Center for Democratic Values
Center for Democratic Values was a think tank project of Democratic Socialists of America.
Founding conference
The Center for Democratic Values, the think-tank project of Democratic Socialists of America, held its first national conference, "Arguing with the Right," November 6-7 at the Clarion Hotel Columbus ohio-In conjunction with the DSA National Convention[1].
- The conference will include historical and analytical sessions, plus skills workshops for contesting the Right's current dominance of American political discussion.
Contact Ron Aronson, Wayne State University
Program
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
A. Talk Radio: Ellen Ratner
B. Using TV and Video: Robert 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
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