Email to BucknellFrom: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: bet008@bucknell.edu <bet008@bucknell.edu>
Cc: denisonian@denison.edu <denisonian@denison.edu>
Sent: Saturday, October 7, 2023 at 06:17:08 PM CDT
Subject: Bucknell, Denison University and Braver Angels
Dear Ms. Thames,
I long ago was at Bucknell for my freshman year, and I have been a summer vacationer at Eagles Mere PA (about 50 miles northeast of Bucknell), where a number of Bucknell connected persons have houses.
I am very impressed by
Bucknell University's Commitment to Free Expression and note that the
2023-24 Bucknell Forum has the theme of “Freedom of Expression.”
I am involved with the Braver Angels organization, which is dedicated "to bring[ing] conservatives and progressives together on equal terms to understand our differences, find common ground where it exists, and help the country we all love find a better way."
https://braverangels.org/One Luke Alley, whom I know from Eagles Mere and who is at Denison University, is active in
College Debates and Discourse Program partners with Denison – The Denisonian, which has partnered with Braver Angels.
I have been trying to promote Braver Angels type conversations in Eagles Mere.
The purpose of this email is to bring Braver Angels to the attention of Bucknell (if Braver Angels does not already have a presence on the Bucknell campus) and to be used by me in promoting Braver Angels type conversations in Eagles Mere.
Thank you for your attention to this email.
Sincerely,
Rob Shattuck
Mountain Brook, AL
Follow up email to Brooke Thames, Senior Writer Admissions Communications,
Digital Editor for Bucknell Magazine
From: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: bet008@bucknell.edu <bet008@bucknell.edu>
Cc: denisonian@denison.edu <denisonian@denison.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2023 at 06:59:35 PM CDT
Subject: Re: Bucknell, Denison University and Braver Angels; ABA Task Force for Democracy
Dear Ms. Thames,
If I may, I would like to expand my October 7th email to you to put forth to you the American Bar Association's recently created Task Force for American Democracy and its Mission Statement that appears at
https://www.americanbar.org/groups/leadership/office_of_the_president/american-democracy/overview/.
In Alabama I am urging Alabama universities to have conversational events that contribute to the objectives of the ABA Task Force Mission Statement. For information, please see
https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2023/10/uab-critical-conversations-and-american.html.
I will press this on Bucknell connected persons who have houses in Eagles Mere PA. whom I mentioned in my August 7th email.
Thank you for your attention to this email.
Sincerely,
Rob Shattuck
Mountain Brook, AL
Dartmouth
Two discussions on the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas were organized by The Jewish Studies and Middle Eastern Studies programs at Dartmouth and led by faculty. This recording is of the discussion that took place on Thursday, October 12, 2023 in Filene Auditorium at Dartmouth College. The event was moderated by Senior Lecturer Ezzedine Fishere, an Egyptian author and academic who has written extensively on the region, and attended by faculty from both departments including Susanne Heschel, Chair of Jewish Studies; Jonathan Smolin, a Middle Eastern Studies professor; and Visiting Professor Bernard Avishai.
Email to Bucknell University President John BravmanFrom: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: john.bravman@bucknell.edu <john.bravman@bucknell.edu>
Cc: bet008@bucknell.edu <bet008@bucknell.edu>
Sent: Saturday, December 30, 2023 at 09:04:18 AM CST
Subject: Be a university President who speaks supportively of the American Bar Association Task Force for American Democracy
Dear President Bravman,
I long ago was at Bucknell for my freshman year, and I have been a summer vacationer at Eagles Mere PA (about 50 miles northeast of Bucknell), where a number of Bucknell connected persons have houses.
I emailed Brooke Thames in October about the American Bar Association Task Force for American Democracy, and I am following up by emailing directly to you.
In connection with the 2024 election, I have contacted the Presidents of Dartmouth College, the University of Iowa, the University of New Hampshire, the University of South Carolina and Clemson University, urging them to speak up in support of the year long mission of the American Bar Association Task Force for American Democracy that is set out at
https://www.americanbar.org/groups/leadership/office_of_the_president/american-democracy/overview/ For information on this, please read
https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2023/12/iowa-caucuses-new-hampshire-primary.html.
I hope you will find something here to say to the Bucknell University community in the New Year.
Thank you for your attention to this email.
Sincerely,
Rob Shattuck
Mountain Brook, AL
Email to Denison University President Adam WeinbergFrom: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: president@denison.edu <president@denison.edu>
Sent: Saturday, December 30, 2023 at 05:09:13 PM CST
Subject: Be a university President who speaks supportively of the American Bar Association Task Force for American Democracy
Dear President Weinberg:
I read your November 13th and October 11th letters to the Denison University community that seek to grapple with the extreme problems that have arisen on college campuses in connection with the war between Israel and Hamas.
