In 2011, the Interactivity Foundation, where I am a Fellow, published a report entitled The United States Democratic Promise. This guide summarized months of discussions among regular citizens and experts about the political turmoil in Wisconsin, where I live.
The challenge then was to identify some different ways that we might reshape our political disagreements while also respecting the founding principles of American democracy.
This year, the Interactivity Foundation is supporting another discussion project, this time in Illinois, with somewhat similar challenges. It’s called The U.S. Constitution: Why it Matters and it’s co-hosted by a group in Princeton called Voices from the Prairie.
For four weeks in February and March, the Princeton Public Library will host experts in history, Constitutional law and more contemporary issues. They’ll remind us of the importance of understanding the document itself and its continuing impact on our lives today.
We’ll also ask a lot of questions and discuss some different answers. What do we know? What do we think we know about the Constitution? What does it mean or might it mean for us today? What if everyone -- not just experts, but citizens of all ages and backgrounds -- could engage in meaningful, civil conversations about all this?
Here’s the news: we can. You can.
Look up Voices from the Prairie on Facebook. And plan to be among those voices, even if you’re not from Princeton. These discussions are vital to our democracy. We need to talk and listen to each other talk about it again…and again.
I’m Pete Shively, and that’s my Perspective.