Public Square: Healthy Talk

The Times-Dispatch will hold a Public Square on health care reform tomorrow at 10 a.m. in our downtown office at 300 East Franklin St. Two of the Richmond area's congressmen -- Republican Eric Cantor and Democrat Bobby Scott -- will discuss their views and take questions from the audience. It is an opportunity to gain deeper knowledge about one of the most complicated issues facing the country.

We expect and welcome a large turnout. Anyone who has attended one of our 25 previous Public Squares knows that they are all about civil community discussions -- learning from and listening to neighbors and experts. The Public Square is not a town hall, where elected officials communicate with their constituents. We respect and defend Americans' right to protest. But the Public Square is about conversation. The sessions stress information. They thrive because of their reliance on facts and informed opinion. So please leave your signs at home. Please bring your penetrating questions and cogent comments. Time is limited and we want to give as many people as possible a chance to speak. Brevity will be appreciated -- and gently enforced.

Moderator Tom Silvestri, the newspaper's publisher, will make sure the conversation remains tightly focused on health care -- an issue that touches everyone's life and wallet, and one that stirs deep passions. Doors open and sign-in begins at 9 a.m. We will be able to seat 180 people in our main auditorium and another 45 in an adjoining room with a large video screen. If you're not able to make it downtown tomorrow morning, you can watch the Public Square live at TimesDispatch.com. And, of course, there will be extensive news coverage on our Web site and in Tuesday's newspaper. Much of next Sunday's Commentary section will be devoted to an edited transcript of the discussion.

The Times-Dispatch is proud to be able to sponsor one of the most important bipartisan forums in the nation so far about an issue that has spawned much partisan fervor. We look forward to helping our readers become better informed about a topic that affects us all.