Gregg defends US constitution at UC-Boulder debate

(Sept. 17, 2009) BOULDER, Co. - Gary Gregg, director of the McConnell Center, defended the Constitution at a Constitution Day debate at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Gregg debated author Bill Kauffman, who took the Anti-Federalist position in the debate entitled, "Resolved: The Anti-Federalists were Right–We should have Rejected the Constitution."

"I am always glad to help defend our 200 years of political prosperity under our Constitution," Gregg said. "Kauffman is one of the wittiest and fiercest debaters I have ever seen, so it was a tough, but friendly, battle for nearly two hours. After we shook hands, we spent another hour talking with audience members and each other about the big issues raised about the nature of our constitutional order and its evolution into the system of government we see today," he added.

Gregg stated that much of the work by the framers of the Constitution has been derailed over time. Kauffman, on the other hand, argued that the seeds of problems in America were sowed in the Constitution itself.

"This debate was a tremendous example of the civil discourse that occurred at the Founding, but too seldom happens on today's college campuses," said E. Christian Kopff, director of the University of Colorado's Honors Program.