As bad as that is, there is also a building threat of violence in the United States over Donald Trump, and this is likely to be in increased need of grappling with on college campuses, as well as in the country at large, in 2024.
In the foregoing regard, I borrow and modify a sentence from your November 13th letter in the following way:
"As we each try to understand the [debilitating partisan divide in the United States that is threatening violence in 2024], I would encourage us to work together to lean into our liberal arts roots in at least five ways."
In that vein in connection with the 2024 election, I have contacted the Presidents of Dartmouth College, the University of Iowa, the University of New Hampshire, the University of South Carolina and Clemson University, urging them to speak up in support of the year long mission of the American Bar Association Task Force for American Democracy that is set out at
https://www.americanbar.org/groups/leadership/office_of_the_president/american-democracy/overview/ For information on this, please read
https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2023/12/iowa-caucuses-new-hampshire-primary.html.
I think the mission of the American Bar Association Task Force for American Democracy is worthy of being the basis of a letter from you to the Denison community in the New Year. I hope you agree.
Lest you wonder how this Alabamian wound up emailing Denison University at this juncture, I refer you to
https://bloggingeagle1.blogspot.com/2023/10/em-braver-angels-and-bucknell.html.
Thank you for your attention to this email.
Sincerely,
Rob Shattuck
Mountain Brook, AL
Email to Bucknell President Bravman re "Dartmouth Dialogues"From: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: john.bravman@bucknell.edu <john.bravman@bucknell.edu>
Cc: bet008@bucknell.edu <bet008@bucknell.edu>; theforum@bucknell.edu <theforum@bucknell.edu>
Sent: Friday, January 19, 2024 at 07:13:10 PM CST
Subject: Follow up to Dec. 30 email to you; "Dartmouth Dialogues"
Dear President Bravman,
This email is in follow up to my December 30 email to you re "Be a university President who speaks supportively of the American Bar Association Task Force for American Democracy."
I am sure much desirable Bucknell campus conversation is ensuing from the 2023-24 Bucknell Forum and its “Freedom of Expression” theme.
This email is to provide additional inspiration from Dartmouth's "Dartmouth Dialogues" initiative that was just commenced, as indicated in the below email.
Please keep going, Bucknell.
Sincerely,
Rob Shattuck
Bucknell student 1965-66.
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: Herschel.S.Nachlis@dartmouth.edu <herschel.s.nachlis@dartmouth.edu>; Elizabeth.F.Smith@Dartmouth.EDU <elizabeth.f.smith@dartmouth.edu>; Kristi.L.Clemens@Dartmouth.edu <kristi.l.clemens@dartmouth.edu>
Cc: Robert B. Coates <robert.b.coates@dartmouth.edu>; Linda L. Fowler <linda.l.fowler@dartmouth.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, January 16, 2024 at 07:07:00 AM CST
Subject: Rep. Jamie Raskin's "Democracy vs. Autocracy in 2024"; Dartmouth Dialogues
Dear Professor Nachlis, Dean Smith, and Ms. Clemens:
I am addressing this email to Professor Nachlis because he is identified as the moderator of the January 8th discussion by Rep. Jamie Raskin of "the historic stakes of the 2024 election, and its potential impact on the future of American democracy," and to Dean Smith and Ms. Clemens because they are co-leaders of the newly announced Dartmouth Dialogues initiative and its Dialogues Project.
I have previously been in touch with Mr. Robert Coates and Professor Linda Fowler, and even sent a December 25th email to President Beilock related to the Cheney and Raskin speaking events, urging her to issue a statement to the College calling attention to the perilous condition the United States is in, the importance of democracy in the country's moving through said perilous condition, and the special opportunity the Dartmouth community has in January to have much timely conversation about democracy. (You can find emails at
Be An Alabama Rootstriker* with Rob Shattuck: Iowa caucuses; NH and SC primaries (al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com).
President Beilock's January 3rd "Winter welcome" email to the Dartmouth community sets its theme with the words "we continue to face conflict around the world and deep divisions here in the U.S." and announces there will be a rolling out of a "Dartmouth Dialogues” initiative. President Beilock's January 10th update formally announces "Dartmouth Dialogues" as "our shared commitment to expanding programming across the institution dedicated to facilitating conversations and skills that bridge political and personal divides."
In Alabama, I am making a simple plea of "Come ye Trumpers and anti-Trumpers, let us gather together and talk to one another."
Be An Alabama Rootstriker* with Rob Shattuck: Come ye Trumpers and anti-Trumpers (al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com) I suggest that the foregoing simple plea could be made a component in the Dialogues Project.
Thank you for reading this email and considering making the foregoing simple plea a component in the Dialogues Project.
Sincerely,
Rob Shattuck
Class of 1969
