Dear

Spectator

Editorial Board,

Following up on Professor Westmaas’ terrific letter last week, I would like to add my own disappointment with the Common Ground series so far. Three of the four scheduled events so far feature two white male professional political operatives. As evidenced by the 2018 election, our nation’s political conversation is increasingly including a variety of voices — women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ communities, Muslims, immigrants — who up to now have been underrepresented or outright excluded. Moreover, most of the important political actors tackling important issues of the day, such as racism, sexual harassment and gender discrimination, climate change, LGBTQ+ rights, income inequality, criminal justice, urban redevelopment, rural poverty, health care, and voting rights, are not professional political operatives. Rather, they are grassroots activists, insurgent politicians, nonprofit leaders, faith leaders, entrepreneurs, and journalists. Given these developments, the exclusivity and lack of imagination displayed by the Common Ground series is utterly dumbfounding.

Sincerely,

Peter F. Cannavò

Professor of Government