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.

Jenet Jacob Erickson, an Associate Professor of Religious Education at Brigham Young University and Wheatley Institute Fellow, shared her thoughts on Supreme Court draft leak regarding Roe v. Wade. The draft penned by Justice Samuel Alito seeks to overturn the Roe v. Wade case of 1973 that granted the right to receive an abortion.

Hal Boyd voices his perspective on being a christian in modern times. Boyd’s post comes in response to a talk given to Ensign College by President Dallin H. Oaks of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Oak’s addressed students of Ensign College along with Elder Clark G. Gilbert, the church comissioner of education, on May 17th of 2022 in Salt Lake City.

Former Federal Judge, and Wheatley Fellow, Thomas Griffith shares his thoughts on the critique that follow choices made by the Supreme Court. He argues for the justices are able to seperate the decision making with the way to which they entered the Supreme Court.