Speakers at Marquette – Page 54 – Marquette University Law School Faculty Blog

Archbishop Explains the Pope’s Approach to Opposing Abortion

Post author:Alan J. Borsuk
Post published:February 23, 2015
Post category:Public Religion & Law Speakers at Marquette

Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki says, “Until I die, I will be supportive of pro-life efforts.” But does he understand what Pope Francis meant when he said that the Catholic Church was obsessed with issues such as abortion?

Yes, he said, during an “On the Issues with Mike Gousha” program at Eckstein Hall on Monday. The pope, he said, was not talking about the “rightness of the issue” and the church’s opposition to abortion. He was talking about how you spread the church’s message and bring people in.

Speaking of those who are particularly intent on the church’s fighting abortion, Listecki told Gousha, Marquette Law School’s distinguished fellow in law and public policy, “These are my friends. Do they sometimes give me heartburn? Yes, they do.” The way the church’s position is articulated by some can push people away, and that was what Pope Francis meant, the archbishop said.

Paul Taylor: A Positive Look at Big Changes in America’s Population and Sociology

Post author:Alan J. Borsuk
Post published:February 18, 2015
Post category:Popular Culture & Law Public Speakers at Marquette

The title of Paul Taylor’s recent book refers to “a looming generational showdown” as America changes. But Taylor, a senior fellow at the Pew Research Center in Washington, didn’t strike a particularly ominous tone as he described what lies ahead during an “On the Issues with Mike Gousha” session at Eckstein Hall on Tuesday.

There were three reasons for that. First, Taylor described himself as “a glass half-full guy,” generally inclined to be optimistic. Second, he said America has dealt successfully with many challenges in its history. And third, he said the foremost challenge – how a big surge in Social Security and Medicare benefits for retirees will be supported by the workforce of a few years from now – can be handled successfully if Congress and the president are willing to do so.

In his book, “The Next America: Boomers, Millenials and the Looming Generational Showdown,” and in his conversation in the Appellate Courtroom, Taylor gave a wide-ranging, insightful, and occasionally light-hearted tour of big changes in the demographics of America.

Paul Ryan Speaks Well of Obama — on One Issue

Post author:Alan J. Borsuk
Post published:February 10, 2015
Post category:Political Processes & Rhetoric Public Speakers at Marquette

Kind words for Democratic President Barack Obama from Rep. Paul Ryan, a leading figure in the Republican Party and chair of the House Ways and Means Committee?

Yes – but on only one subject, the pursuit of trade agreements with countries in Europe and Asia. And a you might include tax reform, where there may be some room for bipartisan cooperation, Ryan said.

In an “On the Issue with Mike Gousha” session at Eckstein Hall on Monday, Ryan discussed a wide range of subjects, from his thoughts on fighting poverty to Obama’s handling of foreign policy (no kind words on that score) to Ryan’s decision not to run for president in 2016.