Earlier this month, not long after the Las Vegas shooting, 11-year-old Ames Mayfield posed tough questions to Colorado State Senator Vicki Marble. Specifically, he asked about her position on gun control and called attention to problematic racial comments she’s made in the past.

Shortly after, Mayfield's Cub Scout den leader told the boy's mother that Ames was not welcome back because of his questions to the senator. "The den leader said the questions were too politically charged," Mayfield's mother told Esquire.

The video made the rounds and the backlash on social media was swift. Many pressured the Scouts for a response and criticized Marble on her answers. In an op-ed Marble wrote for the The Denver Post, she said she believes “there was an element of manipulation involved.” (I spoke to Ames about how he researched and wrote his questions; there was no such manipulation.)

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The story was picked up by The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time, and countless others. Ames has since been invited to appear on late-night shows with Jimmy Kimmel and Samantha Bee. Amidst the controversy, though, the issue Ames felt most ardently about, gun violence, was sidelined. He cared more about getting a legitimate response from the Senator on guns than the outpouring of criticism about his being kicked out of the den. The sole reason for Ames’ dismissal was because of his probing on guns. Weeks later, he still doesn't have his answer.

Ames came to the event with Senator Marble prepared with questions based on research he'd done on bills that the senator worked on or supported. He said, “I was shocked that you co-sponsored a bill to allow domestic violence offenders to continue to own a gun. Why on earth would you want somebody who beats their wife to have access to a gun?” (Even more fitting because October is domestic-violence awareness month.) Ames added that “there is something wrong in our country where Republicans believe it’s a right to own a gun but a privilege to have health care. None of that makes sense to me.”

Courtesy of Lori Mayfield

Ames said that he chose to lead with gun control, and specifically as it relates to domestic violence, because it “felt really important to talk about right now” and that it is something that “just didn’t make any sense.”

Marble defended her stance, stating that she and her sons own guns and shoot. She didn’t counter or mention domestic violence in her response or in her subsequent op-ed. She said that the shootings in Las Vegas and Aurora, Colorado, occurred in gun-free zones, and that “the more guns a society has, the less crime or murders are committed.”

On Las Vegas, Ames told Esquire, "At this point it’s gotten way too far. It’s one thing to hunt, but never good to have so many bullets that can be fired at once and so many guns that this many deaths happen.” Since the Las Vegas shooting, nearly 900 people have died due to gun violence in the US.

In his questions, Ames did exactly what the Scout assignment asked. Mayfield's mother showed Esquire the assignment sheet, which stated that the scouts were to be prepared to ask questions and discuss. Ames did just that, and in his delivery he embodied the values of scouts law: he was friendly, courteous, kind, and brave, not to mention informed by research. He said he was “heartbroken and just really sad” that he wouldn’t be allowed back in his den—one of his best friends is in his former pack—but the letters and messages he received in the last week made up for part of the loss.

Among the influx of letters that arrived at the Mayfield home were notes from victims of domestic violence. One of the women survived being shot by her abuser. Another woman lost her daughter to a domestic abuser with a gun. Ames also received a letter from a fire captain in Florida, applauding him for asking tough questions—he sent Ames several of his own scout badges. Many other messages came from overseas: people from Europe and Australia all sharing a similar sentiment: “You’re an 11-year-old saying what many others around the world think of American gun laws.”

Getty Images

Ames remains loyal to the Scouts despite what's happened. He switched dens and the new den is excited to have him, according to Mayfield’s mother. And they should be. Just last month, Ames sold the most popcorn among his former pack—$2,750 worth. He sold it in two weeks time because he wanted to reach the scholarship level and help pay his scouting dues, something he said would help his mom, a single mother, in a small way.



If anything, the conversation and backlash with Marble crystallized Ames’ motivation to stay informed on guns and other issues. I asked if he’ll keep asking questions.

“I want to know as much as I can. So I’ll keep asking.”



Nick Pachelli Nick Pachelli is a writer and editor in New York.

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