Toward Democracy

May we live in interesting times!

I had the following exchange in the hardware store yesterday, with a clerk who is about my age.  Noticing a "Proud to be American" sign on the front of the counter, I politely asked what made him proud.  He responded enthusiastically that his family goes back generations, his dad fought in WW II, and this is the greatest country in the world.  Just as I was figuring out how to respond, he went on to allow as how the country is becoming fascist ("Do you know what that is?" and I assured him I do). 

I recently saw a bumper sticker, quoting Voltaire:  Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.

Here is a program on Sunday, March 11, at the CCCC’s Tilden Auditorium at 2 p.m. 

Towards a Progressive Agenda
...a public forum to plot the course

ADMISSION FREE - Sunday, March 11th 2:00 - 4:00 PM
Tilden Auditorium, Cape Cod Community College

Our purpose is to conduct a public meeting to identify Progressive objectives and to clarify which are most important to us.

Following a brief introduction, a panel of 6 speakers will each address briefly (5 minutes each) an area of possible concern. An open microphone is provided for public input & discussion. Speakers can contribute ideas or argue for the importance of ideas already expressed.

Finally, on their way out, participants will pass by a series of large posters on which 6 possible Party objectives will have been written. They'll be asked to paste a sticker next to two subject areas listed on the posters that are most important to them. At the conclusion of the program, we'll count stickers after each item to see which ones seemed most vital to the participants.

Moderated by Lawrence Brown, Cape Cod Times Columnist. Our speakers will frame the issues in six main areas:

• SERVING PUBLIC, NOT CORPORATE, INTERESTS-Mary Zepernick, National
coordinator of POCLAD, corporate watchdog organization
• MAINTAINING A HEALTHY SEPARATION BETWEEN CHURCH AND STATE-Don Wick,
retired Presbyterian minister
• REFORMING AMERICA'S ELECTORAL SYSTEM-Matt Patrick, MA State Representative
Falmouth, Mashpee
• PROTECTING AMERICA'S CIVIL LIBERTIES-Mary Kay Cordill, Professor of Sociology
Cape Cod Community College
• PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT-Richard Houghton, Deputy Director, Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution
• RETHINKING AMERICA'S RELATIONS WITH THE OTHER NATIONS - FRIEND
AND FOE ALIKE-Ernest Duquet, founder of Cape Cod Sustainability Center

Participants will indicate how they prioritize these concerns at the end of the program.

The public will be invited to a follow-up event to be held soon.
In the follow-up, participants will join one of six groups (their choice) to
a) Develop a careful statement of objectives in their subject area and...
b) Develop strategies on how to frame their goals to best convince other voters of their merit.

CONTACT: WAKEUP chairman Ernest Duquet 508-394-2863 or Lawrence Brown 508-771-5096