Analysis: Bullying has no place in the Statehouse

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By Lesley Weidenbener
TheStatehouseFile.comLesley Weidenbener, managing editor, TheStatehouseFile.com

 

INDIANAPOLIS – One thing I’ve always loved about covering the General Assembly is seeing people come to the Statehouse and make a case.

Commentary button in JPG - no shadowWhether they’re arguing for a bill or against a bill, telling their own stories or that of a loved one, or simply sharing a heart-felt belief, it’s great to see Hoosiers participating in their government.

Until it goes wrong.

Then, it’s just frustrating.

So was the case last week as one Hoosier tried to express her views on a controversial bill only to be browbeaten by a handful of lawmakers who didn’t like those views.

The legislature was days from wrapping up the 2014 session when Shannon Watts, who launched the national group Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense, came to the Statehouse to testify against a bill that would allow guns in locked cars in school parking lots.

It was a controversial proposal, especially among gun control and education groups. The proposal’s supporters say it just makes common sense. And I wrote recently that it seemed like an issue on which both sides could find a reasonable compromise.

But Republican lawmakers who backed the legislation – which has since been sent to Gov. Mike Pence to sign into law or to veto – were in no mood to talk compromise with Shannon Watts.

Watts filled her testimony with statistics and data, which she said lawmakers had asked her to do the last time she’d appeared before them. “Easy and unregulated access to guns must be eliminated, not encouraged,” Watts told them.

Republican legislators then picked apart her statistics. They were combative in their questions. They challenged her views.

One lawmaker – Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Seymour – had done research on Watts’ background and ticked off her various jobs, even asking her one time to verify her maiden name so he could describe more of her career history.

His point? She had been a marketing specialist and therefore knew how to manipulate data.

It was all, well, uncomfortable. Rep. Terri Austin, D-Anderson, even called it “bullying.”

The situation was particularly puzzling because Republicans who supported the legislation control the House and Senate – and therefore the conference committee that was working on the bill. That proposal was never in trouble in that committee. And it later passed the House and Senate easily.

There was no reason for those Republican lawmakers to be so defensive.

Of course, anyone who testifies before a legislative committee should be prepared for questions – and Watts certainly was. Lawmakers should absolutely interact with people about their research and opinions.

Still, there’s no reason to be aggressive and confrontational. A public hearing is just that – for the public. It’s the time for people who represent organizations or companies or themselves to come before the elected leaders who make our laws and try to influence the outcome.

People who exercise that civic duty in the respectful way that Watts did should never be treated poorly. Doing so is indeed bullying and it has no place at the Statehouse.

Lesley Weidenbener is executive editor of TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.

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49 COMMENTS

  2. Lesley, it would have been much more useful if you would have shared the facts rather than a repackaged opinion. Your article would make a great letter to the editor, but has no journalistic value. In fact, it falls into the category of the typical far left tactic to attack and distract when the facts don’t support your agenda.

    Never the less, I was able to find one opinion which at least contained some information on the actual exchange.
    http://indianalawblog.com/archives/2014/03/ind_govt_gop_la_1.html

    Watts was clearly cherry picking stats which were also unrelated to the issue. Accidental shootings and suicides in the home are not related to firearms on a schools parking lot. here is a great article which destroys the “guns in the home” fallacy. http://indianalawblog.com/archives/2014/03/ind_govt_gop_la_1.html

    If the true statistics were presented, being as every school shooting has occurred in a gun free zones, gun free zones have been 100% ineffective in protecting students and staff. And being as a gun ended every attack, one could statically claim that guns have been 100% effective in stopping the criminal use of firearms in schools.

    Gun free zones are not safe zones. Firearms are no more responsible for these tragedies than pencils are for misspelling. What we should be working towards is creating 100% safe school zones. Only then would it make sense to not allow firearms past these safe zones.

    Arguing against firearms on parking lots distracts us from actions that would be effective.

