By Marshall Allen, Staff Writer, Pasadena Star News

PASADENA -- Television's talking heads yammering, radio talk-show hosts blowing hot
air, politicians ranting live or on TV these are commonplace aspects of our media culture.
Since the petty pontificating comes at a time when Americans must decipher momentous
issues from the war in Iraq to Social Security reform to a Congress in unprecedented
division, a local professor says it's time to get serious.

She is leading a series of philosophy salons at Pasadena City College that aim to help
residents move beyond debate into mutual understanding. The Philosopher-Citizen Salons,
an extension of a PCC seminar, strive to improve critical thinking skills through dialogue
about hot-button issues.

Linda Handelman , assistant professor of philosophy at PCC and leader of the Philosopher
-Citizen Project program, says American culture is characterized by adversarial
communication. The combative style is learned in schools, forms the basis of our legal
system and plays a prominent role in the media, she said. "It is emotionally charged
communication, not communication that's going to help us think very well,' she said. The
salons are hosted by Handelman and her students, and are open to the entire community.
They feature non-partisan presentations about relevant issues, followed by frank and open
dialogue among the participants. "Our fundamental, underlying purpose is the improvement
of the quality of citizen decision- making in America,' Handelman said.

The third in a series of four salons is scheduled for 7 p.m. tonight in the PCC Campus Center
Building. The subject of discussion will be America's position in international affairs. The
final salon is at 10 a.m. Saturday and will address topics related to the role of government
and the citizen.

On May 16, about 60 people attended the first in the series of salons. The subject was Crime,
Justice and the Citizen. Outside the meeting room, brown grocery sacks were hung, each
labeled "Politics.'"Leave your politics at the door,' a sign by the sacks implored.

The crowd was ethnically diverse, and mostly made up of college students and older residents.
Handelman said people in their 30s and 40s are often missing from the salons, perhaps
because they're too busy.
Handelman laid the ground rules for the event. The discussion would be guided by rules, including " Don't put others on the defensive,' "Go slower' and "Become comfortable with frustration.'

A sign at the front of the room showed a yin and yang symbol that served as the backdrop for
the saying: " Each side is right about something.' It's essential to establish rules at the
salons so people are free to express their true feelings in an atmosphere of respect,
Handelman said.

Najeeba Syeed-Miller, executive director of Pasadena's Western Justice Center Foundation,
an organization that specializes in conflict resolution, started the meeting with a speech
that highlighted the differences between dialogue and debate. The goal of dialogue is to
build mutual understanding, not win an argument, she said. It involves humanizing the other
side, not demonizing it, she said.

The first question discussed by the group was " Should hard drugs be legalized?' Christopher
Bobek , 39, of South Pasadena, presented arguments for and against legalizing drugs, then
the issue was open for discussion in the room.

Participants suggested that it's hypocritical to ban drugs when alcohol also a potentially
destructive substance is legal. Others said if hard drugs were legalized they could be taxed,
and the money used for prevention and rehabilitation programs. Arguments against
legalizing drugs included one by a man who said he's smoked opium, and he liked it. If
opium was legal, he would certainly smoke it more often, he said.

Other questions explored during the three-hour salon involved the pros and cons of the
insanity defense, racial profiling and the three-strikes law. The audience was engaged
throughout the meeting and many people contributed ideas to the discussion.

Absent from the meeting were any conclusions. This is by design, according to Handelman ,
who said that it's important the salons not appear partisan . Also, the event "opens up a can
of worms' and people need time to process the issues before drawing conclusions,
she said.

Cecelia Rudar , 60, a real-estate agent from Temple City, said she loved the questions
presented at the salon. Rudar , who described herself as "very conservative,' said the
conversation about legalizing drugs took her out of her comfort zone. She did not change
her opinions, but did recognize the validity of the argument for taxing hard drugs, she said.
The salon is important because it "opens up your mind' to see the other side of an issue,
Rudar said.

After the salon, Syeed-Miller of the Western Justice Center Foundation said that across the
country there is an increasing amount of effort being put toward dialogues.

Debate is still an important part of the decision-making process, Syeed-Miller said. But
dialogue can focus on the common ground, which subverts the paralysis caused by
polarization, she said.

"The decisions that come out of dialogue are durable decisions because people feel they've participated in them,' Syeed-Miller said . " People feel they've had a meeting of the minds,
they've exchanged their viewpoints.'

Marshall Allen can be reached at (626) 578-6300, Ext. 4461, or by e-mail at
marshall.allen@sgvn.com