Wilk's World

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙪𝙥 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙬𝙚𝙗 𝙤𝙛 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙛𝙨? Those who have followed the DTH podcast for long know about my work with the organization Braver Angels. One vitally important part of that work is a project that I have been working on with Dr. Francis Collins. (Learn more about the “Truth & Trust Project” by listening to DTH Episodes 119 and 120). While Francis and I disagree on many aspects of the government’s response to the pandemic, ultimately we have developed a genuine friendship. As part of our work together, Francis suggested and exercise by asking me, “What makes up your web of beliefs?” What is this “Web of Beliefs?” With Dr. Francis Collins being the former director of the National Institutes of Health, one of the most notable scientists in American history, and the acting Science Advisor to the President of the United States, you might ask, “what could he possibly have in common with a blue collar podcaster from the Midwest”? Combine that with the notion that I have been an outspoken critic of the government’s response to the pandemic, and Dr. Collins played a significant role in that response. By today’s standards, 𝒘𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓, or at least do a lot of yelling and name calling but we took a different path. It’s all about communication and seeing the humanity and values in who you’re speaking with. Don’t miss this incredible conversation where Francis and I discuss how this exercise, “The Web of Beliefs” showed us that we ultimately have more in common than what separates us. While some of our beliefs are very different, ultimately the values for which we stand are very much in line. This is what civility despite differences looks like. 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙬𝙬.𝘿𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙃𝙖𝙩𝙚.𝙘𝙤𝙢

“If there is any one secret to success, it lies in the ability to get the other person’s point of view and see things from that person’s angle as well as from your own.” ~Henry Ford In several of the conversations I’ve had the opportunity to have on the Derate the Hate podcast, many of my guests have either alluded to or outright expressed that one of the greatest problems we face in today’s toxic interactional climate is people’s inability to understand, or unwillingness to understand, not only the opposing side’s point of view, but also to see the humanity in the person or persons expressing said point of view. Sunday Morning Comin Round is meant to be a round table with a bit of a twist. Admittedly, this is an experiment, and my first time for attempting something like this. I can tell (as I’m sure will be evident), there is a learning curve. With that said, this is NOT A DEBATE, but rather an exercise in understanding each other, and reaching a point of mutual clarity through civility rather than agreement. Our topic for this very important conversation is: “Squaring enhanced gun safety measures with personal gun ownership and the 2nd Amendment” I’m incredibly grateful for those who have joined me in making this project/episode happen. You can find out more about those on today’s show below. My co-host for our discussion is Randy Lioz. Randy serves in a variety of roles at the nonprofit Braver Angels(braverangels.org), one of the leading national groups focused on reducing political polarization, active in all 50 states. He’s been working with the organization in various capacities since 2017, the year of its founding, and in 2020 led the effort to migrate Braver Angels events to the online environment. As Director of Events, Randy focuses on the production of large-scale member events, as well as events with partner organizations. As a state coordinator for California, Randy also leads a team of around 60 volunteers in the Southern California region, holding events for members from San Diego to Paso Robles. He is also a trained moderator for the organization, regularly leading workshops for regional and national audiences, in addition to spreading the depolarization message through interviews, speeches, columns for Braver Angels Media, and appearances on the Braver Angels Podcast. Representing the 2nd Amendment Advocate position, we have: Paul Norris graduated from UC Berkeley. He has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a masters’ in counseling. A gun owner from age 12, he is an NRA Benefactor member and an advocate for gun safety. He worked at Apple Computer and UCSF in software development and the application of software to business and human needs. He is currently retired but still works part time in counseling. He is active in Braver Angels, serving as a moderator and state coordinator. David Iwinski is a lifelong pro-2nd Amendment advocate and is too active in the Braver Angels organization. David describes his stance as being for both practical reasons and for the preservation of the constitution of the United States of America. He feels the 2nd amendment and personal gun ownership are a bedrock to civility and the safety of our citizens in the trying times our country is facing today and what we may encounter in the future. Representing the Enhanced Gun Safety Measures position, we have: Mark Beckwith is a retired Bishop from New Hampshire. Mark helped found “Bishops United Against Gun Violence” after the Newtown shootings several years ago and is still active with them today. He currently consults and helps to build relationships with other faith leaders, and those working in the prevention of gun violence space. Jim Curry, A.K.A. The Right Reverend James E. Curry is a retired Bishop Suffragan of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut. He has a B.A. from Amherst College, an M.Ed in counseling from UMass, and an M.Div. and DD from Berkeley Divinity School at Yale. From 2004 through 2014 he was convener for the House of Bishops' Coalition: Bishops Working for a Just World. He is a founding member of Bishops United Against Gun Violence and a contributor to the anthology, “Reclaiming the Gospel of Peace.” He is a board member of Mothers United Against Violence in Hartford. Jim is a co-founder of Swords into Plowshares Northeast/ Transforming Guns into Garden Tools. (S2PNortheast.org). He works with faith communities and secular organizations to create public witness and coalitions to break the cycle of gun violence through liturgy, the arts, and legislative advocacy. I must also mention and express a huge thank you to my friend David Lapp of #BraverAngels for so many of these introductions, and the introductions to those who were not able to participate in this discussion. While this episode is just a starting point, and nowhere near what I hope the Sunday Morning Comin Round podcast can be, without David and the input of many others at the Braver Angels organization, I could not have made this happen. THANK YOU. Sunday Morning Comin Round is a Wilk’s World production done in cooperation with the Derate the Hate podcast and several members of the Braver Angels organization. The views expressed by our guests are their own and are not meant to represent this or any other organization. Find the video of this conversation on either YouTube or Rumble. Comments and feedback are encouraged and can be shared wherever you find this content. Thank you!