"This is not a student affair," said Frank X. Leonard '01. "It's a national affair in which students are interested."

Leonard applauded students who are "fighting the good fight" in opposing police brutality, but said the bill was not an appropriate way to address the problem.

But while Leonard argued that the bill would not do much to stop police brutality, he said he did not believe the bill took a controversial stance.

"I think the fact that Jeff Letalien and David Orr are co-sponsoring a bill shows it's not a political issue," Leonard said in a moment of levity.

In another light moment, C. Jonathan Gattman '03 offered an amendment to the bill resolving that the council "support the disarmament of America's police force."

When asked to explain, Gattman--who is white--said police once pulled over him and his friends in a poor neighborhood, convinced they were there to buy drugs.

Gattman said having a gun pulled on him was the scary part. It wouldn't have been that bad, he said, "if they had water balloons or Mace."

Only three council members voted to consider Gattman's amendment.