When the young female gun control activist started talking earnestly with the burly firearms pro — a man who had earlier proclaimed that many gun laws don't make sense — I knew that we had succeeded in creating a respectful, constructive dialogue about this intensely polarizing topic.
Around the room at Eureka's Wharfinger Building, a dozen other small groups of political opposites were talking like neighbors: People who wanted stricter gun laws chatted with gun owners who were strongly pro Second Amendment (they call themselves "Pro 2A"); a man who'd said that in an ideal world there'd be no guns was listening to a couple of passionate National Rifle Association members.
When we reconvened the whole group, it was obvious that many of the 40 attendees had been inspired by the dialogue. Some made offers to connect after the forum. One invited gun-wary people to accompany him to the firing range to learn about gun safety. Several asked when the next forum would be held and at least one offered to help organize it. (My co-facilitator Jess Pettitt and I have no plans for another forum but the Eureka Interfaith Fellowship will hold one on Aug. 26; follow the fellowship on Facebook for more info.)
We didn't come up with any new ideas or policies but simply having the conversation that never seems to happen was valuable in itself. "It built a sense of community and I think that's important, whether we solve anything or not," Andy Broese told me later. Broese sells firearms at his Broese's Uniforms, and he supported the event, along with Blue Ox Millworks, Cooperation Humboldt, the Humboldt Area Center for Harm Reduction, Humboldt Domestic Violence Services and Pacific Outfitters.
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