We take pride as a nation
that our government is
grounded in a
system of 
checks and balances.

Three equal branches of government...

Each with its own purpose...

Each with its own power...

Each supremely important.

This week, our nation is watching a
drama unfold between all three branches...
Executive, Legislative, and Judicial .

The Senate is holding additional hearings for 
President Trump's nominee,
Judge Brett Kavanaugh,
to fill a spot on the Supreme Court
left open by the retirement of
Justice Anthony Kennedy.

This might be a good time for a little 
Supreme Court confirmation trivia...

Q:
Who was the last Supreme Court justice
to be confirmed by unanimous vote of the Senate?

A:
Justice Anthony Kennedy!

Wait...did you read that correctly?

The confirmation was unanimous?

In the Senate?

Is that even possible?

It was in 1987,
the year Kennedy was confirmed. 

Unanimous  

That's certainly a word we don't hear often connected with Congress.  

But why not?

The process surrounding confirmation hearings for
Supreme Court justices has become
so politicized over the years, 
it's hard to imagine any nominee
having unanimous support.  

And yet, there have been many unanimous
or nearly unanimous confirmations
of justices in the Supreme Court's history. 

Why is it so difficult today?

Is there a better way forward?

We'll watch and wait this week as the Senate hears testimony and 
and makes a final decision about the Kavanaugh nomination.

As we're watching and waiting,
let's ask ourselves...

What do WE think about the whole confirmation process?
Is something broken with the system?
 Is there a way to fix it?

What are the
Purple Points
surrounding the
selection of
Supreme Court
justices?  

Does the simple majority Senate vote make sense?
Would some kind of supermajority--60 votes--or 2/3--be better?
Could we even ask for a 3/4 majority?  Would that be possible?
What about the tenure for Supreme Court justices?
Should justices continue to have lifelong appointments?
If they had term limits, what might that look like?
Would it be better to stagger the replacement of justices somehow?

It's in our nation's best interest
to keep politics
out of the Supreme Court. 

Maintaining the integrity
of the Supreme Court
is vital for our beloved
checks and balances.

Let's work together 
to
find a better way
forward.

It's important work...
supremely important!



​ 



​
 

Happy Peace Day!

The International Day of Peace is celebrated
each year on September 21st.

The United Nations established "Peace Day"
by unanimous resolution in 1981.  
It's a day for people around the world
to focus on building a culture of peace together.

Each year, the UN selects a theme for Peace Day.
This year's big idea is...

 "The Right to Peace-
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 70."

Have you ever read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?

You can explore it here...

United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights 

It's powerful and important reading.

In the United States we take many of these human rights for granted.

We hold these truths to be self-evident.

On Peace Day this year,
lets remember that
Freedom of Belief,
Freedom of Expression,
and
Freedom of Assembly
are all considered basic human rights.

When we come together in the
 Purple Living Room Project 
we are exercising all three of these rights.

We are fortunate that we can do so freely.

Let's #Standup4humanrights around the world.

The UN has a Pledge you can take...

• I will respect your rights regardless of who you are. I will uphold your rights even when I disagree with you
• When anyone’s human rights are denied, everyone's rights are undermined, so I will STAND UP
• I will raise my voice. I will take action. I will use my rights to stand up for your rights.

It's an important pledge for all of us.

You can take the official pledge HERE.

On Peace Day this year, let's
sit down and talk together...

Then let's take a stand together
for human rights around the world...

and be grateful we have the right to do so freely.



​

Election Day is just around the corner...

Are you registered to vote?

If not...

WHY NOT?!?!?!?!

If you're not registered yet,
it's time to get moving!

Many states require voters to register 
30 days before election day.

If you're not registered to vote,
please STOP reading now
and CLICK HERE...
www.vote.gov

If you are already registered,
THANK YOU!

Now...
REMEMBER to VOTE!

We can talk and talk and talk
until we're
red and blue and purple
in the face, 
but the most meaningful
action
we can take as citizens
is to exercise
our right
and
our civic duty
to vote.

So, PLEASE...

Let's keep talking
until we are
red and blue and purple
in the face...
and then let's walk over
​to the polling place
together
and
VOTE!

Backpacks are filled,
Pencils are sharpened,
Laptops are charged...

It's the beginning of a new school year!

What will our children be learning?

How to talk and listen to one another.

Have you ever seen the
​ Common Core Standards
for speaking and listening?  

​Here is what we expect of our high school seniors when they graduate... 
​

We set the bar high for collaboration skills...
and we should do so.

We should also be able to practice what we benchmark.

We need to model the art of respectful conversation for our children.

The Purple Points Protocol combines
many of these important skills
in an easy-to-use format.

Why not try it out?

As our kids go back to school,
​let's get back to our own speaking and listening.

Let's show our nation's youth
​we know how to 
talk the talk
AND
walk the walk.