The You Defend It Debate Series is dedicated exclusively to the following two principles:
Americans deserve to have direct answers to simple questions.
Americans deserve solutions, not talking points. Participants in a You Defend It Debate are not allowed to even reference an opponent’s argument, party or perceived political philosophy. Participants have to show up with a solution – and defend it.
On July 12, 2009, six lawyers and one New York State Supreme Court Trial Justice (ret.) – all committed to elevating the debate in America beyond the blame-and-fear culture of cable and talk radio – filmed an installment of “The You Defend It Debate Series”. The topic was “The Proper Role of a Supreme Court Justice”.
The debaters were:
Curt A. Levey – Executive Director of the Committee For Justice (CFJ), the premier organization devoted to putting constitutionalist judges on the Supreme Court and the lower federal courts; and
Kermit “Kim” Roosevelt, III. – former Law Clerk for United States Supreme Court Justice David Souter, current Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and author of The Myth of Judicial Activism (Yale University Press, 2006).
The You Defend It Debate Series has two rules: 1) each participant must directly answer the question that is asked; and 2) each must do so without reference to his or her opponent’s argument, party or perceived political philosophy. In other words, each debater must show up with a solution, and defend it.
The July 12, 2009 You Defend It Debate addressed gay marriage, affirmative action, the exclusionary rule, eminent domain and the death penalty. The debate was worthy of the issues being addressed – and worthy of the Americans whose lives are affected by them.