Penn Works to Find Common Ground Amid Gun Controversies

In the wake of more than 20 mass shootings and shooting sprees in recent years, the School of Social Policy & Practice at the University of Pennsylvania will host " Finding Common Ground: Moving Forward ," a gun violence-prevention event, Wednesday, April 17, from 3 to 5 p.m. in Irvine Auditorium, 3401 Spruce St. "It's time for a rational, national gun policy," said Susan B. Sorenson , professor of social policy at Penn and event moderator. "This event will go from the personal to population policy. We hope to highlight not just the problem but the surprising amount of agreement in the U.S. about what to do." Guest speakers will be best-selling author, retired astronaut and Navy Capt. Mark Kelly , the husband of former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords , who was shot in a Tucson, Ariz., parking lot; and Matthew Miller , deputy director of the Harvard Injury Control Research Center and associate professor at Harvard University , who will discuss what research shows about guns and fatal violence. Kelly and Giffords co-founded Americans for Responsible Solutions , an organization that encourages elected officials to craft and support policies that will prevent gun violence as well as uphold responsible gun ownership. As a balanced advocate for common-sense protection from gun violence, Kelly will address how leadership can move the nation forward.