

Tricia Zunker and Jake Schira attended Wausau West high school together more than two decades ago. Despite their different political beliefs, they remain friends.



So Zunker stopped by Jake's shop, to discuss gun reform.



"Is there any room [for gun reform]?" said Zunker.



"No there's not," said Schira.



"There's nothing?" said Zunker.



"There's absolutely zero room," said Schira. "There's not an ammunition that should be taken off the shelf. There's not a gun that should be taken off the shelf. It is blatantly clear: 'to not to be infringed upon.' Period. That's it. End of discussion."



"Why does a background check infringe on someone's right?" said Zunker. "It's just an administrative process."



"Well, we already have background checks," said Schira. "That's what you're missing."

"But we don't with the gun sales at the gun shows and the online sales," said Zunker.



"But if they're a vendor and they're selling a gun, you can't stop a private sale from back and forth," said Schira. "Now, I understand what they're trying to attain but its unattainable information. So unless there was a removal of firearms, which you're never going to get the firearms that are actually causing the problems because those are in the hands of criminals, how are you going to stop them?"



Tricia did not grow up around guns. But when she was a teenager, Jake showed her how to fire one.





"Again, I support the 2nd Amendment," said Zunker. "I support our hunters. I support people being able to defend themselves but as a mom and a school board president of the Wausau School District, I see my son and our students having to do these active shooter drills. And it feels to me that we're not addressing the real problem."



"I think that being prepared for things like that are things that we should do," said Schira. "I don't support the fact that there are no guns in schools. I support the fact that there are many means of non-lethal ammunition. I mean I would feel so much better knowing that the teachers that teach my kids had some other line of defense than throwing a stapler at some dude coming through a door."



In a time when people on both sides can be easily triggered. A test of true friendship, is not when you talk about the good old days - but when you agree to disagree.



"It's critical to have conversations with people of different opinions," said Zunker. "So that we can have a better understanding of our differing perspectives and try to reach consensus. That's what we need to do."

