Citizens Dissent: A Discussion Series

The United States was founded in resistance and revolution against tyranny and the corrupt relationship between corporate interests (most notably the East India Company) and government. In framing the colonies' Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States, the Founders took great care to include iron-clad rights of the people to dissent.

Since 2001, however, the current administration has embarked on an aggressive campaign to strip away Constitutional rights including freedoms of speech, association, religion, and expression, justifying these attacks in the name of national security and defending freedom.

Fiery rhetoric and virulent propaganda across the political spectrum demonstrate the deep divisions being provoked in the American psyche. In this political climate, clear analysis, critical thinking, and constructive discussion are hard to come by, yet essential if we are to accurately assess our rights and our obligations as citizens in the American democracy.

This short discussion series will focus on the brilliant essays in the booklet, Citizens Dissent. The essays are A Citizen's Response to the National Security Strategy of the United States of America, by author, poet, and farmer Wendell Berry, and When Compassion Becomes Dissent, by David James Duncan.

These essays are powerful meditations on the meaning of democracy and the moral obligations of citizens in the face of abuse by political and economic entities.

Please join us for this discussion. We encourage participants to commit to attending the two-week series. The booklet is available for $8 from Living Earth, from Orion Online, or from local bookstores.

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