“The Democracy Forum” on October 30 at the Arizona Historical Society

“Your chance to help address the vitriol, threats and inaccuracies in today’s political climate with a model of decency, generosity and civil discourse”

Schedule below:

1:30 to 2 p.m. Patriotic Costume Contest (with prizes)

2:00 to 4 p.m. “The Democracy Forum”

at the Arizona Historical Society, 949 E. 2nd St. (west of Park Avenue)

Free admission, free refreshments, seating is limited so arrive early.

Moderated by Dr. Peter Likins, President Emeritus of the U of A

Special guests: Congressman Raul Grijalva (D) and Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett (R). They will each present their “position on immigration and the economy then the audience will ask questions, discuss the issues and vote on them”.

Performance by Borderlands Theater –excerpts from its recent show “Arizona: No Roosters in the Desert,” a play about four Mexican women who endure hardships as they trek across the border toward the “American dream” (read my previous blog about that play here).

Music by Ted Warmbrand (community activist/singer)

Discussion by Dr. Bruce Mason, Professor Emeritus at Arizona State University, will speak about “the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances and explore the history of protest movements in America since colonial days.”

Discussion by Dr. Rudy Byrd, Sons of the American Revolution, will explain “why Spanish soldiers voluntarily sent parts of their salary to the Revolutionary army and how, records show, teenagers and minorities endured extreme hardships to win America’s democracy.”

Video of former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and other celebrities
including Morgan Freeman, Reese Witherspoon, and Whoopie Goldberg heralding the
Declaration of Independence and current American freedoms.

“Our forum’s purpose is to counter that trend, exemplifying how bipartisan discussions and disagreement can exist within a context of decency,” said Gloria Kirshner, president of the National Student/Parent Mock Election (NSPME).

Sponsored by the National Student/Parent Mock Election. For more info: call (520) 797-7590, email nspme@aol.com.

The NSPME is the nation’s oldest, largest and most successful voter-education project, dating from 1980. Since the first Mock Election in 1980, nearly 50 million young voters have cast their ballots and, in the process, discovered what it means to be an American citizen and the value of citizenship in our democracy.