We are excited to welcome Harvard Law Professor and one of Scientific American's Top 50 Visionaries, Lawrence Lessig, as he deconstructs one of the primary concerns of voters across the political spectrum: the corporate corruption of Congress. Lessig details in his latest book, USA is Lesterland, the large majority of campaign donations to political candidates come from a very tiny percentage of citizens -- a percentage approximately equal to the number of people named "Lester" in the United States. He persuasively illustrates how a small number of people actually decide what happens in this country-and what doesn't.  His two most recent TED talks focused on this subject and have been collectively downloaded over 1.2 million times.

Professor Lessig's presentation has been described as "blistering...with rapid-fire visuals" in showing "how the funding process weakens the Republic in the most fundamental way, and issues a rallying bipartisan cry that will resonate with many...." We hope you will be able to join us for this very special evening with one of the greatest minds of our time. Professor Lessig will follow his talk with a book signing. Toadstool Books will have copies of USA is Lesterland and Republic, Lost for sale on site.

PLEASE NOTE: this event will be held at the Amato Center for the Performing Arts, 56 Mont Vernon Road in Milford and is FREE and open to all. There will be no tickets or RSVPs.  The theatre seats approximately 400 people; seating will be first come, first serve.

Lawrence Lessig is the Roy L. Furman Professor of Law and Leadership at Harvard Law School, director of the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University, and founder of Rootstrikers and NH Rebellion, both networks of activists leading the fight against government corruption.  In addition to USA is Lesterland, he has authored numerous books including Republic, Lost: How Money Corrupts Our Congress-and a Plan to Stop It, Code and other Laws of Cyberspace, Free Culture, and Remix.

Lessig serves on the Boards of Creative Commons, AXA Research Fund and iCommons.org, and on the Advisory Boards of the Sunlight Foundation, the Better Future Project, and Democracy Caf�. He is a Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Association, and has received numerous awards, including the Free Software Foundation's Freedom Award, Fastcase 50 Award and being named one of Scientific American's Top 50 Visionaries.

Lessig holds a BA in economics and a BS in management from the University of Pennsylvania, an MA in philosophy from Cambridge, and a JD from Yale. As Professor at Stanford Law School, Lessig founded the school's Center for Internet and Society. He clerked for Judge Richard Posner on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals and Justice Antonin Scalia on the United States Supreme Court.

Not in our town?  Think again.

We've all heard about it on the national news and read it in the papers: people of all ages and across all income levels are succumbing to the lure of a cheap high known as heroin. Its use has skyrocketed in recent years and communities across the country are struggling to stem the tide.  But Milford?  Nothing like that ever happens here, right?  
 

Since December 2013, Milford has had 4 deaths and several near fatal overdoses due to heroin alone.  Please join us in welcoming back Sgt. Matthew Fiffield from the Milford Police Department as he presents a reprise of the program he led in July on the status of heroin and similar drugs (collectively known as opiates) in our community.  He'll also be taking your questions.  
 

This program is free and open to all, but space is limited. Parents, please use discretion if bringing a minor as some content may be graphic in nature.