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Debate Lott v Levinson: Was the Second Amendment a Mistake?
AmmoLand ^ | April 2, 2024 | Dean Weingarten

Posted on 04/08/2024 5:05:57 AM PDT by marktwain

On March 11, 2024, Dr. John Lott debated the eminent law professor Sanford Levinson on the subject: Was the Second Amendment a Mistake?  The debate lasted about an hour. It was held at the University of Wisconsin and started at 6:30 p.m. The debate was sponsored by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI). The moderator was Professor Ryan Owens.

Unlike much of what we see in politics, the debate was cordial and civilized. There was no student protest to prevent Dr. Lott from being able to debate Professor Levinson. Dr. Lott is an eminent scholar on gun control issues. Dr. Levison is credited with doing much to give credibility to the scholarly examination of the Second Amendment with his article entitled “The Embarrassing Second Amendment,” published in the Yale Law Journal in 1989.

The format of the debate was: Introductions, 10 minutes to Dr. Lott, 10 minutes to Professor Levinson, 2 minutes to Dr. Lott for rebuttal, 2 minutes for Dr. Levinson for rebuttal; then a question and answer period with questions from the moderator and the audience. Because of time constraints, the Q & A period was merged with concluding remarks, first by Professor Levinson, with Dr. Lott speaking last.

Both men are obviously gifted and well-practiced public speakers. They showed how a civilized debate can be held without shouting and histrionics. As often happens in debates, they answered the question from significantly different points of view.

Dr. Lott’s position was that of an empiricist, appropriate for his training and profession as an economist. His position was the Second Amendment was not a mistake because more guns means more protection for the vulnerable in society.


(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...


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KEYWORDS: 2a; banglist; levison; lott
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A well run, classic debate.
1 posted on 04/08/2024 5:05:57 AM PDT by marktwain
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To: marktwain
Link to video on Youtube.


2 posted on 04/08/2024 5:07:20 AM PDT by marktwain (The Republic is at risk. Resistance to the Democratic Party is Resistance to Tyranny. )
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To: marktwain

Will review.

thx, ‘Pod.


3 posted on 04/08/2024 5:14:42 AM PDT by sauropod (Ne supra crepidam.)
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To: marktwain
Was the Second Amendment a Mistake?

Debating an ignorant question.

4 posted on 04/08/2024 5:17:36 AM PDT by MileHi ((Liberalism is an ideology of parasites, hypocrites, grievance mongers, victims, and control freaks.)
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To: MileHi

I think the dumbass Levinson was trying to say, “Was freedom and the Bill of Rights a mistake?” Only a severely retarded “academic” would blame constitutional documents for a problem that is actually created by the bottom feeding scum of a failed society. It’s the people moron, not the guns, the Bill of Rights or the Second Amendment. Grow up moron! Using your empty skull, just think of the lives we could save by banning cars.


5 posted on 04/08/2024 5:35:37 AM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (I can't wait until the "media" is printing headlines like, "Trump Reverses Biden-era Policy.")
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To: FlingWingFlyer
I think the dumbass Levinson was trying to say, “Was freedom and the Bill of Rights a mistake?”

I believe you are correct. He is reiterating the essense of the Progressive movement.

The Progressive theorists believed limitations on government power were horrible mistakes. Those limitations prevented the wonderful people in government from doing all the good things they would do, if only the government were not bound by the chains of the Constitution.

Levinson puts forward the two main arguments of the Progressive movement:

1. That was then, this is now. Everything changes all the time. Human nature is completely maleable. Since everything changes, the Government has to change all the rules all the time to make things work well. Progressive experts can do this.

2. Progressive experts can only make everything work well, with all the changes that need to be made all the time, if they have unlimited power. The Constitution places horrible constraints on government, so it has to be neutered or worked around.

6 posted on 04/08/2024 5:44:27 AM PDT by marktwain (The Republic is at risk. Resistance to the Democratic Party is Resistance to Tyranny. )
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To: marktwain

When was the last time the US was invaded by a Foreign Armed Military Power? 1812. Maybe there was something about that “Rifle behind every blade of grass.” after all.

Now it is being invaded by supposedly unarmed foreign nations with democrat permission.


7 posted on 04/08/2024 5:55:38 AM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar
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To: marktwain

Absolutely not. It was put into place precisely for the situation we find ourselves in today.


8 posted on 04/08/2024 6:14:32 AM PDT by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus…)
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To: FlingWingFlyer
It’s the people moron, not the guns

Exactly why "gun violence" is such a stupid and misleading phrase.

