OPINION: A gun bill both sides can (almost) get behind

Last summer, 11 strangers (now known as the Tennessee 11) with drastically different perspectives on guns did the unthinkable. We spent a long weekend together, creating solutions that sensational news headlines and a hyper-partisan political system tell us are not possible. Those solutions balance personal and public safety with Second Amendment rights, and just a few weeks ago, Governor Lee signed one of them into law. 

HB2882/SB2923 requires Local Education Agencies (LEA) and public charter schools to provide students with age- and grade-appropriate instruction on firearm safety. While the curriculum is not yet developed, it will include the safe storage of firearms, school safety relating to firearms, and what to do if a firearm is found. The bill, which had some bipartisan support, is similar to our proposal to bring gun issue literacy resources to schools. We carefully crafted this proposal after days of deliberative dialogue and an earnest effort to understand each other’s deeply held values. This required stretching from both the Second Amendment advocates and gun safety activists among us. 

We unveiled our recommendation at the Capitol in January, three weeks before HB2882 and SB2923 were introduced. Representatives Hardaway, Cepicky, Wright and Martin, who later voted in favor of the bill, were in attendance.  On that day, we shared our belief that education has an important role to play in making our communities safer, especially given Tennessee has the third highest rate of accidental shootings by children in the country and gunfire was the leading cause of death for those ages one to 18 in 2021. The more we educate our youth, the more they’ll be able to make conscious, responsible decisions.  

In some ways, we celebrate the passage of HB2882, as it suggests some elected officials are willing to listen to their constituents and legislate according to the will of the people. Simultaneously, we’re calling on those elected officials to strengthen the bill to capture the full complexity of our proposal and integrate the needs of more Tennesseans. To take this from a seemingly partisan bill to what we would call a “higher ground solution,” we’d encourage lawmakers, including one of the bill’s sponsors, Rep. Chris Todd (R-73) to do what we did: listen to those with different perspectives, embrace nuance, and courageously prioritize problem solving.  

To improve the bill, focus on comprehensive firearms education. Educating youth about what to do if a firearm is found is important but should be paired with instruction on conflict resolution and de-escalation. If students can master these so-called “soft skills,” they’ll be less likely to think a gun can solve their problems in a moment of heightened anger or frustration. And while we strongly agree that the instruction should be politically neutral, we think it’s important for students to understand firearms risks and impacts, gun myths, and the emotional impact of using a gun against someone, even if it’s used legally.

We also encourage our elected leaders to look for ways to emphasize responsibility outside of the classroom. We need to ensure that the onus is not placed entirely on students or teachers – the entire community has a role to play. Experienced firearms trainers should train community leaders on existing laws, safe gun use, safe storage, and de-escalation. Similarly, we are proponents of creating a language guide for the media that defines factual, unbiased terminology and methods for reporting on gun violence. Together, these educational resources could help create a safer Tennessee.

Before the Department of Education and Safety and the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission create this curriculum, we hope they will listen to more voices, including two groups that we represent: teachers and firearms instructors. Teachers, who will be responsible for delivering this curriculum, have a front row seat to the challenges their students face every day. Firearms instructors have a sense of the skills needed to navigate unsafe situations and minimize harm to oneself or others. Additionally, credible, neutral experts should be consulted. Not only do they have an understanding of fact-based evidence, but they also can advise on how to make the content grade- and age-appropriate and culturally relevant. As far as we know, none of the aforementioned groups was asked to assist in the drafting of this bill.

While we’re hopeful that our voices are slowly starting to be heard, we acknowledge there is more work to do. Additional layers of safety must be created without stripping the constitutional rights of responsible gun owners. The Tennessee 11 is committed to striking this balance, alongside anyone who is tired of toxic polarization and eager to start solving problems for the good of all Tennesseans.

Alyssa Pearman, a high school educator in Jackson, TN, and Tim Carroll, a firearms instructor in Harriman, TN, are two members of the “Tennessee 11” - a group of ideologically-diverse Tennesseans who collaborated to develop consensus proposals on gun rights and safety.