Why the Hudson Valley needs a Debate Union
By PATRICK McGRATH,
Founder of the Hudson Valley Debate Union
In Peter Stone and Sherman Edwards's musical 1776, the Second Continental Congress has reached an impasse. Massachusetts, led by John Adams, has made a motion that the Congress debate the question of Independence. But the delegations are split down the middle -- "five for debate, five for postponement, one abstention, and one absence." The decision rests with the sole delegate from the thirteenth colony, Rhode Island, the curmudgeonly Quaker Stephen Hopkins. He has been imbibing too much of the rum stores. When he is reminded of the motion at hand, and its importance, he growls, "So it's up to me, is it? Well, I'll tell y' -- in all my years I never heard, seen, nor smelled an issue that was so dangerous it couldn't be TALKED about! Hell yes, I'm for debatin' anything -- Rhode Island says Yea!" The delegates cheer -- and John Hancock tells the custodian McNair, "Get Mr. Hopkins a rum! Get him the whole damn barrel if he wants!"
From Independence Hall in 1776, to the conventions in the new states arguing over the new Constitution in 1788, to the Federalist Papers, to the demand by the states for a Bill of Rights, to the discussions in the new Senate and House of Representatives, American political history has been centered around hard, vigorous, impassioned, no-holds-barred debate. Our country seen great debaters -- Daniel Webster, John C. Calhoun, Henry Clay, William Jennings Bryan -- and great debates: Missouri Compromise -- Fugitive Slave Bill -- Lincoln-Douglas, and many others.
Today, the politics of personality, the shrinking sound bite, and "political correctness" have created a glaring and growing void in political discussion. This void has created an attitude of confusion, contempt, and choler in the American people towards their democracy.
Is there a way past this blockage? I believe there is. Let me tell you how I came to this conclusion.
A shout in Dublin
In the year 2000, I was working at a small non-profit advocacy organization, when we were approached by the Literary and Historical Society of University College Dublin. The "L&H" was started in 1854 by Father John Henry Newman, later Cardinal Newman, as the debating society of the University he had just founded.
The Auditor (student president) of the Society had found out about our organization, and thought our organization should be represented as a principal speaker at the opening debate of its season. We accepted. One of our principals was the speaker, and I attended to cover the debate for our in-house publications. So, on a Friday night in Dublin, more than four hundred UCD students passed up an evening at one of the Fair City's many pubs to listen to, and participate in, the debate at the "L and Haitch."
"Participate" is the correct verb. Many of the students took advantage of the rules to make "Points of Information." A student would stand up and shout out, "Point of Information!" The speaker on the floor would either refuse -- "No thank you, sir!" or accept -- "I'll take your point." The speaker on the floor had the right to refuse any and all Points, but were encouraged to take at least one or two.
When the going got heavy, shouts of "Point of Information!" were raining down like mortar shells.
Needless to say, I was impressed.
One month later, in the middle of the Presidential election campaign of that year, I decided to listen to one of the nationally broadcast debates by the two principals. I had a work assignment to complete, so I couldn't watch it on television, so I listened to it on radio. After about twenty minutes, I switched off the radio. This was not debate, as far as I was concerned. My evening at the L&H had, for me, pushed the bar much higher. The "parallel press conference" I had just heard just did not meet the standard for debate that the kids at the L&H had taught me.
Thereupon followed the election events of 2000. While reflecting on those momentous events, and my visit to the "L and Haitch," a thought occurred to me: Wouldn't it be great to have something like the Literary & Historical Society on this side of the ocean?
At first, my plan was to bring this idea down to Washington. My story about our visit to Dublin made its way to contact in a D.C. think tank who was also a UCD graduate and an L&H alum. I broached my idea to him, and he encouraged me to write out a plan. I showed this plan to a few contacts -- all persons of long Washington experience -- and they all told me (in so many words): This is doable.
Well, after some years and a lot of setbacks, my plans for a Washington did not pan out -- at least, not yet. Then I said, "If I'm going to start this, I might as well start this at home. So at home I have started.
The Charters lead to the treasure
We in the United States are governed by the Charters of Freedom. You know them: the Declaration of Independence,the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and if you've ever been to Washington, you should have visited the main building of the National Archives on Constitution Avenue in Washington, the permanent home of the Charters of Freedom. (And the next time you go to Washington, go there -- or go there again) When Americans come to Washington, from all over the fifty states, the Charters draw them there.
Nevertheless, the Charters rule everywhere the Stars and Stripes fly -- and that includes the Hudson Valley. The Constitution and the Declaration and the Bill of Rights are the heritage of everyone in the Union -- the Union of the fifty States, that is -- and everyone needs to get in on the debate. Until now, "moderators" interposed themselves between the people and ideas. At the Hudson Valley Debate Union, the ideas are in your face, and you can come up and grab them.
That, ladies and gentlemen, is the reason that we need the Hudson Valley Debate Union.
Many people visited the National Archives headquarters because Nicholas Cage made it cool during the movie National Treasure. And that's ok, for 131 minutes of entertainment. I say: the real National Treasure are those documents and the ideals they inspired, and when you debate at the Hudson Valley Debate Union, you become part of those ideals.