Cub Scout kicked out of group after questioning state lawmaker on gun control: report
A Cub Scout was forced out of his den after he strongly questioned a state lawmaker about her stance on gun control, The New York Times reported Sunday.
Ames Mayfield, 11, was asked to leave the den — the groups Cub Scouts are organized in — after he pushed Colorado state Sen. Vicki Marble (R) about her stance on gun legislation and past comments she made about health issues among black people.
“I was shocked that you co-sponsored a bill to allow domestic violence offenders to continue to own a gun,” Mayfield said to Marble in an extensive, two-minute long question, according to the Times.
“Why on earth would you want somebody who beats their wife to have access to a gun?” he asked.
{mosads}Marble reportedly defended her stance on guns, saying that “the more guns a society has, the less crime or murders are committed.”
Mayfield also questioned the lawmaker over comments she made in 2013 about health issues among black people.
“I was astonished that you blamed black people for poor health and poverty because of all the chicken and barbecue they eat,” Ames said, according to the report.
Marble denied making the comments, claiming it was “made up by the media.”
“So you want to believe it? You believe it. But that’s not how it went down,” she said, according to the Times. “I didn’t do that. That was false. Get both sides of the story.”
Soon after the event, Marble met with the leader of the Cub Scout pack that includes Mayfield’s den.
Afterward, the leader told Mayfield’s mother, Lori, that he was upset over the questions on guns and that Mayfield would have to leave that den.
“He communicated that my son was no longer welcome back to the den,” Lori Mayfield told the Times, adding that her son was now in another den.
Marble did not return a request for comment from the Times.
“The Boy Scouts of America and the Denver Area Council are pleased that the family will continue their participation in Scouting,” the Boy Scouts of America told the Times in a statement about the incident. “We are committed to working with families to find local units that best fit their needs.”
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.