  4. After doing some research on Shannon Watts, it’s evident she is often the bullier when it comes to political activism, usually threatening businesses and public officials if they don’t knuckle under to her demands. She appears to be an opportunist when it comes to creating her “national” group the day after a tragedy occurs. Quite the marketer, eh?

  5. Legislators dared to expose the bogus statistics of a tenth-rate liberal hacktivist.

    Shocking. Oh, the humanity!

    Get out a fainting couch for Lesley, quick!

  6. Shannon and her band of Flying Monkeys are diametrically opposed to any countering thought seeing the light of day.

    Look at their Facebook page ! Make an even softball challenge to their preconceived notions and you will be banned from ever participating in the conversation again !

    A more engaging Facebook page on the subject is:

    Thugs with Jugs

  7. The bottom line is, whether or not a legislator agrees with the speaker, these hearings are held to give citizens a chance to express their views. The un-named legislator was out of line, especially considering that the issue was all but “signed, sealed, and delivered” for the NRA.
    Shannon Watts has marketing skills, but that does not make her motives suspect, since she is also the mother of five. Considering her work with Monsanto, she should be well aware of the use of boycotting a business, and that seems a reasonable way to go about protesting their policies. There is nothing wrong with encouraging the public to “vote with their wallets”, but the fanatical Second Amendment backers forget that there are twenty-six others, too.

    • Those testifying in hearings are asked tough questions all the time. Put on the big girl pants.

    • I agree with much of what you say with a couple of exceptions. The first, of the links posted here and Leslie’s accounting, all we have are second hand interpretations, we do not know with any certainty what transpired leading to the “heated” aspect of this hearing.

      Second, the said links seem to show me she (Watt’s) could not stay on topic by introducing “stats” and arguments having nothing to do with the issue at hand. Should that be an trigger for “disrespect”? Maybe not, if that is what really happened. Or could it be said she was showing disrespect for wasting their time with arguments not related to the issue at hand? Possibly.

      To hack up Obi Wan Kenobi, I much prefer; “Use the *source* Luke.”, like a video if one exists and put to rest the cherry picking of what was really said.

      So all we have right now is hearsay, not exactly firm footing for any of us.

    • Shannon is not the “accident activist” she portrays herself to be. She was a cause looking for a place to happen.

      The only differences between her and the NRA is that the NRA is clear about their purpose, provides stats that refute MDA’s claims, and they have more grass root support than MDA.

      Her talents could be put to a much better use working for solutions that would actually work.

    • Laura, why do you label anyone who disagrees with you as fanatical, extremist, fundamentalist, tyrannical, bigoted, racist, or one of any insulting names you care to sling?

      It seems you cannot be part of a civil discourse any longer.

      • Oftentimes the folks, like you, that she disagrees with are exactly as you described. That shouldn’t be too hard for you to understand.

        Your pet little list: fanatical, extremist, fundamentalist, tyrannical, bigoted, racist… left out something they all have in common, they are bullies and cowards. I don’t blame you for wishing those words would go away.

      • How would you describe the people whose eyes glaze over and do the zombie like “Shall not be infringed”, over and over at the mere mention of any gun law?

        • Constitutionalist who are bewildered by the the scary guns and ammo lemmings who think they can actually write a law a criminal will obey.

        • You do understand “shall not be infringed” is from the Constitution of the United States and not the state of Indiana’s constitution, don’t you?

          Am I giving you too much credit, Laura, in thinking you know what the founders were doing when they constructed the federal constitution? I would rather believe you just don’t want the facts to hinder what you wish it was supposed to do. Your hyperbole about glazed eyes and zombies falls to the level of others without your intelligence.

    • The gunnies in the state legislature don’t want input from the citizens. They just want their cash from the NRA. These folks aren’t too smart and react to a woman well prepared for their goofy questions by bullying. Nothing new there. The local toughies love it.

      How gun-sick does somebody have to be to want the legal right to have a gun locked in their trunk on school property?

      Nice comments Elkay.

