How to Use Starters Conversation starters are short, easily read texts or images that are meant to be thought provoking. They have been selected to illuminate discrete issues and ideas associated with the topic, and to help foster conversation and ongoing dialogue. Accompanying each starter is a set of focus questions designed to open discussion about the topic and related issues. We have also identified resources specific to each starter, as well as more general resources for each topic, designed to provide further information or context about the starter and topic area. The starters require no preparation or study by participants in advance of a conversation, although our suggested resources might be used for such a purpose. American Identity, Culture, and Constitutional Principles Starter 1: Excerpt from Tocqueville's Democracy in America; What is an American? by Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. S2: Excerpt from Legally Speaking: Contemporary American Culture and the Law by Helle Porsdam S3: The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus, inscribed on the Statue of Liberty S4: Original/current text of Pledge of Allegiance S5: Text of Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America S6: "America Is Ours, Too" by Vernon E. Jordan Jr., excerpted from Savoy Magazine S7: November 5, 2001 cover of The New Yorker Magazine Download this topic's starters as a .pdf (Note: You may need to download Adobe's free Acrobat Reader in order to view .pdfs) Democracy and Debate Starter 1: 1943 Office of War Information poster on Nazi book burning and freedom to read S2: Excerpt from Mark Singer, "I Pledge Allegiance" in The New Yorker, Nov. 26, 2001 S3: World War II government information manual for the motion picture industry; 1944 poster entitled "Award for Careless Talk" S4: Walt Handelsman, "We're Winning, They're Losing . . . No Film At Eleven" (political cartoon) S5: Excerpt from Arianna Huffington, "Land of the Free?" in defense of Bill Maher (September 24, 2001) S6: Excerpts from Rudy Giuliani's address to the U.N. General Assembly on October 1, 2001; Hendrik Hertzberg, "Differences," in The New Yorker (December 3, 2001) S7: Excerpt on discussing differences of belief, tradition and culture from British government commissioned report in wake of 2001 UK race riots Download this topic's starters as a .pdf Civil Liberties in Times of Crisis Starter 1: Excerpt from Richard Posner, "Security Versus Civil Liberties," in The Atlantic Monthly (December 2001) S2: Pat Oliphant political cartoon: "Watch Out for the Backswing, Kid" S3: "Security Beefed Up at Cedar Rapids Public Library," The Onion, October 3, 2001 S4: Excerpts from Remarks of Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist on Civil War suspension of writ of habeas corpus, Norfolk, Virginia, May 3, 2000 Download this topic's starters as a .pdf Prosecuting Terrorism at Home and Abroad Starter 1: Statement by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, November 18, 1999 S2: November 26, 2001 letter sent from U.S. attorneys to 560 men from Middle Eastern countries residing in Michigan S3: Excerpt from 1865 attorney general's opinion on use of military tribunals to try suspected assassins of President Lincoln S4: "Spain: No rift over terror suspects" CNN Online November 28, 2001 news report Download this topic's starters as a .pdf Global Perspectives on American Values Starter 1: The Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World S2: Text of U.S. Oath of Allegiance; current and proposed text of "Oath or Affirmation of Citizenship" of Canada S3: 1957 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette political cartoon entitled "Careful, the Walls Have Ears" by John Kennedy; excerpt from speech by ABA President Robert Hirshon to the National League of Cities, December 7, 2001 S4: Excerpt from President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Four Freedoms speech; Norman Rockwell "Four Freedoms" U.S. war bond poster S5: Excerpt on globalization from British government commissioned report in wake of 2001 UK race riots Download this topic's starters as a .pdf Note: The views expressed here have not been approved by the House of Delegates or the Board of Governors of the American Bar Association, and accordingly, should not be construed as representing the policy of the American Bar Association, nor do they represent the official position or policies of the ABA Standing Committee on Public Education.