[Peace-discuss] Letters to Gollin & Callis

[David Green]

The following letters have been mailed to my opponents in the Democratic Party primary for U.S. Congress, IL-13:

January 27, 2014
George Gollin
813 W. University Ave.
Champaign, IL 61820

Dear Professor Gollin:

I agree with your call for “a series of town-hall forums around the district over the next eight weeks before the election.” 
As you may know, I recently (12/06/13) published a letter in the News-Gazettewhich stated:
As a candidate for Congress in the March elections, I welcome the News-Gazette editors' call for public debates in each major party in Illinois’ 13th District.
Debates will highlight the real differences between me and my opponents in the Democratic primary. Voters want to know how their representatives in Congress will vote - not just that they're nice people. It's necessary to move beyond talking points and appeals to sentimentality. 
Debates—especially if televised, recorded, fairly reported upon, and widely distributed—will allow all candidates to operate on a level media playing field with candidates who are, for whatever reason, more generously funded by themselves, other individuals, and corporate supporters.
Open, frequent, and lengthy political debates are admired in our political tradition of a century and a half ago - the era of the Lincoln-Douglas debates - but largely abandoned since.
Citizens have a right to be informed on candidates’ perspectives - and indeed an obligation to inform themselves before entering the polling booth. Similarly, media have an obligation to report on candidates’ substantive views, rather than focusing on polling and campaign contributions - which some candidates hope will dissuade voters from opposing them.
I look forward to respectful debates with my opponents. In this enormous district, I call for such debates to be sponsored, scheduled, coordinated, and publicized well in advance by media outlets and citizens’ organizations, for the benefit of both citizens and the candidates themselves.
I would only ask that in your future calls for debate, you make it clear that there are three candidates for U.S. Congress in the Democratic Party primary in IL-13, and that only one of them has so far not committed to proposed debates.
 
Best regards,
 
David Green
 
January 27, 2014
 
Ann Callis 
517 Chapman Street 
Edwardsville, IL 62025
 
Dear Judge Callis:
 
In a letter to the editor published on December 6, 2013, I called for “open, frequent, and lengthy debates” in the Democratic Party primary for U.S. Congress in IL-13.
 
George Gollin has reiterated that call in a recent open letter to you. Unfortunately, he was remiss in not referring to my previously and publicly stated support for such debates.
 
I look forward to your participation in such informative occasions.
 
Best regards,
 
David Green
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