      • ” They just want their cash from the NRA. ”

        And as a proper Laura clone does, or doesn’t… Toss out some substantiation for your hollow and unsupportable suppositions Ban Man !

        How delusional does one have to be to create and foster Gun Free Zones that criminals with dark intent have no expectation of honoring ??

        I can only imagine the depth of the rut in the ground where you guys continuously run in circles!

  8. I, for one, will be glad when the word “bullying” stops being the word of the day and falls by the wayside of commentators and opinionists. I have seen the results of real bullying and comparing what happens in a committee hearing to what happens in schools and the workplace belittles the torment real victims are subjected to.

  9. Put its all a part of the victim mentality the left uses to portray themselves when they are up against people with real facts and ideas. Anyone who gets the upper hand on them factually or mentally are automatically bigots, racist, bullies, fanatics etc…LKB is a prime example in this.

  12. Ahhhh the yes gun boosters, the one’s who put their right to fire at silhouttes with their penis extenders above the rights of kindergartners to live.

    Conners: All school shootings have taken place in liberal gun free zones. Ha ha ha check and mate liberals. Answer that!

    Yeah and all speeding tickets have taken place on roads and streets with speed limits and speeding laws. So now you conners are against traffic laws too because not everybody obeys them? Man you guys are DUUUUUUUUUUMB.

    The US has the highest gun violence rate of any developed nation by AN ORDER OF MAGNITUDE, we have the highest gun death rate of any developed country, by AN ORDER OF MAGNITUDE, we have the highest gun homocide rate of any developed country, by AN ORDER OF MAGNITUDE.

    Oh sure now come back and tell me if it wasn’t for this or that or if this or if that everything would be different. LOOOOOOOSER TALK.
    Yeah if only we had scored more(or less points in this case) than the other team we would have won. ANYTHING but discuss “precious”. This country has a sick, sick, sick obsesssion with guns and 10’s of thousands of innocents pay the price for that obsession every year. Basically we drage a small town of about 10,000 people out of their home each and every year and shoot them to death. Right out of Shirley’s Jackson’s “The lottery”. The gun boosters couldn’t care less.

    So how to make them care? It’s about time for gun liability insurance. We’ll start the annual premiums at $100 per year per Sandy Hook victim or $2600/year. Get out your checkbooks gunners. How much is it worth it to you? Gun violence costs this country $150-$200B/ year its about time you clowns paid up. If the gun violence rate goes down your premiums go down. IF that were to actually happen you would IMMEDIATELY see the some of the toughest gun controls measuere passed that you could imagine.

    BTW, At the CPAC the conners had a choice of breakout sessions. Go listen to the bloodsoaked gun pusher Wayne LePuke tell the minions it wasn’t their fault that is was the liberal media’s fault for telling the truth about guns and gun violence in this country. OR go to the minority outreach session and ACTUALLY LISTEN to the wants and needs of minorities so perhaps they could figure out how to peel off a small percentage of minority voters.

    LESS THAN 10 PEOPLE SHOWED UP FOR THE MINORITY OUTREACH.

    Very very telling… Oh my precious.

    • There you go again, another liberal bringing penises into the comments. What is with the fixation on another man’s private parts?

      You seriously think your speed limit analogy is logically valid? Speed zones ensures us that most drivers will not be speeding. Gun free zones assures criminal that there will likely be no guns to prevent her from carrying our her crime.

      The highest gun violence occurs in the cities with the strictest gun restrictions. LOOOOOSER.

    • I have always liked the idea of personal responsibility, too. The insurance idea is one I’ve espoused before, and the squealing from the gunners is deafening. They conveniently forget that most of the guns used to commit crimes started out as “legal”. They were either sold irresponsibly or stolen because the owner was careless.
      The other problem I have with the gun-lovers is that they want to creep around with their gun-buddy hidden on their person. If they want to carry a gun, they should do it openly and with their license to do so clearly displayed on their person, as well.

      • I am all for open carry. That removes any doubt from a potential thug the person they are about to attack is armed.

