Events

Together, we wore red and linked arms as we marked the anniversary of one of our community’s darkest days and honored the memory of the hundreds of Tennessee lives lost to preventable firearm tragedies over the last year. We formed a chain of nearly 12,000 people from Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt through Centennial Park and up Charlotte Avenue to our state capitol. The program streamed from Musician’s Corner in Centennial Park included artists, Ketch Secor and Molly Tuttle, Grace Bowers and Judge Sheila Calloway, and Blessing Offor.

A conversation that explored how Tennessee has reached this important moment and what we can do locally to make an impact. Orthopedic trauma surgeon Dr. Alex Jahangir moderated a discussion featuring Juvenile Court Judge Sheila Calloway, Safer TN Policy Director Erin Rogus, and USN parent and Chief, Division of Pediatric Neurological Surgery, Dr. Jay Wellons.

Voices for a Safer Tennessee hosted a conversation on faith and firearms on Tuesday, February 6 at 7:00 pm at The Temple. The event was moderated by Steve Cavendish, Editor of the Nashville Banner, and featured Karl Dean, former Mayor of Nashville, Rabbi Shana Goldstein Mackler from The Temple – Congregation Ohabai Sholom, Dr. Allan Peetz, Trauma Surgeon and Assistant Professor, and Erin Rogus, Policy Director for Voices for a Safer Tennessee.

This community conversation focused on how our state laws have changed over the last ten years to create this current condition and what pragmatic firearm policy is possible to change our trajectory and protect our community.

A community conversation on firearm safety was hosted by our friends from Neighbors for Gun Violence Prevention with featured speakers from the Safer TN Board, Katy Dieckhaus, Todd Cruse, and Dori Thronton Waller. This non-partisan event was introduced by Natalie Jackson of Neighbors for Gun Violence Prevention.

This event offered detailed insights into the progress and outcomes of specific laws and regulations that Voices for a Safer Tennessee had actively supported and promoted. Attendees received a comprehensive overview of the advocacy strategies employed and an exploration of the impact of these efforts on community safety and policy development. This briefing was a vital opportunity for members and supporters to stay informed about the organization’s legislative achievements.

A peaceful and civil dialogue with Father Mark Beckman. pastor at St. Henry Catholic Church; the Honorable Torry Johnson, former District Attorney General for Davidson County; Erin Rogus, Senior Policy Advisor to the office of former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist; Dr. Allan Peetz, surgical faculty in the Division of Acute Surgery at Vanderbilt. This non-partisan event was moderated by Steve Cavendish, President of Nashville Public Media.

A public forum to discuss how policies that promote responsible firearm ownership can improve community safety across Tennessee. This discussion included panelists the Rev. Russ Adcox, lead paster at Maury Hills Church; Dr. CW Ball, Family Physician and Former Medical Director at Maury Regional Hospital; and Todd Cruse, Chairman and Treasurer, Voices for a Safer Tennessee. This non-partisan event was moderated by the Rev. Trent Oglivie, CEO and Executive Director of Columbia Housing and Redevelopment Corporation.

A public forum with former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, Vanderbilt trauma surgeon Dr. Alex Jahangir, and our senior minister, Rev. Dr. Clay Stauffer. This non-partisan event was moderated by News Channel 5’s Ben Hall.

More than 10,000 people created a three-mile human chain spreading from Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, where victims of The Covenant School shooting were taken on March 27, all the way to the Tennessee State Capitol. The peaceful event served as an expression of solidarity among the chorus of voices who support common sense gun laws this session.