The origins of the United States are grounded in the prodigy of political debate. It has been a core tenet of our country’s democratic principles since 1776. Both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, our country’s two founding documents, are the result of sophisticated debate that occurred in this very city. Yet, after his victory in the Democrat mayoral primary last Tuesday, Mayor Jim Kenney has stated he will likely forego this principle of our democracy and not debate his Republican challenger ahead of the November election. This would be a great disservice to the citizens of Philadelphia.