Trusting Roberts

Please find below two messages from Tony Perkins, President of Family Research Council that you will find interesting and important. -OPS

Trust Yet Verify

A brief follow up to the story from yesterday on Supreme Court nominee John Roberts' involvement with pro bono work on Romer v. Evans. As a former policy maker and now full- time advocate for family values, my first thought in response to the LA Times story was "aiding and abetting," which I would venture to say is how many of our supporters would see this news. However, I urge caution in jumping to that conclusion. Judge Roberts was an attorney with a large firm where helping colleagues when called upon was expected. Attorneys are not necessarily advocates or activists. In fact, activists are exactly what we don't want on the court.

I spent the good part of yesterday on the phone and in meetings to get the facts. I have verified that his involvement was limited to about 5 hours of participation in a moot court as he played the role of one of the High Court's conservative members asking tough hypothetical questions of the attorneys who actually prepared and argued the case. Stories are already beginning to circulate about the motives behind one of the main sources of the LA Times story who is no longer with the law firm and is now with a left-leaning advocacy organization in Washington.

I remain confident that President Bush understands that his legacy in large part will be determined by whom he places on the Supreme Court. I have also gained confidence in reviewing Judge Roberts' judicial opinions, which helps me trust his statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding his judicial philosophy: "(Judges) do not have a commission to solve society's problems, as they see them, but simply to decide cases before them according to the rule of law." Yet as Ronald Reagan said, "Trust, but verify." We plan to do just that as we will be heavily involved in the confirmation hearings.

Justice Sunday II

There is still time if your church hasn't signed up to host the August 14 simulcast - "Justice Sunday II - God Save the United States and this Honorable Court!" Churches across the country continue to sign up to serve as host churches for the community. Your church has ways to broadcast the event. Sky Angel satellite system will broadcast the simulcast live from 7 PM - 8:30 PM ET on Channel 9702. Trinity Broadcasting Network will rebroadcast the event at 10 PM ET. You may also access the simulcast via webcast at www.justicesunday.com. Justice Sunday II will be a pivotal moment as we pray for the future of the Supreme Court and educate pro-family Americans on what they can do to protect our nation from judicial activism. Click the link below to register your church, visit www.justicesunday.com for general information, or call 800/225-4008 (toll free).

Additional Resources Justice Sunday II - Registration for Churches

National Conference on Darwin Coming to Greenville

I am glad to announce that Greenville, South Carolina has been selected for Uncommon Dissent: Scientists Who Find Darwinism Unconvincing. Presenters for the August 4-6 academic conference include the leading critics of Darwin and Darwinism in America, Dr. Michael Behe (Darwin's Black Box) and Dr. Jonathan Wells (Icons of Evolution).The registration fee for the three-day conference is $145 (standard) or $115 (teachers and students, including homeschool parent-teachers). But, if you include "Palmetto" in the Comment section of the Registration Form, you may take $20 off, just for reading Palmetto Public Square. For further information, or to register by telephone, please contact Lewis Young at Piedmont Travel in Greenville (864) 288-3456.