Lecture from Dr. Catherine Pakaluk

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, Vice Chair of the National Governor’s Association, emphasized the importance of civil discourse in political discussion in his remarks at the Disagree Better Summit. This summit, born from Oklahoma’s Better Conversations initiative and Utah Governor Spencer Cox’s Disagree Better initiative, gathered leaders from across the nation to discuss avoiding hateful rhetoric when it comes to hot-button issues. At the summit, Wheatley Institute non-resident fellow Thomas Griffith moderated the event and applied the Will Rogers quote– “never miss a chance to shut up”– to modern political conversations. Watch Governor Stitt discuss the art of respectful disagreement with Tim Shriver, Chairman of the Special Olympics:

Wheatley Institute Fellow Judge Thomas B. Griffith has taken on a major role in the American Bar Association’s Task Force for American Democracy, a project created last year to strengthen the commitment of lawyers to the Constitution and the democratic republic it creates. Judge Griffith was appointed to the Task Force at its creation, and his emphasis since has been on the need for lawyers to protect and defend the Constitution by pushing back against the contempt that too often characterizes current American political disagreement. He is working with the deans of law schools to strengthen their commitment to teaching future lawyers that the most important way for them to carry out their primary duty to support and defend the Constitution is by modeling reasoned and respectful disagreement.

The "Inside Sources" podcast had three guest speakers: Jonathan Rauch, Anne Snyder, and Russell Moore; that discussed various topics regarding religion, politics, and society. Each person's commentary helped set the stage for their participation in the June 15, 2023 Religious Freedom Annual Review, hosted by Wheatley Institute and the International Center for Law and Religion Studies.

Wheatley Director Paul Edwards Writes Tribute to Pastor in Deseret News

An article in the Deseret News uses Wheatley's research on the correlation between family structure and teens' digital media habits. The authors, Alyssa ElHage and Brad Wilcox, discuss the debate of a teen's place in the big tech world and how the government is addressing the concerns. They go on to give tips to parents on how to limit their children's screen time. The article concludes with a call to action for parents to take charge in their teens' digital habits until more can be done on Capital Hill.