Public Access of Indianapolis was proud to be a partner organization in My Daily Constitution: Indianapolis, a week long series of participatory events exploring the meaning of the U.S. Constitution in the Indianapolis community. Artist Linda Pollack provided the vision for the project, which is “dedicated to the collective exploration and interpretation of the U.S. Constitution.” Pollack orchestrated My Daily Constitution projects in Cincinnati, Los Angeles, New York, and Seattle as well.

Events kicked off on Constitution Day, Sunday, September 17, with a reading of the Constitution in the Indiana Statehouse by citizens, judges, and elected officials.

Constitution Cafés were held at various venues throughout the city where attendees and featured speakers debated and discussed specific clauses of and amendments to the Constitution and their relevance in daily life. PAI President Andrea Price and IUPUI Professor and attorney Sheila Kennedy were the discussion leaders of a café entitled “Whose First Amendment? Reclaiming the Public Interest in Our Media,” which tackled the purpose of the First Amendment, protecting the free flow of information and exchange of ideas in a democracy, and the difficulties of getting locally meaningful news coverage and citizen involvement in a media landscape in which just five corporations control nearly 90% of media outlets.

Discussion at the Tuesday evening café that asked “Can we have national security without sacrificing our core American values?” addressed how traditional rights to privacy and the Constitutional right of free speech have been infringed upon by laws passed by the USA Patriot Act and eavesdropping undertaken by the Bush Administration in the wake of the events on September 11, 2001.

Though former congressional Representative Andy Jacobs, Jr. had some trouble staying within the confines of the topic he and John Clark of the Sagamore Institute spoke to—The War Powers Clause of the Constitution—their panel discussion was well attended and very well received.

Probably the highlight of the exhibitions was Theater of Inclusion’s ever-growing “Flag Recording,” a flag assembled from the thoughts, responses, art work, and questions jotted on red, white (well, cream), and blue folders provided to participants at the various events. The IMA and the Herron School of Art and Design also sponsored exhibits.

Some of the activities throughout the week featured the award-winning Arsenal Tech High School Constitution Team debating the merits of a constitutional government versus an autocratic or dictatorial government, a bus tour of the neighborhood surrounding the Citizens Gas & Coke manufacturing plant, which is the subject of a recent air quality report issued by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management as well as a current radon study, followed by a discussion of the rights of citizens and municipal services. The week ended with the Hip Hop Poetry Slam and Open Mic Featuring DJ Dicky Fox (Mike Graves) on Saturday, and a film series at the IMA on Sunday included Control Room, reviewed on page 7 (pdf) .

Kathleen Dobie, a freelance writer and editor, is paying attention and is outraged.