Top: Dub Lawrence & Erna Stewart. Bottom: Rob Schenck & Lucy McBath
Credit Jared Jakins/ Jeff Hutchens
- Broadcasts of Acclaimed INDEPENDENT LENS Films Peace Officer and The Armor of Light Will be Followed by Town Hall Conversations Hosted by NPR's Michel Martin -
ARLINGTON, VA; April 25, 2016 - PBS announced today that ARMED IN AMERICA, a special two-night television event exploring the nation's rising gun violence, is scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, May 9-10, 2016. ARMED IN AMERICA centers around two acclaimed documentaries presented by INDEPENDENT LENS: Peace Officer, about a former sheriff who, after establishing and training Utah's first SWAT team, raises questions about the dangers of what he sees as the increased militarization of police when that same unit kills his son-in-law 30 years later (airs Monday, May 9, 9:00-10:30 p.m. ET on PBS, check local listings), and The Armor of Light, which profiles the faith journeys of two Christians as they fight gun violence: the mother of a teenage shooting victim and an evangelical minister who questions whether one can be both pro-gun and pro-life. (airs Tuesday, May 10, 8:00-9:30 p.m. ET on PBS, check local listings). One-hour town hall conversations about the issues presented in the films will immediately follow both broadcasts. Viewers will be able to watch the two-night event on-air and online via a live stream simulcast on pbs.org/armedinamerica, and are encouraged to engage in the conversation using the hashtags #PeaceOfficerPBS and #ArmorOfLightPBS.
Michel Martin, weekend host of NPR's All Things Considered, will moderate these special discussions. Both ARMED IN AMERICA town halls will be taped at the Northland Church in Longwood, Florida, on Wednesday, April 27.
PBS is committed to presenting programs that focus on critical issues facing our nation and providing a platform for discussion, said Marie Nelson, Vice President, News and Public Affairs, PBS. While the debate over guns may divide our country, the devastating toll of gun violence is something that everyone is united against. We hope the broadcast of these films, and the town hall conversations to follow, will help foster a public dialogue around these complex issues.
Peace Officer' and The Armor of Light' are two powerful films that present unexpected perspectives on gun violence, said Lois Vossen, INDEPENDENT LENS executive producer. Former sheriff Dub Lawrence asks what is happening to law enforcement when officers sworn to serve the public appear to be using increasingly aggressive tactics against that public. And conservative evangelical minister Rob Schenck finds himself at odds with many other Christians as he asks whether being pro-gun is consistent with being pro-life. Probing deeply into some of the most difficult questions facing our country, these films urge us to take a hard look at our nation and ourselves.
As a multi-platform initiative, ARMED IN AMERICA will also deliver content and conversation through a robust digital presence and social media discussion. Live perspectives shared on social media during the broadcast will be directly integrated into the on-air broadcast and aggregated online in a social hub for continued dialogue and discussion.
Full details of both films and their subsequent town hall conversations follow:
Winner of both the Grand Jury and Audience Awards for Best Documentary at the 2015 SXSW Film Festival, Peace Officer examines the increasingly militarized state of American police through the story of William Dub Lawrence, who uses his investigative skills to uncover the truth about not only his son-in-law's death but other officer-involved shootings in his community, while tackling larger questions about the changing face of peace officers nationwide. Directed by Scott Christopherson and Brad Barber, Peace Officer premieres on INDEPENDENT LENS, Monday, May 9, 2016, 9:00-10:30 p.m. ET (check local listings) on PBS.
Peace Officer will be followed at 10:30 p.m. by ARMED IN AMERICA: Police & Guns, a one-hour town hall conversation exploring whether U.S. police forces are becoming increasingly militarized. Among those confirmed to participate in this conversation are Mr. Lawrence; Betty Taylor, former Winfield, Mo. Police Chief and SWAT Team Member; Clifton Kinnie, student activist; Anthony Batts, former Commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department; Richard Beary, University of Central Florida Police Chief; and Susan Rahr, Seattle Precinct Commander.
The Armor of Light follows two people of faith who come together to explore the contradictions of a nation rife with gun violence: Reverend Dr. Rob Schenck, an evangelical minister who is trying to find the courage to preach about the growing toll of gun violence in America, and Lucy McBath, the mother of Jordan Davis, an unarmed teenager who was murdered in Florida and whose story casts a spotlight on the state's Stand Your Ground laws. Directed by Abigail Disney and produced and co-directed by Kathleen Hughes, The Armor of Light premieres on INDEPENDENT LENS Tuesday, May 10, 2016, 8:00-9:30 p.m. ET (check local listings) on PBS.
The Armor of Light will be followed at 9:30 p.m. by ARMED IN AMERICA: Faith & Guns, a one-hour town hall conversation exploring the relationship between faith and guns in America. Reverend Schenck and Ms. McBath are among those confirmed to participate in this conversation, along with Reverend Joel Hunter, Pastor of Northland Church; Shane Claiborne, Evangelical community organizer; Dianna Hobbs, Christian blogger; Dr. Karen Swallow Prior, Professor at Liberty University; Reverend Kenneth Blanchard, author of Black Man with a Gun; and Troy Newman, President of Operation Rescue.
The town hall conversations will be moderated by award-winning journalist Michel Martin, weekend host of NPR
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Top: Dub Lawrence & Erna Stewart. Bottom: Rob Schenck & Lucy McBath
