Tuned Out

By Shawn Healy

You've listened to my lamentations about the lack of youth awareness of, and passion for the First Amendment, and our constitutional rights more broadly. This was in evidence once more on Monday in a Constitution Day panel I moderated. Although generally well-attended, the goal of the program was a attract a younger audience by addressing issues of direct relevance to them. We succeeded with the latter, even including a student on the panel, but failed miserably with the latter. Unfortunately, Monday Night Football, and all of the other entertainment options we compete with for the public's attention, kept local students in the dorms.

Our charge lives on nonetheless. My congratulations to Marcia McConnell and Syvia Tillman of the Homewood-Flossmoor branch of the Illinois League of Women Voters for assembling a wonderful tribute to the most important of days.