9 posted on 04/08/2024 6:14:44 AM PDT by MileHi ((Liberalism is an ideology of parasites, hypocrites, grievance mongers, victims, and control freaks.)
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To: MileHi

Exactly. Just the fact that the ignorant question was asked proves that the second amendment was no mistake, as it affords everyone an equal chance to self protect agaisnt those that would deny us out inalienable rights to self protection. Every man has a right to prot3ct th3mselves, their family and a yone else from harm. That is a God given right, and asking if it was a mistake r3veals that there are those in the nation that do not think that man has a God given right to defend themselves from harm.

Either we have a God given right to defend ourself from harm, or we are sheep at the mercy of those “elites and/or criminals” who own weapons who wish to harm us. There is no gray area.


10 posted on 04/08/2024 6:49:24 AM PDT by Bob434
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To: marktwain

One thing that never changes however is man’s God-given right to self defense. No matter how many ways the left try to deny us that right, the right is God given and can not be taken away- every man has a right and Indeed obligation to defend themselves, family and country.


11 posted on 04/08/2024 6:53:17 AM PDT by Bob434
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To: marktwain
The Constitution places horrible constraints on government, so it has to be neutered or worked around.

The Biden admin is hell bent on doing just this - ignoring SCOTUS decisions such as repaying student loans - and the DOJ ignoring Congressional subpoenas - while imprisoning figures like former Trump adviser Peter Navarro for doing the same thing.

Oh, and Hunter Biden being given pass after pass and/or special treament.

"The DOJ scuttled searches of Biden property and gave Hunter a heads up before attempts to interview him.

Ultimately, the DOJ cut a plea bargain with Hunter including an absurd immunity agreement that would bar future charges."

We have a break down in the Rule of Law - along with a two-tiered justice system that favors some over others:

"U.S. Department of Agriculture is using race, gender or other 'socially disadvantaged' traits to determine who gets disaster and pandemic farm aid and how much."

This will ramp up if Biden (God Forbid) is reelected.

12 posted on 04/08/2024 6:59:22 AM PDT by Bon of Babble (You Say You Want a Revolution?)
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To: marktwain

Dr. John Lott won’t speak about more people are murdered by knives then guns it doesn’t fit his agenda.


13 posted on 04/08/2024 7:00:21 AM PDT by Vaduz
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To: Vaduz
Dr. John Lott won’t speak about more people are murdered by knives then guns it doesn’t fit his agenda.

Such a claim is factually inaccurate.

I think it comes from the statistic of more people are murdered with knives than are murdered with rifles.

Overall, many more people in the USA are murdered with firearms than are murdered with knives.

14 posted on 04/08/2024 7:04:43 AM PDT by marktwain (The Republic is at risk. Resistance to the Democratic Party is Resistance to Tyranny. )
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To: sauropod

The Founding Fathers never envisioned High Speed Automatic Printing Presses that shoot out hundreds of pages per minute!

Perhaps it’s time for common sense restrictions upon the 1st Amendment.


15 posted on 04/08/2024 7:19:38 AM PDT by MMusson
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To: marktwain

Absolutely NOT!


16 posted on 04/08/2024 7:24:57 AM PDT by libertylover (Our biggest problem, by far, is that almost all of big media is AGENDA-DRIVEN, not-truth driven.)
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To: marktwain; mylife; Joe Brower; MaxMax; Randy Larsen; waterhill; Envisioning; AZ .44 MAG; umgud; ...

RKBA Ping List


This Ping List is for all news pertaining to infringes upon or victories for the 2nd Amendment.

FReepmail me if you want to be added to or deleted from this Ping List.

More 2nd Amendment related articles on FR's Bang List.

17 posted on 04/08/2024 7:58:34 AM PDT by PROCON (Sic Semper Tyrannis)
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To: marktwain

“Human nature is completely maleable.”

No, it isn’t.

L


18 posted on 04/08/2024 8:13:21 AM PDT by Lurker ( Peaceful coexistence with the Left is not possible. Stop pretending that it is.)
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To: Vaduz

https://crimeresearch.org/2014/04/a-note-on-mass-victim-knife-attacks/


19 posted on 04/08/2024 8:20:03 AM PDT by smokingfrog ( sleep with one eye open (<o> --- )
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To: marktwain

Ban cars... ban alcohol... ban bridges over water... or ban Kennedys... because Ted Kennedy murdered more people than most peoples’ guns.


20 posted on 04/08/2024 9:02:15 AM PDT by T.B. Yoits
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