News Release
January 10, 2006
"How Would Ben Franklin Vote?" - Debate Will Help Celebrate Ben Franklin's 300th Birthday; Event Is Tuesday, Jan. 17 At Thomas Jefferson High School
Colorado Optimists and Thomas Jefferson High School are sponsoring a free debate to celebrate Ben Franklin's 300th birthday at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17 at Thomas Jefferson High School, 3950 South Holly St. Top political leaders have been invited to address the topic, "What would Ben Franklin do? How would he register to vote today?"
Announcing the debate, David Fogel, immediate past president of South Denver Optimist Club and past chairman of the Denver Democratic Party said, "This will be a fun way to celebrate Ben Franklin's 300th birthday, and we hope that media coverage of the event will help remind people to register to vote and to affiliate with a party by the deadline of January 23, 2006, to be able to vote in their neighborhood caucus in March."
Debators will be: Democrats Dennis Gallagher, Denver City Auditor and Sen. Ken Gordon, Senate Majority Leader; Republicans Ryan Call, Denver County Vice-Chair and Jessica Peck Corry, a GOP activist; and Mark Skousen PhD and author of the new The Completed Autobiography by Ben Franklin. (Skousen will speak earlier in the day at the Post-News Job Fair, see www.postnewsjobfairs.com.)
When he accepted his invitation to participate, City Auditor Dennis Gallagher gave a preview of what he will be saying: "I will be happy to try to speculate what Franklin would do if he were alive today on political and public sphere involvement. He would want uplifted discussion, vigorous debate, and yet civility through it all. Remember when he was asked at the end of the constitutional convention, 'what hath we wrought?' In modern English, 'what kind of government have we come up with?' His answer: 'a republic, if you can keep it.' He would want us to fight to keep the republic, as Cicero fought for the Roman Republic. I look forward to quoting the Latin orations against Cataline and his conspirators. I will enjoy sibilating the sibilants in those memorable lines. It is the keeping of our republic, as Franklin said, that is the tough part. My comments will encourage civil involvement, not partisan bickering which Franklin would have not liked."
Optimist International's mission is to foster an optimistic way of life, through a network of optimists, dedicated to the full development of their potential in order to provide ever-expanding service to youth, the community and the world: www.optimistcowy.org.
The mission of Thomas Jefferson High School is to guarantee that youth have the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to become responsible citizens and continual learners in a diverse society: tjhs.dpsk12.org.
Thanks to the Burnsley Hotel www.burnsley.com for accommodations. The debate was organized by CoCaCoP (Colorado Caucus Community of Practice) an informal group that helps people learn about the Colorado neighborhood caucus-assembly system: http://cocacop.meetup.com
For more information, contact John Wren at 720-495-4949 or JohnSWren@aol.com.