American Evolution Forum on the Future of Representative Democracy William & Mary July 30 – August 1, 2019 Welcome and Introductions by Commemoration Co-Chairs The Honorable M. Kirkland Cox, Speaker of the House of Delegates of Virginia The Honorable Thomas K. Norment, Jr., Majority Leader of the Senate of Virginia The Honorable M. Kirkland Cox: So let me welcome you once again. Good evening and welcome to the opening reception of the American Evolution Forum on the Future of Representative Democracy. Some of you were on hand for the joint commemorative session earlier today at Jamestown, and we're glad to have you back for this evening's program. For those of you who were not at Jamestown, let me say a few brief words about this important anniversary that we commemorate today. 400 years ago, less than two dozen burgesses selected from the major settlements or boroughs of the colony gathered at the church in the fort at Jamestown. They were joined by Governor Yeardley. And the colony’s leaders, they held the first representative legislative assembly in America. It was not an especially grand affair like this. In fact, as much could be said about what that assembly lacked is what it included. By all standards, it was very rudimentary and selective. It lasted just a few days. It took up just a few items. And it was so hot, one of the burgesses passed away. I've heard like five speeches, this poor guy, he passed away and so he was very, he made history by passing away. That's not a good thing. But from heatstroke. We have avoided it in today's session, thanks to the American Evolution of air conditioning-- You're supposed to laugh on that one. American Evolution. It wasn't very good. And yet for all the differences from the modern and inclusive legislative assemblies we know today, that gathering had one attribute none other can claim. It was the beginning. Freedom in the form of representative democracy began here in Virginia. On this date four centuries ago, what happened here, what began here, has changed not only Virginia and not only America, but the world. th Today of course marks the 400 ​ anniversary of our Virginia General Assembly, the oldest ​ continuous legislative body in the Western Hemisphere. But like so much of our past, Virginia's history is also America's history. All of our democratic institutions in America, the Congress, the other 49 state legislatures, all the local and municipal representative bodies across our country, trace their roots to what happened just a few miles from here 400 years ago. Indeed, all over the world, there are new democracies and new representative assemblies based on the American model that likewise trace their lineage and the crucial beginning to Jamestown. So this is an important milestone, a momentous occasion, and we are thankful you are here to be part of it with us. With the start of the American Evolution Forum this evening, we pivot from remembrance of the past to focus on the future. And that is fitting. Because the future of this precious 400-year old gift we call representative democracy now rests in our hands. To paraphrase one of my favorite historical figures Winston Churchill, a democratic form of government is not perfect. It just happens to be better than every alternative. And it is our job to be its faithful stewards and leave the institutions of our representative democracy better, stronger, and more inclusive and more responsive than we found them. To consider how we can accomplish that noble goal is the purpose and mission of the forum that we kick off this evening. Joining me is co-chair of this year's American Evolution, the commemoration, is my friend, the state senator who hails from the hallow ground, Senator Tommy Norment. And it's my pleasure to call on him now, for some comments, acknowledgments, and introductions. Senator Norment, welcome. The Honorable Thomas K. Norment, Jr.: Kirk, thank you very much for your eloquence. As you were speaking, I was looking around the room. Gosh, what an absolutely fantastic gathering and cross section of not just our communities but America that we have here tonight, and it is indeed my pleasure to have the privilege of participating in this commemoration. There are some in this room that think actually I was there on July the 30th in 1619, but that was not true. I was not elected until 1699, when we moved the capital to Williamsburg, so on that… but what a wonderful group. And thank you very much. It has really been a privilege for me to serve with Speaker Cox as the co-chair of this commemoration. And he deserves an incredible amount of appreciation, because he in fact really has carried the burden of the responsibility. I know it's shocking, Kirk, but I have been a pretty face. But thank you for what you have done. As I reflect on this anniversary and the profound words that we heard today, it really does take me back about 12 years ago. And for those of you that were not at Jamestown today, what an extraordinary group of speakers we had. We started off with the Clerk of the House of Commons, Sir David L. Natzler. He spoke at the reconstructed church on Jamestown Island and was, I think, very fair in his historical comments. From then, we also heard from the well-known historian Jon Meacham, and he was also very pointed in some of his comments as he was reflecting on some of the historical aspects of Jamestown. Finally, as you are well aware, we heard from the President of the United States of America. And for those of you that were not there, I really wanted to give him a thunderous applause, because he did stay on script with the teleprompter the entire way. And I will say that he was given an opportunity to deviate from the script, and Speaker Cox and I were behind him and could see the teleprompter, and he stayed right on it word for word. So I was very, very proud of him. But the reason I say I reflect back to 12 years ago, in 2007, I was much more active in that commemoration. And on that commemoration, while it had a different focus on the founding of America as opposed to the evolving of the legislative assembly and representative democracy. We had two visits from the President of the United States, one on May the 13th of 2007, down in Jamestown and the other on Thanksgiving up at Berkeley Plantation. Also many of you who witnessed that wonderful event recall the presence of her majesty. Queen Elizabeth was here which attracted an enormous amount of attention, and she had some pithy comments that she rendered both in the capital and also down at Jamestown. One of the reflections that I've had is, and I asked this rhetorically, where else in America can events like what have taken place in 2007 and then 2019 take place? If you think about the Historic Triangle, I consider it some of the most sacred historical land in America. On 1607 on May the 13th, when 104 intrepid young men and boys landed, can you imagine the uncertainties that they felt and were faced as they stepped to shore, especially after the less than hospitable greeting they had at Virginia Beach? But think of what they've done. And then up to 1699 when the capital moved to Williamsburg, which was then known as Middle Plantation. It was there where the thoughts of freedom and independence fermented along the streets of the Duke of Gloucester St, or in Bruton Parish Church, and ultimately where the world was turned upside down, when Cornwallis ultimately capitulated down to the Battle of Yorktown where independence was one. I ask you where else in America can make a claim to those historical episodes that really have laid the foundation for what we know today? It is here in the Historic Triangle that individuals have suffered, they have persevered, they have built and created, and over 400 years they have continued to market bold ideas and advanced bold forms of government. They picked up a form of government that had been developed over hundreds of years in the mother country and planted it in the Virginia soil and continued to nurture it until what we have today. And it's no coincidence that this commemoration has been characterized as American Evolution. For those of you that were down at Jamestown today, you heard a number of speakers talk about the good, the bad and the ugly in American history. But if you use 1619 or even 1607 as the historical benchmark of some of the history events that we've been through, it is remarkable how much we have evolved over 400 years. And that is not to say that we should stop evolving. One of the nice things about the definition of evolving is that it has no termination date. So we continue to evolve on our representative form of government. We continue to evolve on the equality of rights regardless of race or gender. And while there may be spirited debates about it, we continue to evolve about it, and I think that is incredibly special. To make these events seem seamless, there is an incredible group of professionals and volunteers that have been working, not just for the last week, but some of them for five years, and trying to plan every aspect of this commemoration.