Dear Comrades,
FYI, CDV is a DSA sponsored "think-tank" (broadly defined) dedicated to
promoting explicitly left (broadly democratic socialist - not exclusively
DSA) ideology.
Ron Baiman
"P R E S S R E L E A S E . . . .
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Does the American Economy Serve Democratic Values?
A "Left versus Right" Debate at Capital University
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Thursday, November 6, 1997 at 8:00 pm . . .
Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, is sponsoring a public Left-Right
debate, featuring Cornel West (Harvard University) and Barbara Ehrenreich
(Blood Rites) versus David Frum (Dead Right) and Stuart Butler (Heritage
Foundation). In conjunction with the debate, the Center for Democratic
Values, the think-tank project of Democratic Socialists of America, is
holding its first national conference, "Arguing with the Right," November
6-7 at the Clarion Hotel (Worthington). The conference will include
historical and analytical sessions, plus skills workshops for contesting
the Right's current dominance of American political discussion.
Contact Ronald Aronson, Wayne State University
5700 Cass Avenue, Room 2426, Detroit, MI 48202
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; phone (313) 577-0828; fax (313) 577-8585
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"Arguing with the Right" Tentative Program
Thursday, Nov. 6
8:45 Registration, Coffee, and Welcome
9:15 Panel on the Right's Success: Chip Berlet ("Eyes Right"); Eric
Vega (anti-proposition 209 and 187 activist and DSA National Political
Committee); Holly Sklar ("Chaos or Community")
10:45 The Right's Key Ideas: Jim Aune ("The Rhetoric of the Market");
Harvey Kaye ("Why do Ruling Classes Fear History?"); Jessica Jerome
(University of Chicago), Paul Kockelman
(University of Michigan)
12:15 Lunch - Keynote address: "Arguing with the Right about Public
Schools," C. J. Prentis (Ohio State Representative)
1:45 What is the Left's Core Identity?: Allen Hunter (Haven Center
for the Study of Social Change); Herb Boyd (The Black World Today); Barbara
Ehrenreich (DSA National Co-chair)
3:45-5:00 A: Reclaiming Religion, Values, and Morality from the Right:
Duane Oldfield ("The Right and the Righteous"); Eugene TeSelle (Vanderbilt
University Divinity School); Rabbi Melody Johnston
B: Is the Right Attacking Women?: Barbara Bergmann ("In
Defense of Affirmative Action"); Chris Riddiough (DSA Political Director);
Russ Bellant ("The Coors Connection")
C: How Contemporary Debate Gets Framed and How to Open it to
the Left: Ellen Ratner ("101 Ways to Get Your Progressive Issues on Talk
Radio"); Rich Schrader (former NYC Commissioner of Consumer Affairs); Mary
Jean Collins (People For the American Way)
8:00 Does the American Economy Serve Democratic Values? - Cornel
West and Barbara Ehrenreich for the Left, and David Frum and Stuart Butler
for the Right
Friday, Nov. 7
8:30 Evaluation of Debate by Capital University Students, led by Guy
Molyneux (Peter Hart Research)
9:30 Skills Training
(Each workshop will be presented at 10:00 and again at 11:15)
A. Talk Radio: Ellen Ratner
B. Using TV and Video: Bob Fitrakis and Suzanne Patzer (Host and Producer
of "From the Democratic Left"
C. How to do Op-Eds: Holly Sklar and Allen Hunter
D. Arguing: Devon Burghart (Center for a New Community) and Deborah Halbert
(Otterbein College)
12:00 - 1:00 Lunch - Keynote address: "Saving Our Children from
Poverty," Barbara Bergmann (American University)
1:30 Issue Workshops: The Right's Key Ideas and the Left's Responses
(These are round-robin workshops, lasting 25 minutes and presented 3 times)
A. Affirmative Action: Barbara Bergmann and James Upton (Ohio State
University)
B. Arguing for Public Schools: Mary Jean Collins and Mary Jo Kilroy
(Columbus Board of
Education)
C. Living Wage: Dave Reynolds ("Democracy Unbound")
D. Arguing for Health Care: David Green (UHCAN!) and Cathy Levine (UHCAN! Ohio
Issues Coordinator)
E Arguing for Unions: Milt Tambor (Michigan AFSCME)
F. Arguing about Racism: Herb Boyd and Ernest Green (Otterbein College)
G. Arguing over the Environment: Harvey Wasserman (Greenpeace)
H. Arguing about Crime: Kevin Pranis (DSA Youth Section Field Coordinator)
and Lynn Chancer
Center for Democratic Values
National Conference November 6-7 Columbus, Ohio
Registration fees: $75 per person; $50 for participants; $15 for
students. If you are attending the DSA National Convention, the $110
registration fee includes free admission to "Arguing with the Right," which
immediately precedes the DSA convention. Checks can be sent to the address
below and can be made payable to: Center for Democratic Values.
Location: Clarion Hotel, 7007 North High Street, Columbus, OH Phone
(614) 436-0700
Accommodations: $79 per room per night. A room sleeps up to four people.
Reservations must be made by October 10, 1997 to get the lower convention
rate. Call (614) 436-0700 to make your room reservations. Don't forget to
mention that you will be attending the CDV conference.
Transportation: CDV has made special arrangement with Continental and
America West Airlines. To get the discounted airfare, call VTS travel at
1-800-669-9875 to book your flight, and be sure to mention that you are
attending the CDVconference/DSA convention. To guarantee the reduced fare,
make your reservations by October 10, 1997. Contact the Clarion in advance
to arrange for their courtesy van to pick you up at the airport.
Name
Address State Zip
City Phone
Credit Card No. Exp. Date Signature
Complete and mail to Center for Democratic Values, 180 Varick St., NY, NY
10014"
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Center for Democratic Values
5700 Cass Avenue Room 2426
Detroit, MI 48202
(313)577-0828 Fax (313)577-8585
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.igc.apc.org/CDV
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