Debating CCW with a liberal talk show host Thursday

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Monkeyleg

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I've been invited to be on the Dustin Weber show on station Z104 in Madison. The show will be taped on Thursday evening. The topic is Wisconsin's concealed carry bill.

I did a little checking on Dustin Weber, and found that he just graduated high school last summer. So, it's possible that he'll be clueless and maybe even out of control.

After all this years of discussing the bill, I should have my talking points down.

However, if anyone wants to offer up some reminders, I'm all ears.
 
You've been doing this stuff a long time; you probably know better than most what you need to do.

Just remember your facts....make sure they're MEMORIZED; nothing looks or sounds worse than a person who hasn't researched an issue compl
 
I know what you mean (I think), but you really don't want to come across as using "talking points." Image is as important as fact; you need to come across as cool-headed, logical, well-informed, and in command of the whole affair. Don't let him get you on the defensive, and don't repeat slogans. When you get right down to it, debate is little more than theatre; your job is to play your part more convincingly than your opponent.

Oh, and don't let your opponent goad you into a grenade-tossing contest, either. Put him on the defensive (but don't badger him). Again, no matter what happens, it's always exactly what you wanted to happen. Don't get flustered.
 
Don't know much about your local politics but here are some of my mistakes:

- Be likeable and reasonable; the masses decide more based on how you say things, not necessarily what you say ignoring logic. you can win on points and still lose.

- don't underestimate him; I know some pretty stupid people with phd's and some "uneducated" brilliant people

-if you can, drive the discussion; lay out what the objections are to the legislation and why they are false

-if there is a single concise message associated with our side, repeat it and get it across

-assuming this will be live and unedited; if not, then hope you have the proper controls in place

Good Luck!
 
If he's that young, it's probably a good idea to try to talk a little before the show and warm him up a little by asking about his interests, his family, his career plans, and so on. He's less likely to try to torpedo you then.

When Missourians I knew were working on people I encouraged them to point out that all the fears people commonly expressed had been expressed in every state in which CCW was debated, and hadn't come true anywhere.
 
Be kind, Point out where you both agree, Refuse to be put in a position of prooving a negative (how can you proove people won't shoot each other over a parking space?), Point out that a person who shoots people over parking spots has to be pretty insane, and people who are insane will not get permits.

Truth is; if you are walking into an honest show, you have nothing to worry about, if you are walking into a trap, take it for what it is. Remember that the issue is already settled in the mind of most. There is little you can do to truely change the mind of someone who is for or against it.

By the way "talking ponts" get old after a while. The sound bites of the Pro-CCW get just as tireson as the sound bites of the anti-CCW so don't go too heavy on them. Be yourself, be honest, be open, tell them something in a way they haven't heard it before, and fun.You will do fine.

Regards,
 
I would emphasize that the proposal now before the legislature is not something new and untried. Similar laws have been enacted in over (I believe) 33 states in the lower 48, during the past 10 years or more, and the catastrophic consequences brought up by its hysterical opponents has not occurred in one single instance. Not one of the states that enacted “shall carry” concealed weapons licensing has ever repealed their law, or added more restrictions. But several states (including Arizona) have liberalized the provisions – even to the point of recognizing permits issued in other states.

Why should you have to prove the merits of something that has already shown that it works, time after time, after time...
 
If you start to feel nervous, relax: we're all standing with you, so you're not alone.

I'm sure you'll do well. You've got the fact down tight, and you have the force of moral rightness on your side.
 
He will try and paint you as an idiot and trigger happy gun nut. DO NOT be drawn into an argument with a kid. You can't win or get in a good word.
Take care and most of all BE COOL.
PS. When I'm asked by non-ccw types, why I carry, my response is this; because bad guys carry guns and you don't.
 
Sit down with yourself and decide on what one factoid you want the audience to remember 1 day after the show is broadcast. Not 2 or 3. One factoid. Then make sure you pound that one factoid multiple times during the show, REGARDLESS OF THE DIRECTION THE HOST WANTS TO GO.

Now to add variety have in your hip pocket points 2 and 3 but just assume you will only get a chance to pound point #1.

Good luck on ya. Let us know if the show will be streamed.
 
if i were in your shoes, i'd focus on the freedom angle. it's a hot topic these days, and people are very sympathetic. so i'd try to cast the debate as: the other side is tryign to restrict our freedom.

WE shouldn't have to prove our activity is safe or desirable. The burden of proof is on the anti-ccw side to show that it's a) not safe, b) undesirable, AND c) not constitutionally protected.

we believe the statistics firmly support our cause, and the best the opposition can come up with is the CDC's "results are inconclusive" which isn't sufficient to restrict our freedom.


i'd also recommend you take the high road. don't resort to ad hominems against the vpc/soros/diaz/brady/clinton etc like the NRA does.


i'd also do a google search for public speaking tips. you know, stuff about talking slowly and clearly, etc.

what another okie said is definitely good advice. talk to him before the show. but... just because you guys get all buddy-buddy before the show, doesn't mean he won't turn on you, so don't ambush yourself.
 
