Vets Town Halls
It takes courage to stand up and speak. It also takes courage to sit down and listen.
THE CONCEPT
At a Vets Town Hall event, veterans of any era who served in any capacity have the right to stand before their community and speak for up to ten minutes about what it was like to serve their country.
Author Sebastian Junger is the founder and director of Vets Town Hall.
Some speakers may be proud, others may be angry and a few may be crying too hard to speak. But those feelings should processed by the entire nation, rather than just by veterans themselves. Vets Town Hall events are a way to start making that happen.
This is not a political event. War is an inherently divisive topic, but the important conversation around our nation’s wars has no place in a Vets Town Hall event.
There are no “activists” or “patriots” at these events; no “liberals” or “conservatives.” There are just veterans who are willing to speak openly about their experiences, and community members who are willing to listen.
Do not underestimate the incredible power of that process.
