Escambia-Santa Rosa Bar Association Contact: Diana Foote Executive Director Escambia-Santa Rosa Bar 418 W. Garden St., Rm 210 Pensacola, FL 32501 "Democracy & Terrorism - A Town Hall Meeting" Activity Summary: The Escambia-Santa Rosa Bar Association and local ABC affiliate, WEAR-TV, Channel 3, co-sponsored a televised "Town Hall Meeting" during prime time on April 24, 2002. Some of the best and brightest students from the local high schools asked tough questions about democracy and terrorism in the post 9-11 era. The Bar, WEAR-TV and Escambia County School District brought together 20 high school students from Escambia County to pose questions on the future of America's democracy and law to area educators, lawyers, editorial writers and political and judicial leaders. Participating students and the tv audience were able to get a view from prominent people in their own community. Panelists gave their own views on methods to preserve security without forfeiting liberty, sometimes engaged in heated, but polite, disagreement. Students asked questions ranging from the efficiency and morality of racial profiling to possible justifications of media censorship for protecting national security to opinions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The students said they were honored to have their questions answered and their voices heard. The Town Hall Meeting provided a forum for local students to interact with prominent leaders in our community. Our Law Week Chairperson, Francisco Negron, spearheaded the event. He contacted Sue Straughn of WEAR-TV and suggested the program. Ms. Straughn worked with the TV station to set up production. A grant was received from the Florida Bar for $1550, and the TV station absorbed the remaining cost. Mr. Negron is the general counsel for the Escambia County School District and was able to draw in the social studies teachers to choose the students to participate. The program was aired on during prime time and drew a community wide audience. The Bar Association received emails from parents who said they watched the program with their own teens. The expert panelists who answered the students' questions and gave their opinions were of varied backgrounds: Lawyers Bob Kerrigan and former U.S. Congressman, Joe Scarborough; Rabbi David Ostrich; Islamic leader Mamun Rashied; Circuit Court Judge Kenneth Williams; author and former university professor Alfred Duzan; Escambia School Board member Linda Finkelstein; and Reginald Dogan, assistant opinion editor for the Pensacola News Journal. Sample Programs Home | By Audience | By Location | By Sponsoring Organization