Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
This is Fred Ball for Zions Bank, speaking on business.
Albert Einstein once said, "Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom."
Suppose you're an American teenager flying off to an exotic vacation. But your plane has engine trouble and you're forced to land in the country of Quest a place where the average worker makes only $2 a day, where political leadership is corrupt, and where anti-democracy sentiment is gathering strength. The people you meet challenge your beliefs. They blame America for their difficulties. What can you say to them?
We often take freedom for grantedŠ unless it is taken away. To help remind us that freedom is the basis of our democracy, the Utah State Bar is presenting to thousands of Utah students a specially prepared "Dialogue on Freedom."
During the week of September 11, Utah lawyers will team up with representation from the three branches of government to lead discussion in hundreds of secondary classrooms throughout the state. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, along with the American Bar Association, initiated the program.
Each classroom will participate in the hypothetical situation I mentioned. Teens are forced to defend America and its values. The program is designed to encourage young people to think about three basic principles: (1) ³We the people² support the rule of law: (2) Americans believe in and support individual rights: (3) every citizen needs to be informed and involved.
John A. Adams is the president of the Utah State Bar. He hopes this program will only be a beginning of an interest and concern by our young people for the great freedoms we enjoy. The classroom experiences will kindle a desire to know more and hopefully, The Dialogue on Freedom program will stimulate additional discussions in any setting where young people gather. John told me that it is the sincere desire of the Bar that a special insert that will be in all of our newspapers today, September 5, will be used and kept by all citizens of this state. He hopes the special programming on KUED 7 will be watched and that we gain a greater appreciation for the wonderful freedoms we enjoy.
Congratulations to the Utah State Bar. No group is better equipped to advocate the rule of law in our society than lawyers. It's a great project.
For Zions Bank, I'm Fred Ball. I'm speaking on business.
