LWV Promotes Community Involvement

For many residents and voters, and most candidates and office holders, the Acton Area League of Women Voters (LWV) candidates’ nights and other public forums are not to be missed.  These events help people gain a better understanding of candidates’ positions and skills they bring to the office they seek, or inform and educate on a variety of topics including Massachusetts Open Meeting Law, how to run for office, environmental policy, the role of the media, and others.  The LWV takes seriously its mission to educate the public and audience members always walk away with food for thought. 

In this election year, there has been and likely will continue to be a lot of discussion about what is or is not “Constitutional,” and what the framers thought about different things.  The more you know about the Constitution and our history, the more you’ll be able to filter through the fact and fiction you hear.  The answers to the two questions in the intro are in the Constitution*, and yes, it does matter that people know those answers and more – as John Adams said “"Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people . . . “

Coming on Sunday, March 11, the LWV is hosting a fun way to brush up on your US Constitution and Acton government and history so that you can keep up with the discussion this election year and be better informed all around.  Teams of three people are invited to demonstrate their knowledge on these topics and everyone is invited to follow along and cheer on your fellow Actonians and Boxborians.  With members of our stellar social studies faculty at Acton-Boxborough Regional High School writing questions and a committee organizing a trivia contest format, the afternoon event promises to be fun and challenging for all.

It’s not too late to sign up.  Go to www.lwv-aa.org  for more information, an entry form and resources  http://www.lwv-aa.org/pdf/Civics-Bee_Resources.pdf.

The League of Women Voters Civics Bee will be held at Acton Town Hall on Sunday, March 11 from 2-4 PM.   LWV members are hoping to show that knowing your government can be fun and interesting.

* The term of office for United States Senators is 6 years as spelled out in Article I, Section 3.  When someone “pleads the fifth” they are using a right included in the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution that “no person . . . shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself . . . “