertarians) believe in."
Before the unveiling of the winner, two supporters of gun rights addressed the crowd.
Mike Thiede, president of Michigan Gun Owners, an organization dedicated to defending firearm rights in Michigan, told the audience about gun registration in Michigan.
University alum Neva Li, secretary for the Shooters' Alliance for Firearm Rights, spoke about the importance of gun ownership.
"SAFR supports a 100 percent end to gun control," she said.
Li is an ardent advocate for women's gun ownership for self-defense. She teaches self-defense classes through an National Rifle Association program.
When the winner was announced - one of only five women in the audience - Li smiled ecstatically and said, "A chick won the gun!"
The group also gave away three free memberships to Michigan Gun Owners.
Linden said the event was intended to "extend the message of Libertarians to others."
College Democrats chair Jamie Ruth disagreed with the group's message.
"The College Dems do not believe that focusing on the Second Amendment should be the priority of anyone genuinely committed to the preservation of the entire Bill of Rights and our Constitution," he said in an e-mail interview.
Ruth questioned why the College Libertarians have made the Second Amendment a priority while "the Bush administration has condoned violations of the First, Fourth and Sixth Amendments."
College Libertarians got the idea from a similar event held at University of Illinois, Linden said.
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