Recruiter's 'Fun with Guns' plan denounced
By HOLLY KLAFT
The State News
Events allegedly planned to recruit students to the Republican Party at the University of Michigan have both Republicans and Democrats across the nation stunned.
Morgan Wilkins, an independent contractor hired by the College Republican National Committee to recruit students to the party, was described as planning events such as "Catch an Illegal Immigrant Day" and "Fun with Guns Day," in an article written Tuesday by The Michigan Daily.
"Catch an Illegal Immigrant Day" would involve volunteers posing as illegal immigrants and hiding on campus while students try to find them for prizes. For the "Fun with Guns" activity, students would shoot cardboard cutouts of Democratic leaders with BB or paintball guns.
U-M College Republicans Chairman Rob Scott said Wilkins was probably misinterpreted.
"She was just speaking about different events that could occur," Scott said. "It was misrepresented in the article that we were planning the events on our campus."
He said the U-M chapter never planned on organizing the events and would never host them.
Members of the Michigan Democratic Party and the Democratic National Committee criticized the Republican Party, saying the events were "discriminatory" and "inexcusable."
"These events are hurtful, mean-spirited and dangerous," said Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Mark Brewer in a press release issued Wednesday. "I never would have dreamed that a state party-sponsored organization would be simulating the death of Democratic leaders."
Republican Party representatives agreed, saying they also find the events "appalling."
http://www.statenews.com/article.phtml?pk=37592
By HOLLY KLAFT
The State News
Events allegedly planned to recruit students to the Republican Party at the University of Michigan have both Republicans and Democrats across the nation stunned.
Morgan Wilkins, an independent contractor hired by the College Republican National Committee to recruit students to the party, was described as planning events such as "Catch an Illegal Immigrant Day" and "Fun with Guns Day," in an article written Tuesday by The Michigan Daily.
"Catch an Illegal Immigrant Day" would involve volunteers posing as illegal immigrants and hiding on campus while students try to find them for prizes. For the "Fun with Guns" activity, students would shoot cardboard cutouts of Democratic leaders with BB or paintball guns.
U-M College Republicans Chairman Rob Scott said Wilkins was probably misinterpreted.
"She was just speaking about different events that could occur," Scott said. "It was misrepresented in the article that we were planning the events on our campus."
He said the U-M chapter never planned on organizing the events and would never host them.
Members of the Michigan Democratic Party and the Democratic National Committee criticized the Republican Party, saying the events were "discriminatory" and "inexcusable."
"These events are hurtful, mean-spirited and dangerous," said Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Mark Brewer in a press release issued Wednesday. "I never would have dreamed that a state party-sponsored organization would be simulating the death of Democratic leaders."
Republican Party representatives agreed, saying they also find the events "appalling."
http://www.statenews.com/article.phtml?pk=37592
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