Washington Metro Objectivism Discussion (WMOD)

                   June 23, 1999   

                    WHY BOTHER?

                  by  Sam Smith 

             Editor of "The Progressive Review"

    At the Wednesday June 23 WMOD meeting, Sam Smith will
speak on reasons for doing and being - about life beyond the
bottom line. Why do people pursue difficult moral and 
political goals despite the odds being against them?  This
is the subject of his latest book in progress.

   Sam is a writer, activist, and social critic. 
He is the author of  three books, the latest of which
is "Sam Smith's Great American Political Repair Manual"
published by WW Norton. Smith is editor of "The
Progressive Review" and has helped to start 5 publications
and 6 organizations, including the DC Communities
Humanities Council, the Association of State Green
Parties and the DC Statehood Party. He has also been an
elected neighborhood commissioner, PTA president, Coast
Guard navigator, and semi-professional musician.  

   He is the author of "Shadows of Hope: A Freethinker's
Guide to Politics in the Time of Clinton" (1994) which won
cross-ideological praise. The book was the first to challenge
the Clinton myth and raise serious questions about Clinton's
character and political intentions. Sam wrote "Captive Capital:
Colonial Life in Modern Washington", published in 1974, which
is still cited as an authority on the local city. 

   Sam is a native Washingtonian who covered his first
Washington story in 1957 as a 19-year-old radio news reporter. 
Has been a radio newsman and a guest commentator on radio and
television.  He has been co-plaintiff in six public interest
law suits, three of them successful. Currently he is a plaintiff
in a suit before a special three-judge panel against the
president and Congress for denying democracy to the District
of Columbia.

  Sam Smith graduated from Harvard in 1959 with a major in
anthropology. He is a semi-professional musician who has been a
band leader and co-composer of a musical revue.  You can read
more about Sam's ideas at http://prorev.com or contact him by
email at SSmith@igc.org.
                  

                When and Where is the WMOD Meeting?

     Please join WMOD on Wednesday, June 23.  Anyone who is
interested in rational discussion of Ayn Rand's ideas is welcome.
Note that our meeting location is Metro accessible.  You can
either join us for drinks at 6:30 with dinner at 7 PM and/or for
the talk (free) at 8:15 PM at the Hunan Palace in Rosslyn, VA
just across the Key Bridge from Georgetown.  The street address is
1812 North Moore Street.  If you come by Metro, get off at the
Rosslyn Metro Exit and the Hunan Palace is only a few feet away.
Take the street exit on N. Moore Street (across street from Roy
Rogers/Burger King), go out of Metro and take a left, and the
Palace is a few feet down N. Moore Street.  If you drive, there is
a parking garage (Allstate) next door to the Palace that is free after
6:00 PM.  Due to construction you must go down the ramp to the
underground level.  There will be a $15 fixed price dinner (including
tax and tip), or you can order from the menu.  
Please RSVP to WMOD at (703) 820-7696 before
noon on Wednesday 6/23 so that we can tell the restaurant how
many tables to set up and how many to expect for dinner.  For more
information, call the Hunan Palace at (703) 528-8188, or call 
David Saum at (703) 820-7696 (W) or (703) 671-5119 (H).  

               Future Meetings

     WMOD meetings are generally held on the third Wednesday of each
month.  We are always looking for new stimulating meeting topics
related to Objectivism.  Please contact WMOD if you have suggestions
for meeting topics and locations, or if you can volunteer some time to
arrange meetings.

                   Calendar

        July 3-10 IOS Summer Seminar In Vermont
http://ios.org 

        Cato Institute Events
http://www.cato.org/events/calendar.html

        Free-Market.Net Calendar
http://www.free-market.org/directory/events/

       Future of Freedom Foundation Events
http://www.fff.org/events/events.htm
         
       Institute for Humane Studies
http://www.theIHS.org/
   
(please let WMOD know about other events that we should list) 
                
               WMOD Contact Information

The WMOD newsletter is $10/yr, this email newsletter is free.

Contact:
  Dave Saum
  WMOD
  PO Box 8007
  Falls Church, VA 22041
    Email: DSaum at infiltec.com
    Phone: (703) 820-7696
    Fax: (703) 671-9350
    Web: http://www.infiltec.com/wmod.htm