On Stephen Scaffidi
The opportunity to connect with and keep in touch with the people who come into your life pays great dividends, as it has for me with Steve Scaffidi, radio host & former Mayor of Oak Park, Wisconsin.
Dear Friends,
On December 2, 2015, there was a mass shooting in San Bernadino, California that resulted in 16 deaths. In the aftermath of that shooting, I was invited to be part of a panel of American guests on CBC Radio’s “The Current” to explain the American commitment to gun rights in the wake of a mass shooting. One of the other guests was Stephen Scaffidi, then Mayor of Oak Creek, Wisconsin, which was the site of a 2012 mass shooting at a Sikh Temple. He also authored a book about the 2012 shooting, “Six Minutes in August: A Story of Tragedy, Healing and Community.”
During the program, we three Americans (the other guest was Michael Cargill, owner of Central Texas Gun Works) discussed at length our three different perspectives on what should be done to address gun violence in America without violating core constitutional rights. You can read the full transcript of the program here.
In 2017, Scaffidi stepped down as Mayor to take a position as a radio host on 620 WTMJ, bringing a common sense approach to news and politics to Wisconsin listeners. We’ve remained in touch as politics got weirder in the United States and he is gracious enough to invite me back as a guest to provide the Libertarian perspective on news and politics.
Most recently, we got together to talk about how the Libertarian Party fits into the 2024 Presidential election on the “Decision Wisconsin” podcast.
It’s a good practice to look back at the opportunities and relationships that come from being open to talk to people who might disagree on politics, but share a desire to build a better society for everyone. If you can make friends like Stephen, your life will be much enriched.
Yours truly,
Nick
P.S. If we’ve dropped out of touch, send me a line so we can reconnect soon. A year like this is a good one for strengthening relationships and working together to make the world better.