Both Sides of the Gun Debate Come Together at Tennessee 11 Premiere

Our documentary, The Tennessee 11, premiered at the Nashville Film Festival this weekend. The screening gave viewers an in-depth look at the journey of a group of ideologically diverse citizens who first met more than a year ago to find solutions to gun violence.  

Robert Talisse, author of Sustaining Democracy, was in attendance and said, “The Tennessee 11 is at once a testament to the transformative power of civil dialogue and a reminder that democracy is hard work.”

Kerri Raissian, an Associate Professor of Public Policy at the University of Connecticut, also attended the premiere and said finding common ground on such issues “is hard… however, the 11 not only found consensus, they also discovered each other as people.”

The collaborative spirit depicted in The Tennessee 11 continued at a post-screening reception where supporters on both sides of the gun debate broke bread together and agreed on the need for a different path forward. 

Jay Zimmerman is a Second Amendment supporter and member of the Tennessee 11. At the premiere, he talked to a “Covenant mom” who, during the 2024 legislative session, was prevented from displaying protest signs at the Tennessee Capitol. The unlikely pair found common ground on this issue, both believing that that censorship was unjust and an abridgement of the First Amendment. 

Whitney Austin survived a 2018 mass shooting and is the co-founder of Whitney/Strong, an organization focused on responsible gun ownership and ending gun violence. When discussing the film, she said she thought bipartisan collaboration is key to addressing this issue. 

The movie and the discussions it sparked remind us that Americans crave meaningful dialogue across differences, but often don’t feel like they have the space to engage in it. Seeing the example set by the Tennessee 11 will hopefully inspire more people to create this space in their own lives and communities. 

Alyssa Pearman, another member of the Tennessee 11, shared the following sentiment: “We are hope personified. We are what happens when we… find seats at tables and save a seat for those often silenced. We are The Tennessee 11 and we are just getting started!”

If you’re near Nashville, the movie shows again October 3rd at the International Black Film Festival. 

Want to learn more about the film and our Citizen Solutions work? 

• Read a review by Gideon Lichfield, where he relates our work to other citizen assembly projects  
• See coverage by Nashville’s ABC affiliate WKRN, where one member of the TN11 says, “you may find more agreement than you think you had”  
• Watch a PBS story that visits four of the TN11 at home to understand how their life experiences have shaped their opinions 

Want to stay in the loop about efforts to reduce political toxicity? Sign up for our newsletter.