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Friday, October 27, 2006 

Marriage Amendment Debate

The law school already had a Marriage Amendment Debate earlier this month (and it was a huge success, by the way). Now, Prof. McAdams has provided us with a heads up about the mother of all Marriage Amendment debates on the Marquette campus at large. Here are the details...
Monday, October 30th
8 p.m.
Weasler Auditorium
Panelists include
Mr. Mike Tate
Campaign Manager for Fair Wisconsin
Dr. Scott Moss
Professor of Law, Marquette University
Dr. Christopher Wolfe
Professor of political science, Marquette University
Member of Wisconsin Coalition for Traditional Marriage
Dr. Rick Esenberg
Professor of Law, Marquette University
I might attend this event, depending on the progress of my seminar paper. The whole gay marriage issue doesn't really interest me, except on an intellectual level as far as how courts are approaching it and finding rights to it in constitutions. However, I love a good debate and this one looks like it's going to be a doozy. I don't know Mr. Tate, but I can speak for Moss, Wolfe, and Esenberg. All are very smart individuals, and they know the issue. They will do an excellent job battling it out for our viewing pleasure.

Is this debate going to be even-handed or does the cast imply that there will be a massacre one way or the other? I don't know any of the professors or where they roughly stand on a social issue such as this one.

By the way, Mike Tate hails from Whitefish Bay and, while he is a few years older than me, I knew him quite well back in the day. He argues the issue for Fair Wisconsin well, framing the issue in a down-to-earth manner to get the attention of people who thought they had their minds made up. He lives off the mantra that "the more people know about the amendment, the less they like it."

Also, having been raised Catholic (we went to St Monica's together) and getting married soon, he has a little more street cred than your typical political operative.

Further reading here and here.

Based on your description of Mike Tate, very even handed. He and Moss will be handling the Vote No position. Prof. Moss is a Con Law professor, a "card carrying member" of the ACLU, and an all around smart and animated guy. He does a lot of these issue events at the law school. He's an old pro at this.

The Yes position has an equally impressive team. Esenberg is an adjunct at the law school, where he teaches Law and Theology. He's been a one man road show lately, debating the Marriage Amendment around the state. Prof. Wolfe has written 9 books on legal theory (I think 9...), is an expert on Con Law, and has written extensively on homosexual issues and society.

It's going to be a fair debate. MU is pretty good about not sponsoring total beatings. I'll give them credit for that. If I do go, I expect that I may actually be swayed to vote one way or another (something that hasn't happened yet).

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