Vineyard residents have a unique op portunity next Thursday, July 28, to assess the state of civil liberties and justice in America as we approach the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

Two remarkable speakers — retiring federal judge Nancy Gertner, and national ACLU legal director Steve Shapiro — will discuss The Pursuit of Justice: Perspectives on Major Civil Liberties Issues from Two Sides of the Bench, as part of the ACLU of Massachusetts Roger Baldwin Summer Series at the Chilmark Community Center at 7 p.m.

Residents of the Vineyard have a well-timed opportunity to defend dissent next Thursday (July 29) when notable residents will gather at the Chilmark Community Center at 7 p.m. to read the works of famous authors, poets, scholars and journalists who have been excluded from the United States because of their political views.