In celebration of the Bill of Rights 225th anniversary, the National Archives is holding conversations across the nation to explore the continuing and often complicated issues of rights in our age. God, Guns, and Freedom seeks to facilitate discussion of these critical and often controversial amendments with two programs designed to help Kansans negotiate the meaning and consequences of these rights in 21st-century Kansas.

Part two of the discussion is set for Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Eisenhower Presidential Library Visitors Center Auditorium. This Kansas Town Hall program is conducted in partnership with Kansas State University’s Institute for Civic Discourse and Democracy.

This program will focus on the second amendment and the right to bear arms in a world where gun violence is increasingly common. The issue is critical to the lives of Kansans as new open carry laws increase the presence of firearms. As a reminder, firearms are not allowed on the Eisenhower Presidential Library campus, as it is federal property.

A panel moderated by Dr. Timothy Shaffer will discuss the issues. Shaffer is Principal Research Specialist for the National Institute for Civil Discourse and is Assistant Professor of Communication Studies and Assistant Director of ICDD.
Each panelist will provide a 15 minute presentation. Panel members include:

• Dennis Weese, Kansas Concealed Carry Certified Instructor and Dickinson County Sheriff’s Reserve Deputy, “The United Price of Freedom“
• Dion Lefler: Government and Politics Senior Journalist, “Why can’t we agree what the 2nd Amendment means?“
• Janet Hanson, Nurse, “Public Health Perspectives on Gun Violence“

The audience will be able to submit questions collected during the presentations for the moderated question and answer portion of the program.

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Story by Samantha Kenner / Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum