Coming Soon: Part 2 of Our Freedom Caucus Blog Discussion

I’m excited to announce that we’ll be continuing our in-depth discussion of my Freedom Caucus blog post on Monday, October 27, 2025, at 2PM CST. In Part 2, we’ll pick up right where we left off, diving deeper into:

• The legislative effectiveness (or lack thereof) of the Oklahoma Freedom Caucus

• The controversial statements made by Freedom Caucus leadership

• The broader implications for Oklahoma politics and policy

• Finding potential common ground despite our different perspectives

What We Covered in Part 1

Our initial discussion explored several aspects of the Freedom Caucus’s approach:

• Transparency vs. Privacy: We debated whether the Freedom Caucus’s private membership list contradicts their calls for government transparency

• Religious Legislation: We found surprising common ground on the “Christ is King” resolution and other religiously-motivated proposals

• Protest Legislation: We examined differing perspectives on laws regarding protesters blocking roadways

• Public Events on Government Property: We discussed where to draw lines on using public facilities for events like “National Coming Out Day”

What struck me most was how, despite coming from different political perspectives, we often found points of agreement while maintaining our distinct viewpoints.

The “Common Ground” Podcast Journey

For those who may be new to our podcast, “Common Ground” began just over a month ago after Jenni White, the managing editor of The Rope Report, and I discovered we could have respectful, productive disagreements in the comments section of my blog. What started as digital dialogue evolved into a commitment to model civil discourse in an increasingly polarized political landscape.

Our inaugural episode tackled gun control and gun rights, using my post “Finding Common Ground: 22 Years of Teaching Gun Safety in Oklahoma” as a starting point. We explored where we disagreed on gun policy and why, while also identifying surprising areas of agreement and practical solutions that could appeal to advocates on both sides of this contentious issue.

Civil Discourse in Action

As Jenni noted during our recent Freedom Caucus conversation: “In an increasingly violent world, violence doesn’t solve the issue... They don’t want you and me talking because if you and I talk, we’ll find ways to work our problems out while still maintaining our own belief set.”

This is exactly why we created the “Common Ground” podcast - to demonstrate that thoughtful people can disagree respectfully and still find ways to work together across political differences.

Join Us for Part 2

How to Watch

• Watch Part 1 here to catch up before Part 2

• Tune in live for Part 2 on Monday, October 27th at 2PM CST

• Both episodes will be available on YouTube and Rumble after the live broadcast

Whether you’re conservative, liberal, or somewhere in between, we hope you’ll join us as we continue this important conversation about the Oklahoma Freedom Caucus, political accountability, and finding common ground in an era of political polarization.

See you on October 27th!

Have questions or topics you’d like us to address in Part 2 of our Freedom Caucus blog discussion? Leave them in the comments below.

I want my kids to live in a safe world—period. I want your kids to live in the same safe world. I don't want to dismiss someone because we're different. I personally think those differences are what make our society prosper. I'm a curious person, and if you're reading this, maybe that means you are too.

Tomorrow you won't ever hear me utter the idea of banning or confiscation. All I'm saying is the data doesn't lie. We have problems—I do mean problems. We need to start talking about it. Calmly. I know it can happen because I experienced it just yesterday at the state fair while working at the Democrats booth.

While we did have a few snarky comments here and there, we had a gentleman from Ada come by. Troy Green—if you don't know who he is, you should (and I'm not campaigning, I promise). I witnessed him "chase" down—that seems like a strong word—a gentleman who told us he was a libertarian. Troy convinced him to come back and talk to us. We had a fantastic conversation.

This man owned a gun shop in Ada and was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, just like my dad, my brother, and my uncles. He and I had a lot in common. In fact, he... well, I should stop and wait for tomorrow.

I want anyone who reads this to know that tomorrow, I just want a safer place to live. I don't want to hear about another school shooting—I know you don't either. I certainly don't want to see political violence. I hope anyone who tunes in does so with an open mind.

Just know that I'm displaying this data not to set anyone up, but to have an honest place to start the conversation in Oklahoma. I know we all want better—I know we do. Who wants to lose someone next? I sure don't.

See you tomorrow.

Here are the links to tomorrow's "Common Ground" podcast:

YouTube:

Rumble: https://rumble.com/v6ywsyw-common-ground-gun-control.html

Time: Monday, September 15th at 1:00 PM

Here are the comprehensive sources with direct links where available:

Primary Data Sources with Links

Oklahoma State Sources:

1. Oklahoma Department of Health Violence Death Reporting System (OKVDRS)

   • Direct PDF link: https://oklahoma.gov/content/dam/ok/en/health/health2/documents/Firearm%20Deaths%20in%20OK.pdf

   • General OKVDRS page: https://oklahoma.gov/health/okvdrs

   • Used for: Gun death rates, homicide rates, trend analysis

2. Oklahoma Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board Annual Reports

   • 2024 Report: https://oklahoma.gov/oag/news/newsroom/2024/february/domestic-violence-homicides-in-oklahoma-among-nation-s-highest--.html

   • 2025 Report: https://oklahoma.gov/oag/news/newsroom/2025/february/domestic-violence-homicides-spike-in-oklahoma-fatality-review-board-releases-annual-recommendations.html

   • Used for: Domestic homicide counts, averages, 2023 record high data

Federal Sources:

3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

   • WONDER Database: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/state-stats/deaths/firearms.html

   • Fast Facts: https://www.cdc.gov/firearm-violence/data-research/facts-stats/index.html

   • Used for: Gun death rates, national comparisons, 2023 data

4. Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions - Oklahoma Data

   • https://publichealth.jhu.edu/center-for-gun-violence-solutions/gun-violence-data/state-gun-violence-data/oklahoma

   • Used for: Comprehensive Oklahoma statistics

National Ranking Sources:

5. Violence Policy Center (VPC) - "When Men Murder Women" Reports

   • Main page: https://vpc.org/revealing-the-impacts-of-gun-violence/female-homicide-victimization-by-males/

   • Oklahoma 2020 data: https://vpc.org/when-men-murder-women-oklahoma/

   • Publications archive: https://vpc.org/publications/

   • 2024 National report: https://vpc.org/press/nearly-nine-out-of-10-women-murdered-by-men-are-killed-by-someone-they-know-and-two-thirds-die-by-gunfire-new-violence-policy-center-study-finds/

   • Used for: All "women killed by men" national rankings

6. Pew Research Center

   • Gun deaths analysis: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/03/05/what-the-data-says-about-gun-deaths-in-the-us/

   • Used for: National context and 2023 rankings

7. USAFacts - Oklahoma Gun Deaths

   • https://usafacts.org/answers/how-many-people-die-from-gun-related-injuries-in-the-us-each-month/state/oklahoma/

   • Used for: Most recent Oklahoma statistics

Research Studies:

8. World Population Review - Domestic Violence by State

   • https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/domestic-violence-by-state

   • Used for: Oklahoma #1 ranking for domestic violence rates

9. Center for American Progress

   • https://www.americanprogress.org/article/fact-sheet-weakening-requirements-to-carry-a-concealed-firearm-increases-violent-crime/

   • Used for: Research on permitless carry effects

10. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School Study

    • https://publichealth.jhu.edu/center-for-gun-violence-solutions/2023/study-finds-that-dropping-training-requirement-to-obtain-concealed-carry-permit-leads-to-significant-increase-in-gun-assaults

    • Used for: 32% increase in firearm assaults research

Gun Law Information:

11. Giffords Law Center - Oklahoma

    • Open carry: https://giffords.org/lawcenter/state-laws/open-carry-in-oklahoma/

    • Concealed carry: https://giffords.org/lawcenter/state-laws/concealed-carry-in-oklahoma/

    • State overview: https://everytownresearch.org/rankings/state/oklahoma/

12. The Trace - Gun Violence Data

    • 2024 analysis: https://www.thetrace.org/2024/12/data-gun-violence-shooting-stats-america/

    • Used for: National trends and context

News Sources (for specific reports):

13. Oklahoma News Coverage:

    • KFOR: https://kfor.com/news/local/study-oklahoma-has-highest-domestic-violence-rate-in-the-country/

    • News 9: https://www.news9.com/story/64dea0295fbead072d8a1418/oklahoma-ranked-highest-in-us-for-domestic-violence-for-men--women

    • KJRH: https://www.kjrh.com/news/local-news/oklahoma-top-in-us-for-domestic-violence-third-in-domestic-homicides

Academic Sources:

14. RAND Corporation - Gun Policy Research

    • Training requirements: https://www.rand.org/research/gun-policy/analysis/firearm-safety-training-requirements.html

    • Used for: Research context on training effectiveness

Government Data Portals:

15. Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation

    • Crime statistics: https://okcrimestats.osbi.ok.gov/CRIME_SUMMARY_BY_YEAR.aspx

16. CDC State Statistics

    • Oklahoma health data: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/states/oklahoma/oklahoma.htm

Data Notes:

• Direct PDF access is available for the Oklahoma Health Department firearm deaths report

• Violence Policy Center reports are freely available, but some historical reports may require searching their publications archive

• CDC WONDER database requires creating custom queries, but is publicly accessible

• Johns Hopkins data provides the most current, comprehensive state-level analysis

• Some news links may require a subscription or have limited free article access

Key Research Papers:

For academic citations, the most important peer-reviewed sources are:

• Johns Hopkins studies on permitless carry effects

• RAND Corporation gun policy analysis

• CDC mortality data and analysis

• Violence Policy Center's 25+ years of consistent methodology in tracking women killed by men

All government sources (.gov domains) are freely accessible public records.

