This ongoing series of timely, thought-provoking events addresses current social and political issues. Past programs have featured actress and activist Janeane Garofalo, radio host and author Laura Flanders, author Gore Vidal, former Ambassador to Iraq Joseph C. Wilson IV, hip hop artist Chuck D, comedian Margaret Cho, Bernadette Corporation, Mona Eltahawy, author Elizabeth Kolbert, environmental strategist Laurie David, and others.
Moderated by Ian Masters—journalist, commentator, author, screenwriter, documentary filmmaker, and the host of the radio program Background Briefing on KPFK 90.7FM.
All Hammer public programs are free. Tickets are required, and are available at the Billy Wilder Theater Box Office one hour prior to start time. Limit one ticket per person on a first come, first served basis. Members receive priority seating, subject to availability. Reservations not accepted, RSVP's not required.
Hammer Forum
The War on Terror: Seven Years After 9/11
Jonathan Turley
Are we retaliating against the 9/11 attacks by attacking our own freedom? Professor Jonathan Turley discusses the significance of 9/11 and the costs of its aftermath to the Constitution and our civil liberties. He pinpoints how America lost its identity in the War on Terror and how it can be regained. Turley is a nationally recognized legal scholar who has written extensively in areas including constitutional law and legal theory. He is also active in representing prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, and is a frequent witness before the House and Senate on constitutional issues.
Counting Votes and Making Votes Count
Debra Bowen & Richard Hasen
Since the 2000 election in Florida, we have grown increasingly insecure about the integrity of our voting systems. Electronic ballots have added to fears that election results can be manipulated. The latest information on the status of voter reform is discussed in advance of the November Presidential election by California Secretary of State Debra Bowen, a pioneer in open government reform and personal privacy rights, who is responsible for overseeing state and federal elections to ensure the integrity of voting machines. She is joined by Professor Richard Hasen, one of the leading experts on voting systems, election law, and campaign finance regulation, and co-editor of the Election Law Journal.
A Third War: The Threat of War with Iran
Robert Baer & Trita Parsi
Is a war with Iran a possibility before President Bush leaves office? Former CIA officer Robert Baer makes the case that the US has unwittingly made Iran an emerging superpower. Dr. Trita Parsi argues that allowing Iran to use enriched uranium for fuel under the strict guidelines of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty puts the US in a strong position against nuclear weaponization and avoids engaging in a third war in the Middle East. Baer’s writings have been used as the basis of the film Syriana. His latest book is The Devil We Know: Dealing with the New Iranian Superpower. Parsi is the author of Treacherous Alliance-The Secret Dealings of Iran, Israel and the United States. He is the president of the National Iranian American Council.
Healthcare: Is Universal Healthcare the Answer?
Steffie Woodhandler, M.D.
Over 45 million Americans are without health insurance, and an estimated 14 million of the uninsured suffer from chronic diseases. Many other developed nations have embraced the single-payer approach. Could this be the answer? On the eve of the presidential election, Dr. Steffie Woolhandler, M.D., M.P.H. discusses the future of healthcare in the US. She is the co-founder of Physicians for a National Health Program, which advocates a single-payer system. She practices primary care internal medicine at The Cambridge Hospital, teaches at Harvard as an Associate Professor of Medicine, and is co-Director of the General Internal Medicine Fellowship Program.
