Group Reflections

[Taylor Willingham <taylor@bwillingham.com>]

The most difficult challenge of any deliberative forum is moving away from discussing the choices into trying to come to closure. It is always so interesting to learn from each other and so intellectually stimulating to discuss complex issues. With so little opportunity to do so, is it any wonder that we crave this kind of conversation?

We probably knew going into this deliberation that we would not completely solve the issue of money and politics. But we have made progress and it will leave us feeling less that fulfilled if we do not capture the progress that we made. Knowing that there are aspects of this issue which we did not resolve and knowing that we have so little time together, let us focus our attention on what we did accomplish.

Would several of you accept the challenge to try to frame comments that capture what you have heard the GROUP saying? Patty has done a marvelous job of capturing the essence of each choice for us, but we've not made any progress unless we, the public, can begin to hear and articulate our own public voice. 

Imagine that you are the kind of media that many of you have asked for, or the kind of group that speaks out in the public interest. How would you report on this event in a way that honors all voices that you have heard? What guidance can we give to the Senate about OUR PUBLIC VOICE even as they debate this issue? 

We've complained about one voice being heard louder than others, what is the voice from this group that rings out as one? How do WE capture OUR public voice? Anyone game to try?

Taylor