Two days after we met people from the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, Prof. Krasnow invited a member of the National Rifle Association–Institute for Legal Action to speak with our class. As I expected, the speaker presented well on behalf of the NRA—but evasively when it came to answering our questions. It would seem good activist educators resemble politicians in their public appearances: present your platform, address any objections before they arise, and, at all costs, avoid direct answers. I would contend that the speaker failed to answer even one question satisfactorily. The speaker would bring up counterpoints, question the questioner, and draw attention to flaws of the CSGV—the chief rival of the NRA—all of which distracted from an answer to my classmates’ (and my own) questions. The worst part was that the speaker almost assuredly knew this because the speaker was choosing to meet questions in this way. Unfortunately, this speaker proved much less open to discussion than did the members of the CSGV. I still find no favor for one or the other, but I know whom I’d rather talk to at a party.
