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Open for discussion
Multiple VieUUs ('views') series at Olympia Brown opens Sunday with topic of affirmative action
By LEE B. ROBERTS
Journal Times
WHAT: Multiple VieUUs: Affirmative Action Panel Discussion
WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Sunday
WHERE: Olympia Brown Unitarian Universalist Church, 625 College Ave.
COST: Free
Agreeable disagreement and honorable argument. That’s what the organizers of a new series of panel discussions hope to inspire — not only among those attending the events, but throughout our community.
Called Multiple VieUUs (pronounced “views”), the series is being sponsored by the Olympia Brown Unitarian Universalist Church, 625 College Ave. It will kick off Sunday evening with a free public discussion of affirmative action policies in education and employment, featuring a wide range of viewpoints on the subject.
Such diversity of speakers and viewpoints is something Multiple VieUUs organizers say is essential to the mission of this series, which is to encourage thoughtful, nuanced dialog about controversial issues, in place of simplistic arguments. So often in today’s society, only the extreme opposite sides of an issue are presented, says David Beach, series coordinator. Yet, in order to make decisions that affect the functioning of society, people should be informed about a variety of viewpoints, said Beach, an associate professor emeritus of psychology at UW-Parkside.
“Like Thomas Jefferson, I believe that the success of a democracy depends on an informed and involved electorate,” he said.
Further discussion
Sunday’s topic of affirmative action is one that Rome says still needs informed discussion today, despite the fact that it has been a subject of debate since the term was first introduced by President Kennedy in 1961.
“The affirmative action debate is still relevant today because the fight for equality is not yet won,” Rome said. “Our society needs to move toward more constructive, progressive forms of political intervention and resistance to make certain that we continue our quest for the larger ideal: The ultimate elimination of race and gender inequality, the uprooting of prejudice and discrimination, and the realization of a truly democratic nation.”
Rome, who has done extensive research and writing on a variety of racial and human rights issues, said that having such a forum to discuss affirmative action is important for our community, as well as others, because to ignore race and gender is to perpetuate a distorted representation of American society.
“Our communities have created a society whose foundations draw from the contributions of a wide range of ethnic and racial groups of people, but seldom allowed many of those people access to major institutions of power and opportunity,” he said. “The major contributors to this society have never been communities comprised of all whites, or communities of all males, so why should those groups be perceived as being the standard for determining merit and worthiness?”
Searching for truth
While they will take place in a church, the Multiple VieUUs presentations are secular events — not religious services — and are open to all. The Olympia Brown Church is an appropriate place for such discussions because the concept of the series fits well with the principles of Unitarian Universalism, said the Rev. Tony Larsen, minister at Olympia Brown.
“One of our seven principles is ‘A free and responsible search for truth and meaning,’ ” Larsen said. “If we are really going to be free and responsible, we have to be able to hear other views, even those we might not want to hear, or those that might challenge our preconceptions.”
The idea of Multiple VieUUs also relates to the church’s principle of affirming and promoting the inherent worth and dignity of every person, Beach said.
“Not just persons who agree with us, or those who think the same way we do, but every person,” he said.
In addition to hearing the views of the various panel members, those attending Sunday’s discussion will have a chance to voice their own thoughts and questions. Following the initial 45-minute panel presentation, questions submitted by audience members on index cards will be addressed. There will also be an open mic session at the very end of the evening, during which members of the audience will have a chance to speak, Beach said.
The idea is not to get into one-on-one debates, he said, but to raise questions, hear answers and, hopefully, to hear new information and new slants on the issue.
“If we’ve done our job well, every single person attending will be somewhat unsettled by at least two of the presentations,” he said.
Got an idea?
The entire evening is scheduled to last about two hours, and refreshments will be served. An offering will be taken, and any money collected will be used to fund further Multiple VieUUs programming. Organizers are hoping to offer several panel discussions each year, and already have a long list of possible topics ranging from genetic engineering to reinstatement of the draft.
They are also open to suggestions from those in attendance for topics of discussion and presenters, Beach said. Topics should be timely and contentious, as well as being subjects that qualified speakers can be found to address. Anyone interested in getting involved in the planning of future Multiple VieUUs forums should contact the Olympia Brown Church office.
“If you are passionate about having multiple views presented in a respectful manner, let us know,” Beach said.
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