At the time of the American Revolution, an elm tree, dubbed the “Liberty Tree,” stood near Boston Common and became a gathering place for people to voice their resistance to British rule.
Soon, nearly every town in the Union had their own version of the“liberty tree."
Linn-Benton Community College’s Democracy Club will honor their version of the tree Wednesday, May 6, by sponsoring a “liberty tree” fair in the courtyard from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The fair will consist of different political parties, community groups, and campus organizations – some of the groups attending will be the Republican and Democratic Parties, Veterans for Peace, Habitat for Humanity, and LBCC Peace Studies. The groups will set up tables around the courtyard and offer literature, sign up sheets, and other information to students and members of the community.
According to Robert Harrison, faculty advisor to the Democracy Club, the festival is important to students here at LBCC, because it gives them a way to get involved.
“It offers students a chance to see democracy at the local level, Harrison said. “There are just tons of groups out there that are doing excellent work in their communities…we want to expand people's horizons,” Harrison said.
One of the ways some students in Harrison’s politics class can get involved is an open mic that will take place from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. The students will speak for five minutes each about any relevant political topic that is connected to a policy.
“It can be local, state, or federal, and I wouldn’t be surprised if someone takes on an emotional issue,” Harrison said.
Leah Bolger, national vice president of Veterans for Peace, feels that the open mic at the “Liberty tree” festival is a good learning opportunity for student who may be thinking of becoming activists.
“As an activist, it is important to be able to articulate your ideas in a persuasive way,” Bolger typed in an Instant message.
In addition to the open mic and group tables, the club will serve a taco lunch, including chicken and vegetarian options, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Directly after the fair, in F-113, the Democracy Club will sponsor a speech by Jim Doherty of Law Enforcement against Prohibition (LEAP).
According to LEAP’s Web site, their mission is “to reduce the multitude of unintended harmful consequences resulting from fighting the war on drugs and to lessen the incidence of death, disease, crime, and addiction by ultimately ending drug prohibition.”
For more information about the “liberty tree” festival, contact Robert Harrison at 541-917-4571.
(Photo Credit: Boston Public Library @ Flickr)
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