Growing Community Media is bringing back its Conversations series with two men who hold quite different political views but have come together with the shared message that American democracy is in peril this year and we need to face that reality. 

 “Two Dads Defending Democracy: Bridging the Gap During Divisive Times” features former Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh and gun safety activist Fred Guttenberg.  

The GCM event will be April 9 at 7 p.m. at Dominican University in River Forest. Tickets will be on sale by mid-week. Visit bit.ly/GCMTwoDads for ticket details. 

Through their visits to colleges and universities during this election season, they are modeling how to engage in respectful dialogue with people with whom they vehemently disagree. The greatest threat to democracy right now is the tendency to demonize and want to destroy the “other.” The immediate political environment is a part of the presentation, but the moderated conversation is framed more broadly. They agree, “Our democracy is preserved if we can engage, listen to, and understand those with whom we disagree. If we can no longer do this our democracy fails.” 

Growing Community Media is the nonprofit parent company of Wednesday Journal of Oak Park & River Forest, Austin Weekly News, Riverside-Brookfield Landmark and the Forest Park Review, as part of its “Conversations” series. Previous guests have included Peter Sagal of “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me,” Democratic strategist David Axelrod, filmmaker Steve James, and broadcast executive Candi Carter.   

According to Guttenberg’s LinkedIn post: “… Joe and I disagree on a lot, but once we started listening to each other, we developed a friendship. Now, we hope we can show America that it is okay to disagree and talk and to get out and vote for democracy.” 

Here’s how they describe the Two Dads tour: 

“As we look forward to the 2024 election, the story of how gun safety activist Fred Guttenberg and former congressman Joe Walsh learned to engage in civil discourse rather than rancor shows a way forward. They went from fighting on TV and social media to talking with each other and listening to one another. Through meaningful dialogue, Guttenberg and Walsh have formed a true friendship and have demonstrated how people from opposite ends of the political spectrum can find common ground on contentious issues such as gun safety and, with many issues, agree to disagree.”

For tickets to the GCM Conversation, visit: bit.ly/GCMTwoDads