• OPEN DISCUSSION - For the first 30 minutes of the Thursday night forums we will have informal open discussion. This will allow for late arrivals, food & drink ordering, and new attendees to become acclimated.
• ANNOUNCEMENTS - Any events, news, or other items that you feel are of interest to the group can be announced at the start of Free Inquiry Forum.

TOPICS for Thursday (2/3/05) & Monday (2/7/05):

1. The president of Harvard, Lawrence Summers, recently came under intense fire for his comments regarding possible "innate differences" between men and women that could account for their different aptitudes, abilities, and enrollments in engineering and the physical sciences.  Some people were horrified that Summers suggested such biological differences exist, while others are aware of scientific studies confirming measurable differences between men and women in cognitive abilities, aptitudes, and strengths.  Was Summers wrong to raise this topic, or should innate gender differences be regarded as either nonexistent, unimportant, too damaging, or too offensive to discuss? (Submitted by Jack)
2. The city of Sarasota wants to raise the property tax rate again, on top of getting more and more tax revenue every year from the burgeoning real estate sales at ever higher prices. Is this justified? Are they spending the money well? To what extent is the City Commission merely the tool of developers? Are we, the citizens, exercising our right to know and question? (Submitted by Axel)
3. Evaluate President Bush's State of the Union Address and comment on its ideas and impact.  Does it clarify his vision for reforming Social Security? Did it indicate the administration's plans and policies for the Mideast? Did it lay out a domestic agenda covering national security, education, health care, environmental policies, economic growth, and employment? Did it suggest a return to international cooperation, diplomacy, and improved relations in order to strengthen our war against terrorism? What were your impressions? (Submitted by Jack)
4. OPEN DISCUSSION.

Quote of the week: "Sensible and responsible women do not want to vote. The relative positions to be assumed by man and woman in the working out of our civilization were assigned long ago by a higher intelligence than ours." [Grover Cleveland, 1905]

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