Dialogues: for facilitating a public conversation.
ABA Dialogues provide teachers, lawyers, judges, civic leaders, libraries, non-profit organizations, and others the resources they need to engage students and community members in discussions about fundamental legal principles and civic traditions.
The four Dialogues that follow were designed to facilitate a discussion on key issues implicated in a discussion on gun violence in the United States today. Included are modules on understanding Second Amendment rights, balancing individual rights with concerns for public health and safety, and approaching gun violence as a public health issue.
Dialogue leaders should tailor their presentations and content to their particular audience. For more resources and content ideas, please visit this resource’s companion website, www.ambar.org/gunviolence.
Before getting started, download the dialogue ground rules.
Dialogue 1
Second Amendment: Words & Rights
Download the Dialogue 1 Leader's Guide
- Handout 1-1: Excerpts from U.S. v. Miller (1939)
- Handout 1-2: Excerpts from Disctrict of Columbia v. Heller (2008)
- PowerPoint for Dialogue 1
Dialogue 2
Limiting Consitutional Rights: A Balancing Act
Download the Dialogue 2 Leader's Guide
- Handout 2-1: Conceal and Carry on Campus - A Policy Discussion
- Handout 2-2: Crafting a Conceal and Carry Policy - A Venn Diagram
- PowerPoint for Dialogue 2
Dialogue 3
Would "Smart" Guns Be Smart Policy?
Download the Dialogue 3 Leader's Guide
Dialogue 4
Gun Violence: A Public Health Perspective
Download the Dialogue 4 Leader's Guide
- Handout 4-1: Indentifying a Public Health Crisis
- Handout 4-2: The Stats - Gun Violence in the United States
- Handout 4-3: Examining the Relationship Between Gun Violence and Individual and Community Health
- PowerPoint for Dialogue 4