A debate which has the entire country talking will be coming to the Deer Lake Athletic Club in Clarkston.
On May 1 Dr. Robert Sedler and Dr. Carl Cohen will debate Affirmative Action. The event is being put on by the North Oakland Republican Club.
“This is the public’s only opportunity to view and hear both sides of this truly historic debate from two of the country’s most eminent minds,” North Oakland Republican Club president Jim Runestad said. “We expect a spirited debate because they totally disagree. These individuals are among the few who possess the expertise to debate this critical issue. These opposing professors are acknowledged experts of state and national stature, who command overwhelming knowledge of the issue and comprehend the tremendous stakes, which weigh upon the outcome of this case.”
Dr. Robert Sedler, of Wayne State University, is an acknowledged expert on constitutional law and is an avid proponent of affirmative action. Dr. Sedler will argue on behalf of the University of Michigan’s position.
He is a Distinguished Professor of Law and Gibbs Chair in Civil Rights and Civil Liberties at Wayne State University where he teaches courses in Constitutional Law and Conflicts of Law. Sedler was named a Gershenson Distinguished Faculty Fellow at Wayne State University. He also received awards from the NAACP and ACLU. He was the past Chairperson of the Michigan State Bar Constitutional Law Committee.
Arguing the case against the University of Michigan is Dr. Carl Cohen. Dr. Cohen has been interviewed many times by national media regarding his position as the catalyst that began the Supreme Court case. He is a professor of philosophy at the University of Michigan and has been a member of the faculty since 1955.
Dr. Cohen has served on the executive committee and Admissions steering committee of the College of LS&A and as chairman of the U of M Academic Senate, and SACUA. He was the past chairman of the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan and served on the National Board of Directors of the ACLU. He has written extensively on moral and political philosophy.
“This is a confusing issue and the North Oakland Republican Club wanted to inform people about it,” Runestad said. “Also these are two liberals and we love to hear what they have to say.”
The debate is set for May 1 at 6:30 p.m. at the Deer Lake Athletic Club in Clarkston. Admission is $20 in advance and $30 at the door. There will be hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. For advanced tickets contact Jim Runestad at (248) 623-8522 or go online to www.norc-us.org.