How It Started

It all began when Jenni discovered GenXpletives through my post about the Ty Burns case and Oklahoma's political hypocrisy. She agreed with that piece and left a supportive comment. But then she read my analysis of the Freedom Caucus—and didn't agree with several points I'd made. Instead of scrolling past or firing off an angry response, she engaged thoughtfully, respectfully challenging my perspective.

Jenni White is a conservative writer and the publisher of The Rope Report, and she approached our disagreement with the kind of intellectual curiosity that's become all too rare in political discourse.

What followed was exactly the kind of civil discourse that feels increasingly rare these days: six rounds of back-and-forth commentary, each of us explaining our reasoning, acknowledging valid points, and pushing back where we disagreed. All without a single personal attack or dismissal.

After this happened across several articles, we both realized we might have something special here—two people with genuinely different political perspectives who could disagree without being disagreeable.

The Concept

"Common Ground" isn't your typical political podcast. We're not here to shout past each other or score points for our respective "teams." Instead, our format is designed to:

• Explore genuine disagreements with curiosity rather than defensiveness

• Explain the reasoning behind our different perspectives

• Find areas of agreement that could lead to actual solutions

• Model civil discourse in an era of political polarization

Each episode will tackle a contentious issue from our different viewpoints, then end by identifying the common ground we've discovered—the shared values and practical solutions we can both support.

Our Inaugural Episode: Gun Control

Given the tragic assassination of conservative debater Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, Jenni and I decided our first episode should address gun control and gun rights—one of the most polarizing issues in American politics.

We'll use my recent blog post "Finding Common Ground: 22 Years of Teaching Gun Safety in Oklahoma" as our starting point. In it, I write from the perspective of someone who supports common-sense gun laws while volunteering at Oklahoma's largest women's shooting clinic—a position that surprises people on both sides of the aisle.

Jenni and I will explore:

• Where we disagree on gun policy and why

• What we both want to see happen (spoiler: it's more similar than you might think)

• Practical solutions that could appeal to both gun rights advocates and gun safety supporters

• How education and personal responsibility fit into the equation

Why This Matters

In our hyper-polarized political environment, it's easy to assume that people who disagree with us are either ignorant or evil. But the truth is more complex. Most Americans—regardless of party affiliation—want similar things: safe communities, good schools, economic opportunity, and the freedom to live according to their values.

Our differences often lie in how we prioritize these goals and what methods we think will achieve them. "Common Ground" is an experiment in whether two people can model a better way forward—one based on genuine listening, intellectual humility, and a shared commitment to finding solutions rather than winning arguments.

Join Us Live

"Common Ground" premieres Monday, September 15th at 1:00 PM

We'll be broadcasting live on both YouTube and Rumble, and we hope you'll join us for what we envision as a regular series. Whether you're conservative, liberal, or somewhere in between, we want to hear from you. Our goal isn't to convert anyone to a particular viewpoint—it's to demonstrate that thoughtful people can disagree respectfully and still find ways to work together.

Watch Live:

• YouTube:

• Rumble: https://rumble.com/v6ywsyw-common-ground-gun-control.html

What to Expect

Don't expect a typical political debate where opponents talk past each other using rehearsed talking points. Instead, you'll hear:

• Honest admissions when we don't have all the answers

• Real questions about each other's perspectives

• Genuine curiosity about how the other person reached their conclusions

• Practical focus on solutions rather than scoring political points

We're not naive about how difficult these conversations can be. But we're convinced that democracy works better when people with different viewpoints can engage constructively rather than retreating to their respective echo chambers.

Beyond the First Episode

If our inaugural episode goes well, we plan to tackle other contentious issues: education funding, healthcare, immigration, climate policy, and more. Each time, we'll follow the same format—exploring our disagreements honestly while searching for the common ground that could lead to real progress.

A Personal Note

This podcast represents something I deeply believe in: the possibility of finding unity without uniformity. Jenni and I don't agree on many policy issues, but we share something more fundamental—a commitment to honest dialogue and a belief that good-faith disagreement can be productive rather than destructive.

In a time when political conversations too often devolve into tribal warfare, we want to offer something different. Not a false unity that papers over real differences, but a genuine search for solutions that honor both our shared values and our different perspectives.

We hope you'll join us for this experiment in civil discourse. And who knows? Maybe we'll discover that common ground is more abundant than any of us realized.

Tune in Monday, September 15th at 1:00 PM for the premiere of "Common Ground"—where two people who don't politically agree can talk about how and why they don't agree, and find the places they do.

You can read the gun control blog post that will anchor our discussion at: Finding Common Ground: 22 Years of Teaching Gun Safety in Oklahoma. We encourage you to read it beforehand to join the conversation more fully.