      • I already pay insurance. Why is it so difficult for your side to admit that your gun free zones have been killing zones?

        We need better ideas, but progressives keep pushing failed ideas that penalize law abiding citizens and enables killers.

        • Yes, they are like the kid when told not to touch the hot stove, touches it and then blame the stove. Funny how those inanimate objects seem to have a mind of their own, I mean the stove.

          There will always be those with the intent to do others harm, there is no way to prevent that. No amount of banning, taxing or other impediments will, if it were so then China would not have thugs murdering people with knives.

          • That could be fine, if they weren’t bent on making you a felon for not trusting their failed ideas or dead if you do. As I have said don’t bring a gun free zone to a gun fight.

      • “The other problem I have with the gun-lovers is that they want to creep around…’ So you agree that Magenheimer was right to open carry at the zoo. Or wasn’t he “creeping arond’ enough for your approvial?

      • I rescind what I posted previously about the intelligence level of your posts. There doesn’t seem to be a difference from the others. I should have read further into the thread.

        My bad.

      • LKB: Ok dear, here we go again. Get your thoughts straight. All guns are legal when they are created, just as all knives are legal, all cars are legal, it is the person wielding it that murders/kills. They are all inanimate objects, they have no functionality, until someone makes a conscious effort to use them. But again you grasp at things, twisting ideas around to try and meet your leftist ideas and in vain attempts to prove your worthless point.

      • Careless? And just what don’t you consider careless and at what point and extent would a person have to reach your interpretation of carelessness?

  13. Well here it is again. Mention the word GUNS….and…

    ….bring out the crazy, whacko Tea Party survivalist gun nuts…please.

    Parade this paranoid Tea Party bunker-living moonshine-making trash around America w/ a microphone in hand.

    They love their guns.

    There are some laughable posters for this CCO article. But then the Tea Party is a national joke.

    (You guys are winning those Primaries, right?)

    • OK, we get that the Tea-party is on your list of the many things you don’t approve of. But it might be nice if you shared your views rather than raging against others.

      So a parent picking her child up from school should be charged with a felony for having a firearm in her car? That makes us safer how?

      • It makes us safer under the infinite improbability drive principle on a much more locus based location of a person with criminal intent having zero relation to one with no criminal intent.

        Like infinite improbabilities, the more improbable this mother will turn with criminal intent the more probable she will. This initiates an improbability wave causing the equally improbability of every armed person on the school groups drawing their weapons and firing at said woman. The act of being charged with a felony is merely a secondary effect which only irritates the bowl of petunia’s.

        I like Douglas Adams.

    • Uh Oh someone woke the W(H)EINER up from his mid afternoon stupor. Just long enough for him to yell/type his intolerant gibberish an then he passed out again.

  14. Bullying? Can one ever forget the ultimate case of legislative bullying by Patrick “bulldog” Bauer?:

    Indiana House Democrats Leave Their Jobs and Head for Illinois . . . Killing 23 Bills!

    Business in the Indiana House of Representatives has ground to a halt with 39 of 40 Democrat State Representatives purposefully abandoning their posts. With the lone exception of Representative Steve Stemler, who has shown up to work, the Democrat elected Representatives have fled across state lines. Most are holding up in a hotel in Urbana, Illinois.

    By design, they left Rep. Terri Austin behind as their spokesperson, and another Democrat to quickly second any motion Democrat minority leader Patrick Bauer instructs Rep. Austin to make. The move was made solely to stymie the Republicans, who by rule, cannot conduct business without a quorum of 67 House members.Republicans have walked off the floor briefly before. However, it is a fact that they did so only because of an abuse of the rules. No such thing has happened in this case. To the contrary,Speaker Brian Bosma actually appointed two House Democrats to chair committees and has allowed several solely Democrat authored bills to move freely through the process. This is a fairness that as Speaker, Pat Bauer never even considered. (more)

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    “www.statehousepile.com, mouthpiece for the democrat party.”

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