david cole's talk

monday night i sat in the audience at the seattle central public library to hear david cole, georgetown university professor, speak about constitutional law. admittedly, i don't know a lot about the constitution, so i learned quite a bit. of particular note was his discussion of laws that have tightened civil liberties the past century, and how major events, like wars, have largely impacted the reason for such legislation. cole's discussion was smart, compelling, and his usage of real examples of how laws have affected real people made his points even more clear and relevant.

after his talk, there was a short question and answer period, in which a person asked a common yet important question, "what can we do?" cole answered that we should exercise our rights. he believed that "speaking up with other citizens through organizations" is an important way everyone can make an impact. he continued, by admitting that this type of public gathering happening across the country (and beyond!) is a reason to be encouraged.

so for all of the people engaging at libraries across the world, david cole salutes you!