A Conversation on Gun Violence & Social Trauma

The Ashland Center for Nonviolence and the Ashland County Mental Health and Recovery Board are co-hosting a conversation on Gun Violence and Social Trauma on Thursday, Feb. 13, at noon in room 115 of the Dauch College of Business and Economics on the Ashland University campus. The event is free and open to the public.

“We all know there’s a huge debate about gun rights and access to guns going on in this country,” said Dr. Craig Hovey, executive director of the Ashland Center for Nonviolence. “Some of that discussion is about restricting gun access among people who are thought to be a danger to themselves or others.” Hovey said there are a number of important questions surrounding gun violence, trauma and what society calls mental illness. “We decided we needed to hear from experts representing a wide variety of fields,” he said.

Panelists will include Dr. William Vaughan, AU professor of philosophy; Dr. Allyson Drinkard, AU assistant professor of criminal justice and sociology; Steve Stone, executive director of the Ashland County Mental Health and Recovery Board, and Jordan Ballinger, a policy analyst with Disability Rights Ohio. Hovey will moderate the conversation.