Communication Experts Available to Discuss Implications of Supreme Court Case on Prayer in Government Meetings
Free Speech Week is October 21-27, 2013
Washington, DC - Later this month, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case that questions the constitutionality of offering prayer at the beginning of government meetings. Town ofGreece, N.Y. v. Susan Galloway et al challenges this common practice that has taken place in Congress and throughout the U.S. for more than two centuries.
According to a 2007 survey conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, a little more than 16 percent of Americans are unaffiliated with any particular faith. This ruling on religious expression, therefore, could impact the lives of millions of Americans and have broad implications for public schools and events, as well as for individuals who seek to convey religious messages.
Members of the National Communication Association who study free speech and spiritual communication can provide insight into the following:
- What arguments might be made during the discussion of this case?
- What previous Supreme Court decisions and/or cases might impact the outcome of this case?
- What are the free speech implications of this ruling?
WHO: Catherine Langford, Ph.D.
Department of Communication Studies, Texas Tech University
Dr. Langford is a rhetorical scholar with expertise in legal and political discourses. She examines legal opinions, statutory laws, and political discourse.
Thomas Lessl, Ph.D.
Department of Communication Studies, University of Georgia
Dr. Lessl studies the rhetoric of religion, myth and narrative, and public speaking. He has written about the theory and practice of religious communication, and how its traditions and patterns have been inserted into secular rhetori
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