Liberals and CCW

"When I'm asked by non-ccw types, why I carry, my response is this; because bad guys carry guns and you don't."
Nuff said.

I'm a socially liberal fellow, but I personally got tired after 3 attempted (thank you DOG!) break ins at my residences over the past 15 years and the fact that my wife's truck was stolen by METH heads. I don't want to shoot anyone, not at all, but having a gun at the right place and time would still have that nice rig in the driveway, without all the joyride totalling, cost of getting a new rig, etc. Tweakers suck and are becoming a bigger problem everyday in this area. They are not just committing small time burglaries and the like, they are hurting and killing people in the process due to their drug induced psychosis.

Also, that excellent guard dog that thwarted 3 home burglaries is no longer with us and her replacements are nowhere near as vigilant as she was.:cuss:

I'm a big beleiver, and always have been, that if everyone in America owned a gun, there would not be much crime, if any. I know of an incident that happened in New Mexico where a CCW person shot a gun wielding wackjob in a McDonald's and saved many peoples lives in the process. The psycho would have taken as many as he could, then himself. He got to be first, not last, I like that.

I'm not going to advise you what to say to this guy, but isn't that part of the country pretty conservative? I'm in the Portland Oregon area and we have CCW here, so it should pass there even easier than here. :)

Plus - guns ARE freedom, but true liberals seem to forget how freedom is delivered.

jeepmor
 
Focus on the low crime rate among CCW holders and the long time many ccw laws have been in affect with no issues. I wouls also hit gun ownership in general with Katrina.
 
Sorry, Madison, WI very liberal

jeepmor said:
I'm not going to advise you what to say to this guy, but isn't that part of the country pretty conservative? I'm in the Portland Oregon area and we have CCW here, so it should pass there even easier than here. :)


jeepmor
Click to expand...

Madison, Wisconsin is one of the most liberal placres in the Country. It is the home of Donna Shalala and the whole State Government. They have tried City gun bans. nuff said
 
Similar laws have been enacted in over (I believe) 33 states in the lower 48, during the past 10 years or more, and the catastrophic consequences brought up by its hysterical opponents has not occurred in one single instance.
Click to expand...

Actually, I think MN two years ago was lucky number 35 or 36. I know it's above 33.


Also, check out this Permit to Carry Report on the Minnesota DPS website. It has some good stats. Essentially, permit holders almost never commit crimes.
 
Jeeper said:
Focus on the low crime rate among CCW holders and the long time many ccw laws have been in affect with no issues. I wouls also hit gun ownership in general with Katrina.
Click to expand...

Seconded. The two things I would hit on that seem to most effectively destroy anti-CCW arguments are the much-lower-than-the-general-public crime rates among CCW holders, and how many states already have them with no "blood in the streets".

Find as many cases as you can of CCW holders actually committing violent crimes (road rage, etc), and then find as many cases as you can of CCW holders successfully averting massacres. I'd think (and hope) the latter would be more than the former. But with that data in your back pocket, you can challenge the host on it; if it looks late in the show like he's clueless, ask him to cite a single instance of a CCW holder committing a violent crime, and even if he can cite one instance, you can respond with the averting-massacres incidents.
 
Michigan State Police CCW reports are available, here

Crime reports are here

A lot of good data from a "neighbor" state.

In Michigan last year:

Residents = 10.1 million
CPL holders = 218,000 approx. (2.16% of population)

Total crimes reported = 997,914 (9.8 per 100)
Criminal or other activity by CPL holders resulting in revocation = 121 (0.06% of CPL holders / 0.0012% of total population)
 
Radio stations, and more so DJ's, will invite "guests" on to their show with the intent of making them look like jackasses (when they do not agree w/your view).

The fact that this DJ is just out of high school... makes me even more apprehensive... Hopefully he's mature enough to have a conversation/debate, with out bullying or railroading you into a corner.

Bring logic to the table, Dick. That is all you need to win a debate about CCW. Be quick to point out emotion versus logic.

Let him know ahead of time you're prepared to walk off of the set if he's going to be off-the-wall, and not willing to discuss the topic logically. He can hide behind the guise of "comedy,” and turn the interview into a circus... and an embarrassing one at that.

I’ve met you in person. I have full faith in your ability to discuss the topic and represent us in an admirable way.
 
gun control debate on a CHR FM station?

Something dosent add up here. No top 40 station is going to break format to have an AM talk style conversation about a "hot button" issue.

http://www.z104fm.com/main.html

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Dick if I were you before doing the interview I would ask for his assurance and his boss that they will not edit the interview in any way. A lot of times they will edit this kind of stuff to make you look like an idiot. You need to make sure they will not edit the flow of the interview. I can see them taking specific sections because they can't use the whole thing, but you are not going to want them to piece it together bit by bit.

After looking into what station this kid works for I would probably decline to do the interview. If this is a top 40 music station they avoid controversy like the plague. Since they don't like controversy the only real reason they would take the time to do this interview is for comedic value. I know I would want to be the brunt of some little punks jokes.
 
maybe you want to be more informative about the situation in wisconson, what the CCW bill is like and assure people that there's never been "blood in the streets" because CCW is legal, are you sure this guy wants a debate?
 
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