Fred Guttenberg became a nationally known activist on gun safety after his daughter Jaime was tragically murdered in the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida. Former Congressman Joe Walsh has been a self-described "rabid gun rights advocate." So how did these two guys go from being on completely different sides of such a heated issue to becoming dear friends who are now collaborating on a national tour called TWO DADS DEFENDING DEMOCRACY?

In this special coming together, we explore Fred and Joe's evolution from adversaries to collaborators through their unique friendship. Initially at odds due to their differing views on gun control, they discovered a shared commitment to democracy and engaging in respectful dialogue across political and ideological divides. They speak about their collaborative initiative, "Two Dads Defending Democracy," aimed at encouraging Americans to participate in the democratic process, highlight the importance of conversations across differences, and reflect on personal stories that underscore their transformation. We talk about a number of ways they're both trying to make a positive difference including Fred's non-profit Orange Ribbons for Jaime, Joe's continued contributions on White Flag with Joe Walsh, and their appearances together demonstrating that instead of remaining enemies over any given issue, even those we're most passionate about, mutual respect wins every time.

00:42 Getting to Know Joe Walsh: From Congress to Gun Rights Advocate; 

02:24 Fred Guttenberg's Journey: From Tragedy to Advocacy; 

03:44 Bridging Divides: A Story of Friendship and Understanding; 

07:39 Real Talk about Gun Safety; 

13:20 The Power of Dialogue: Moving Beyond Polarization; 

14:57 A Deep Dive into the Second Amendment and Gun Safety; 

20:33 Finding Common Ground: The Path to Reducing Gun Violence; 

30:58 Exploring Red Flag Laws: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly; 

33:41 The Impact of 'White Flag' on Activism and Public Policy; 

35:09 America's Shift in Gun Culture and the NRA's Influence; 

42:31 More Bridging Divides: Two Dads Defending Democracy; 

50:44 Engaging Across Differences: Strategies for Democracy; 

52:41 Closing Thoughts: Hope, Engagement, and the American Experiment

Let us know what you think. You can find Corey on all the socials @coreysnathan such as www.threads.net/@coreysnathan.

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Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Very grateful for our sponsor Meza Wealth Management. Reach out to Jorge and his team: www.mezawealth.com

fredguttenberg.com

orangeribbonsforjaime.org/

twitter.com/WalshFreedom

White Flag with Joe Walsh - pod.link/1590913798

www.udel.edu/udaily/2024/january/joe-walsh-fred-guttenberg-snf-ithaca-initiative-democracy-speaking-tour/

[email protected]

And just to be clear... LET'S GO RANGERS! ;-)