Newswise — Washington, DC (October 2, 2013) — 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 of Greece, 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 UniversityDr. 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 GeorgiaDr. 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 rhetoric.
CONTACT: To schedule an interview with an expert, please contact Arlyn G. Riskind at [email protected] or 202-534-1104.
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About National Communication AssociationThe National Communication Association (NCA) advances communication as the discipline that studies all forms, modes, media and consequences of communication through humanistic, social scientific, and aesthetic inquiry. The NCA serves the scholars, teachers, and practitioners who are its members by enabling and supporting their professional interests in research and teaching. Dedicated to fostering and promoting free and ethical communication, the NCA promotes the widespread appreciation of the importance of communication in public and private life, the application of competent communication to improve the quality of human life and relationships, and the use of knowledge about communication to solve human problems.
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