Threats to Democracy: Should You Be Concerned? (9.6 Program at the WOW Hall)
Time: Noon to 1:15 pm
Venue: WOW Hall
291 W 8th
Eugene, Oregon
97401
We will meet at the WOW Hall, 291 E 8th. Learn more: https://wowhall.org/about-us/. Walk, ride a bike or take the bus. You may park on the street or in the parking lot of FOOD for Lane County's Dining Room, across 8th from the WOW Hall. A freewill donation acknowledging the Dining Room's generosity may be made at the meeting.
Lunch will be available for $15.
Ask a question of the speakers! cityclubofeugene@gmail.com
Topic:
There are anti-democratic trends around the world, and the United States is not exempt. Recent waves of voter suppression laws across the country put minorities and other vulnerable populations at particular risk. In addition, the online ecosystem, rife with misinformation and disinformation, continues to sow distrust among our citizenry and threaten many of our democratic institutions.
In 1835, Alexis de Tocqueville, in his work Democracy in America, warned about the tyranny of the majority. Should we now be more concerned about the tyranny of the minority? In this program, former US Representative Peter DeFazio will describe the nature and extent of threats to democracy and some of the institutions that make it harder for the will of the majority to prevail.
Please note that our new location is the WOW Hall, 291 W 8th, Eugene.
Speakers
Title: Representative, retired
Organization: US House of Representatives
Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_DeFazio
Biography:
Biographies are provided by the panelists and edited for length/proofreading
Peter DeFazio was a member of the US House of Representatives, representing Oregon’s 4th Congressional District from 1987 to 2023.
At the start of the 116th Congress, DeFazio was appointed Chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The Oregonian called DeFazio “a powerful voice in transportation and infrastructure issues,” and at that time indicated he intended to pursue a $500 billion transportation plan as chair of the committee.
DeFazio was born in Needham, Massachusetts. He earned a BA from Tufts University and an MA in gerontology from the University of Oregon. He was a member of the United States Air Force Reserve from 1967 to 1971. He worked as an aide to U.S. Representative Jim Weaver before being elected to the Lane County Board of Commissioners, where he served until being elected to the US Congress.
