Interfaith-sponsored gun debate expected to draw diverse crowd
As prominent as the issue of gun violence has been in the media and in the minds of many people, locals haven’t had many recent opportunities to voice their opinions about it. The Cache Valley Gun Violence Community Forum, an interfaith-sponsored community event, will provide this chance.
The forum will begin Friday at 6:30 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, located at 200 W Center St.
Pastor Paul Heins, one of the event’s organizers, said Cache Valley citizens will be able to share their questions, concerns and perspectives in a judgment-free space through healthy and respectful discussion of the tough issue.
“We are not too good, in terms of our general culture, at having a conversation about tough issues that is meaningful and productive,” Heins said. “Our hope is to have a discussion on the issue of gun violence. It’s an issue that has a lot of emotion attached to it.”
The gun violence issue is complex, Heins said.
“In general we haven’t had a lot of good, meaningful conversation,” he said. “For the most part, it’s been dominated by a lot of the extremes because they tend to be louder and they often dominate the discussion.”
The specific needs of the community will be the basis of the forum’s subject matter, and the event will not be directed to a particular political standing, said Debra Gowen, a forum organizer. A group of panelists representing local political, educational and medical groups will be featured at the event and will include Rep. Ed Redd and Logan City Police Chief Gary Jensen.
“We are bringing together several professionals to have meaningful dialogue in wake of the many tragedies that have occurred over the past decade,” Gowen said.
Each panelist will have time to voice their thoughts on gun issues in relation to their area of expertise, Gowen said. Audience members will interact with panelists through verbal discussion and written questions, bringing concerns to the forefront of the discussion.
“The panel members will share their own responses and feelings towards the many issues that confront us regarding gun violence,” Gowen said. “We would like to have these different perspectives bring us closer as a community, allowing us to gain an understanding and acceptance of all opinions and to care for one another.”
Bringing in a lot of different community representatives together will help citizens approach the issue in a comprehensive way, Heins said. But the issue itself is very complex.
“Will we be able to tackle and solve all the problems in the context of one evening?” Heins said. “No, but will people be able to leave, perhaps thinking that we agree about more than what we think we do and that there are solutions we can compromise on? I hope we’ll be able to do that.”
Heins said communication tends to be better, deeper and more significant when people think about each other as individuals – as friends and community members – rather than numbers, political points or as parts of political agendas.
“Whenever you bring it on down to a human level, I think you’re making progress,” Heins said. “When you abstract things, it’s easier to move toward the extremes. When you’re talking to real people that you respect – that are a part of your community – I think it’s easier to deal with issues in a real and productive way.”
As a preview of the forum, the David Barnhart documentary, “Trigger: The Ripple Effects of Gun Violence,” will be shown Wednesday at 7 p.m. in First Presbyterian’s Westminster Hall.
Heins said the documentary introduces the human level into the question by showing various interviews with people who have been affected by gun violence, either through the loss of a loved one or being personally involved in an incident.
“I think the documentary as a whole is a cry for us to address this issue and to proclaim or to say that this is an issue that we can’t just leave aside and leave to others,” Heins said.
The communities and people involved in organizing and sponsoring the forum want to create an environment where citizens can relate to each other, Heins said. Community members will be able to express their perspectives and opinions without being criticized or judged.
Despite different views on the issue, Americans should be united in efforts to find peace amongst the violence that is in the news everyday, Gowen said.
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