Five speakers of various political persuasions agreed in a debate at the University of Denver that the United States needs to show the world that it will follow through and live by its values.

“This is the greatest nation in the world,” former U.S. Secretary of Education William Bennett told the audience at Magness Arena.

He was one of five speakers, representing Republican, Democratic, conservative and liberal viewpoints, who were invited to address the issue of personal and civic values for the 21st century in a debate that continued the “Bridges to the Future” program begun last month.

Karen Hughes, former assistant to President Bush; said, “The world looks at America and it sees money and it sees sex. That is not the America we know. We need to show them our true values.”

Tom Farer, dean of the DU School of International Studies, said that “only in unflinchingly discussing our past can we build better bridges to the future.”

He argued that America’s greatness can be retained only by admitting past mistakes and learning from them.

Former Colorado first lady Dottie Lamm, who was the Leo Block Professor 1999-2000 at DU, spoke about openness and honesty as values that need to be stressed in the 21st century.

Lamm said that the United States “only works with other nations when it’s on our own terms.” Americans need to encourage their leaders to become more flexible and open when dealing with other nations, she said.

Terrie Robinson, a visiting professor at the DU College of Law, said she believes there is some confusion as to what it means to be truly patriotic, and that “questioning our government and our history is our birthright.” She said that Americans have to love their country in the same way they love their children.

“Has your perception of justice changed?” a student in the audience asked Robinson and the other panelists about their views since the tragedies of Sept. 11.

Robinson said that people stick to the idea of justice when they are most challenged because that is when people are most determined to make sure justice is carried out. Other panelists also said that their ideas of justice have not necessarily changed since the terrorist attacks.

However, Hughes said that the country seems slightly more conservative now.

Another audience member asked the panelists to comment on the high dropout rates in the Denver Public Schools. This led to a spirited discussion on American public education.

The education debate shifted to multiculturalism as the panelists discussed how they felt about the impact of immigration on education. Hughes was worried about reading levels dropping because of the number of children of immigrants in public schools.

Peter Boyles, KHOW-AM radio host, moderated the debate.