ProCon.org and Santa Monica Pier Bring Civil Discourse Back with PRO/CON Debate Series

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Oct. 3, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- ProCon.org, America's leading source for pro and con research on controversial issues, and the historic Santa Monica Pier announce PRO/CON @ The Pier - The Return of Civil Discourse.

PRO/CON @ The Pier is a nonpartisan discussion series consisting of policy experts and independent moderators and designed to better inform public discourse on ballot measures and current issues before Election Day in November.

PRO/CON @ The Pier is not only about empowering an electorate on critical issues, but also showing it is still possible to discuss politics productively and to disagree without being disagreeable. PRO/CON @ The Pier is free, open to the public and takes place at the West End of the Pier on Tuesdays.

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GMOs - Should We Care?
Tuesday, October 11
6:00 - 7:00 pm

Moderator: Kamy Akhavan, President of ProCon.org, a nonpartisan research organization serving 25 million people.

• (PRO): Dave Murphy, Founder and Executive Director of Food Democracy Now, a grassroots movement of more than 650,000 Americans dedicated to reforming policies relating to food, agriculture, and the environment.
  
  
• (CON): Bob Goldberg, Distinguished Professor of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology at UCLA, a member of the National Academy of Sciences, and named one of the top 20 professors in UCLA history.

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Death Penalty - Time to Repeal? [Prop 62]
Tuesday, October 18
6:00 - 7:00 pm

Moderator: Ben Allen, California State Senator, whose 26^th Senate District stretches from Pacific Palisades to the Palos Verdes Peninsula and from Venice to Hollywood.

• (PRO): Gil Garcetti, former LA County District Attorney, and father of current LA Mayor Eric Garcetti and former LA Deputy District Attorney Dana Garcetti-Boldt.
  
  
• (CON): Michelle Hanisee, Deputy District Attorney for LA County and President of the Association of Deputy District Attorneys – Los Angeles.

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Cost of Education - Is College Worth It?
Tuesday, October 25
6:00 - 7:00 pm

Moderator: Maureen Langan, former PBS and Bloomberg TV journalist, and now host of a weekly radio show on KGO in San Francisco.

• (PRO): Michelle Herczog, immediate Past President of the National Council for the Social Studies and former Co-Chair of the California Coalition for the Partnership for 21st Century Skills.
  
  
• (CON): Dale Stephens, author of Hacking Your Education and Founder of Uncollege.com, and one of the first recipients of the $100K Thiel Fellowship, for high school grads who delay college to pursue their dreams.

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Marijuana - To Legalize or Not? [Prop. 64]
Tuesday, November 1
6:00 - 7:00 pm

Moderator: Alan Thicke, 7-time Emmy winning actor, star of Growing Pains and Unusually Thicke, and author of How to Raise Kids Who Won't Hate You.

• (PRO): Karen O'Keefe, Director of State Policies for the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP). Karen helped shape and pass medical marijuana legislation in many states.
  
  
• (CON): Californians Against Legalizing Marijuana. CALM is an all-volunteer political action committee dedicated to defeating any effort to legalize marijuana.

More info @ ProConAtThePier.com and SmartPeopleInChairs.com.

About the Santa Monica Pier Corporation
The Santa Monica Pier Corporation (SMPC) is a non-profit, public benefit corporation dedicated to preserving and enhancing the Santa Monica Pier experience for all visitors. http://www.santamonicapier.org

About ProCon.org
ProCon.org (www.procon.org) is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to encourage critical thinking, respectful debate, and informed citizenship. ProCon.org serves 25 million people annually with pro, con, and related research on topics ranging from gun control and medical marijuana to immigration and the 2016 presidential election.

For information about PRO/CON @ The Pier, contact:
Kamy Akhavan, President & Managing Editor
[email protected]
310-587-1407

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161003/414819LOGO

SOURCE ProCon.org

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