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Wednesday, August 31st at 7pm–Debating Our Rights, Part 3: The Pressures on Citizenship in a Constitutional Democracy with Meg Mott at Putney Library

The third installment of Debating Our Rights will take place at the Putney Public Library on Wednesday August 30th at 7 PM, with the focus on the right to privacy. Although privacy does not appear in the Constitution, this right finds it footholds in the Third and Fourth Amendments, with some purchase gained from the First and Ninth.
While the Supreme Court expanded the right to be left alone through its decisions on birth control, abortion, and sodomy, it has also greatly limited privacy in the workplace with its rulings on sexual harassment. We will deliberate whether it is worth losing privacy to prevent hostile environments. We will also consider the effects of social media on our expectations of privacy.
Meg Mott, Putney Town Moderator and Professor of Politics, will be facilitating the discussion, using the basic principles of deliberation: providing accessible information; encouraging various perspectives; pushing for the reasons behind a point of view; and maintaining respectful discourse.
“Americans are having a hard time talking across the political divide,” explained Mott. “We’re great at thrusting signs in each other’s faces, but not so good at weighing and considering the options. These discussions are an effort to practice the fundamentals of democracy.”
The Fifth Amendment will be debated on September 27th at 7PM at the Putney Public Library. Subsequent rights will be discussed on following Last Wednesdays.
Putney Public Library is located at 55 Main St in Putney, VT. This event is free and open to the public.