Pubdate: Mon, 19 Apr 2010
Source: Red and Black, The (U of Georgia, GA Edu)
Copyright: 2010 The Red and Black Publishing Co., Inc.
Contact:  http://www.redandblack.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2800
Page: 5
Author: Julia Carpenter

DEBATE TO CLEAR PURPLE HAZE AROUND LEGALIZATION

It was the beginnings of a beautiful friendship --  Steve Hager, 
editor-in-chief of High Times magazine,  and Bob Stutman, former DEA 
agent, ready to beat each  other's brains out in front of a college 
audience --  verbally, that is.

"We actually first met onstage, and we did not like  each other, 
trust me. We did not get along. We almost  had a fistfight on the 
stage the first time," Stutman  said. "But what's interesting, is 
what happened, maybe  a couple debates later we were at a school that 
was a  very conservative school and somebody in the audience  started 
attacking Steve personally. They werecalling  him the devil, 
basically, incarnate."

But, a man of the law such as Stutman would not allow  the civil 
debate be changed into a personal attack on  his debate partner, even 
if they disagreed.

"I couldn't let that happen. I told the kid to sit down  and shut up 
and stop attacking people personally," he  said. "I think Steve had 
never had anybody like me  stand up for him before. And suddenly 
we've become very  good friends. And, you know, he's done that for me 
at times."

Tonight at 7:30 in Tate Grand Hall, however, Stutman  and Hager won't 
be acting as friends -- they'll be  verbal opponents in the 
University Union's Heads vs.  Feds Debate.

Stutman and Hager will debate the issue of marijuana  legalization 
before a University audience.

Hager and Stutman have toured college campuses around  the country to 
help students explore different facets  of this controversial national issue.

"It usually sets a record for attendance for a lecture  event at most 
schools," Hager said. "Many have us back  every two or three years 
because it gets bigger every  time we re-visit."

According to Hager, the debate usually ends up  surprising students 
by the way that the debaters  interact and also how their feelings 
change as they  listen to both sides.

"A lot of students come expecting to jeer at Bob, but  he hypnotizes 
them, and they end up liking him," he  said.

"It probably helps that I give him respect during the  show and it's 
obvious from the way we bust each other's  chops that we are actually friends."

Jonathan Gibson, head of University Union's Ideas and  Issues 
Committee, said he's excited to see the duo's  unique dynamic onstage.

"I think they're certainly some of the most qualified  people," 
Gibson said. "I think as a former DEA agent  and editor-in-chief of 
High Times magazine. Personally  I can't think of anyone more 
qualified to talk about  this."

Stutman said he always enters the debates prepared to  defend himself 
against questions from a largely  pro-legalization University body.

"Probably 85 percent of the audience will be for  Steve's point of 
view. So I am always on the defensive.  Questions will always be 
against me or they will be  posed as questions, but verbal attacks 
against me," he  said. "And I understand that, that's one of the 
things  I try to tell students is just because you like what  Steve 
says doesn't mean you should accept it at face  value. You really owe 
it to yourselves to make him  prove everything the way you make me 
prove everything."

Stutman has two main goals in mind to achieve with  every debate.

"Number one, we make them think. That's the most  important part. 
Number two, we do away with the  caricatures of who they think we 
are," he said. "In  other words, you think marijuana user, you think 
Cheech  and Chong. It's completely not like that. You think of  a 
narc, you think of, you know, a narc, right? And I  like to think I'm 
not a narc like most of them will  think I am."

Hager's main objective is to make the evening enjoyable  for students.

"You introduce new data as it becomes available and try  to keep it 
humorous and theatrical if possible," he  said. "You score points if 
you can get the audience to  laugh, and Bob and I relish the laughter 
as much as  anything."

The debate to legalize marijuana with Robert Stutman &  Steve Hager

When: 7:30 tonight

Where: Tate Theater

Price: Free for UGA students/ $5 for non-students
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart