Great Questions Raised at CT Forum on Civility

From left to right, The End of Civility? panelists David Gergen, Gina Barreca,
Connie Schultz (screen), Stephen Carter, & Christopher Buckley

Now that our first Forum of the Season, The End of Civility? is over, it's truly "the end of civility" - in one sense, at least.

However, there's no end to the questions we all have about civility. We were inundated with audience questions for the panelists during Intermission - many more questions than we could possibly address in the Q&A during the Forum's second half. For now, we can only imagine Stephen Carter's response to the question, Who are we to judge what is civil behavior? or Christopher Buckley's facial expression when asked, In 20 years, will there be anyone left who knows what civility is?

Here are just a few of the thoughtful and provocative questions that we're continuing to think about and discuss. We hope you do the same!

• Is incivility a leading or trailing social indicator?
• How is the loss of civility linked to a sense of hopelessness, a sense of loss of the "civil contract"?
• How can we be a moral leader around the world when we exhibit such vitriol and lack of civility in our public discourse?
• Is an attitude of "we're all in this together" a central element of a civil society? Have we lost that?
• How do we break the cycle of ever-increasing incivility, disrespect, and intolerance?
• Don't you think there's a huge correlation between the lack of religion and the lack of civility?

Connie Schultz to Moderate CT Forum on Civility

We are thrilled to once again welcome Connie Schultz to The Connecticut Forum as moderator for our first Forum this Season, "The End of Civility?" on Saturday, October 2, 2010.  Panelists for this Forum include David Gergen, Christopher Buckley, Stephen Carter, and Gina Barreca.

A nationally syndicated columnist for The Cleveland Plain Dealer and PARADE magazine's column "Back Page,"  Schultz won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary for columns that judges praised for providing “a voice for the underdog and the underprivileged."

During the 2008 presidential race, she was a frequent guest on The Charlie Rose Show and also offered her Midwesterner's perspective on MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show, HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher and C-SPAN’s Washington Journal.  

Schultz is the author of two books published by Random House: …And His Lovely Wife, a memoir about her husband Sherrod Brown’s successful 2006 race for the U.S. Senate, and Life Happens – And Other Unavoidable Truths, a collection of essays.

In 2005, Schultz won a Scripps Howard National Journalism Award and a National Headliner Award, both for commentary.  She was a 2003 Pulitzer Prize finalist in feature writing for her series, The Burden of Innocence, which chronicled the ordeal of Michael Green, who was imprisoned for 13 years for a rape he did not commit.  The week after Schultz’s series ran, the real rapist turned himself in after reading her stories.  The series won the Robert F. Kennedy Award for Social Justice Reporting, the National Headliner Award's Best of Show and journalism awards from Harvard and Columbia universities.

In 2004, Schultz won the Batten Medal, which honors "a body of journalistic work that reflects compassion, courage, humanity and a deep concern for the underdog."  Recently, the Urban League of Greater Cleveland awarded Schultz the Whitney M. Young Humanitarian Award.

She has moderated two previous CT Forums: God in 2009 with Rabbi Harold Kushner, Christopher Hitchens, and Reverend Peter Gomes; and A World of Change in 2010 with Bob Woodward and Tina Brown. 

Here's a clip of Connie in action last Season at A World of Change.

Ever Wonder What's in Bob Woodward's Refrigerator?

Bob Woodward & Tina Brown at The Connecticut Forum. Photo by Nick Caito.

Each Forum, we ask our panelists to fill out a fun questionnaire to help us get to know them a little better. Check out what Bob Woodward, Tina Brown and Connie Schultz had to say!


What is your favorite place in the world? Why?

Bob: Venice, Italy. It reminds a visitor that time is very old.
Tina: The sofa in our house on Long Island.
Connie: Home-my favorite people tend to be there.


What is something you can't live without?

Bob: My wife, Elsa.
Tina: My Blackberry.
Connie: Optimism.


What book are you currently reading?

Bob: Wolf Hall
Tina: The Blue Sweater
Connie: Willie Mays: The Life, The Legend


What is always in your fridge?

Bob: Water.
Tina: How about ON my fridge? That would be a photo of myself 10 pounds overweight...in a bikini.
Connie: Skim milk from Ohio farmers.


What surprises people about you?

Bob: I don't know.
Tina: I am a secret introvert.
Connie: They never say.

Want more?
Clips from A World of Change
are now available on TheForumChannel!

A World of Change with Bob Woodward and Tina Brown at The CT Forum

Wow, what an evening!

Our Forum last night entitled "A World of Change" featured a conversation between legendary journalist Bob Woodward and renowned author and editor Tina Brown, moderated by Connie Schultz.







Check out these behind the scenes photos!

All photos by Nick Caito, Nick Caito Photo

The evening began with the panelist meeting. Here, our panelists meet for the first time, sign autographs, and gear up for the evening ahead. (Please note the Ohio State hat strategically placed by our Founding President, Richard Sugarman)

Then it's off to the YOUTH Forum Press Conference, where high school students from all over Greater Hartford (and beyond!) have the opportunity to ask our panelists anything that is on their minds in an intimate setting. This is often my favorite portion of the evening, and I can truly say that this may be the best press conference to date. Topics ranged from religion to human rights in foreign nations, and so much more. Bob shared insider information on the new book he is writing about the Obama Administration, and Connie shared touching, heartfelt memories of her childhood.

Bob Woodward sharing a story at the YOUTH Forum press conference.



The theater was buzzing with anticipation and excitement for the Forum to begin, and many audience members took the opportunity to vote on the topics for our next season of Forums!



The full panel onstage.




During intermission, Founding President Richard Sugarman carefully looks over the many great questions from our audience in preparation for the second half...



...and there were many to look over!

This was one of the Forums that truly speaks to our mission: to encourage the free and active exchange of ideas in Forums that inform, challenge, entertain, inspire and build bridges among all people and organizations in our community.

It was a night full of answers, insights and inspiration-something I think that everyone is looking for in these ever changing times. Meeting Bob Woodward, someone that has been a hero of mine for so long, is something that I will cherish forever. Listening to Tina Brown, I felt empowered, and for the first time in a while, optimistic about what the future holds for me, and the world. "Trying times often provide the opportunity for great ideas to flourish" she said at one point in the evening. Working with Connie Schultz again was like seeing an old friend. I truly admire the voice she has given to "the underdog," and her ability to tackle tough subjects with compassion, balance, and just the right amount of humor and levity.

I hope this Forum provided some of the answers you were looking for. I hope it got you thinking, wondering, questioning, and looking at the changing world around you in a different way.

Behind the Scenes: GOD

Why God?

Last night our diverse panel of experts lead us on a provocative and enlightening journey exploring the role of God in people’s lives and the common language we have used across all cultures and time to make sense of the mysteries of life.

Let's take a look behind the scenes!

The evening began with the panelist meeting. Here, Rabbi Harold Kushner, Rev. Peter Gomes, and Christopher Hitchens along with Moderator Connie Schultz had the opportunity to meet and greet each other before the Forum got underway.

Next it's off to the YOUTH Forum press conference. Here, YOUTH Forum Members, who are high school students from around the state, have an intimate opportunity to ask the panel anything that is on their minds.

Once the Forum was underway, the stage was electrified with a spirited, enlightening, and eye-opening conversation about God and religion. Stay tuned to our YouTube Page for clips of the Forum!

Ever wonder what's happening back stage at intermission?

A group of Forum Subscribers, Friends of the Forum, and Sponsors gather backstage to sort through your great questions, in preparation for the second half.

The panelists grab a quick snack in the green room.

After the program ended, we had the opportunity to ask Christopher Hitchens just one more question backstage...

(Click Here to see a video of Christopher's water board experience)

Want more insight on what happened back stage? Check out Forum Valet Peterson Toscano's Blog!

It's your turn! Share your reactions to God, leave us a comment!

Get to Know the God Panleists!

The God Forum is less than a week away, which means it's time to do your homework and get to know the panelists!


Rabbi Harold Kushner is a spiritual leader and the best-selling author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People. Check out beliefnet.com for a great archive of Kushner videos and resources.









Christopher Hitchens is a journalist and the best-selling author of God Is Not Great. Click here to listen to his interview on WNPR this morning!












Rev. Peter Gomes is a distinguished Baptist Preacher and Harvard Chaplain. You can listen to his archived sermons here.









The program will be moderated by award winning journalist and author Connie Schultz. Check out Connie's blog!

For more information on our panelists, visit our resource page