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November 10, 2022
Title: Racial Admissions Preferences: Constitutional or Not?
Topic: Affirmative Action
Discussed by Professor John Sparks
with Grove City College (www.gcc.edu)
Part 1 of 3
Professor John Sparks is the retired Dean of Arts & Letters at
Grove City College and a fellow for Institute for Faith and Freedom.
Today, Dr. Sparks discusses Affirmative Action, specifically two cases currently before the US Supreme Court:
Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard College
and Students
for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina.
Click
here to read more on this topic from Professor Sparks.
Questions/Issues Discussed:
Does the government have a compelling interest to guarantee a “racially diverse student body”? Dr. Sparks explains how Affirmative Action came to be and why parents and students are now fighting back.
Are there designated “favored minority students” and “non-favored minority students”?
What was the decision in the 1970s Allan Bakke case regarding this issue? Did one of the opinions from a Justice begin the whole Affirmative Action debacle?
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Title: Part 2 of 3 - Racial Admissions Preferences: Constitutional or Not?
Topic: Affirmative Action
Discussed by Professor John Sparks
with Grove City College (www.gcc.edu)
Questions/Issues Discussed:
Was the outcome of the Bakke case a rare 4-1-4 decision? Who tried to “bridge
the gap”? Did both sides claim victory?
During the Court’s 2002-2003 term, new were cases filed regarding the
Constitutionality of Affirmative Action. How did the US Supreme Court rule on
those cases? Dr. Sparks discusses two specific cases and the opposite rulings
from the Justices. He also explains how these rulings are affecting the current
cases before the Court.
Did the late Sandra Day O’Connor believe that the “race-weighed admissions
processes” would stop some day?
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Title: Part 3 of 3 - Racial Admissions Preferences: Constitutional or Not?
Topic: Affirmative Action
Discussed by Professor John Sparks
with Grove City College (www.gcc.edu)
Questions/Issues Discussed:
Are Asian students considered part of the “favored minority”? Are black
students considered part of the “favored minority”?
What compelling interest does the government have in guaranteeing a “racially
diverse student body”?
Why are the two cases currently before the US Supreme Court (Students for Fair
Admissions v. Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of
North Carolina) so important? Why are they being tried separately? How are they
similar and how are they different?
When can we expect a decision on these cases?
Bottom Line: Are racial admissions preferences Constitutional
or not? Dr. Sparks says: “Our whole emphasis in American society has been to
move away from race being either a negative or a positive. We need racial
neutrality… It’s time to recognize that… We need to be color blind.”
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June 7, 2022
Title: How We Got to Roe v Wade
Topic: Abortion
Discussed by Professor John Sparks
with Grove City College (www.gcc.edu)
Part 1 of 3
Professor Dr. John Sparks is the retired Dean of Arts & Letters at
Grove City College and a fellow for the Institute for Faith and
Freedom.
Today he discusses the importance of the 1965 case Griswold v. Connecticut and the opinions that were brought forth after the decision.
Click
here
to read Dr. Sparks article on this topic in
The Dakota Beacon.
Click
here for more about the
Institute for Faith and Freedom.
Questions/Issues Discussed:
What are the facts in in the 1965 Griswold v. Connecticut case concerning contraceptives? Dr. Sparks discusses the 19th Century law regarding contraceptives that had not been readily enforced until Estelle Griswold decided to open a birth control clinic in the state.
What did Justice Douglas unveil in this case? How did he come to this conclusion? Dr. Spark will continue this explanation in the next segment.
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Title: Part 2 of 3 - How We Got to Roe v Wade
Topic: Abortion
Discussed by Professor John Sparks
with Grove City College (www.gcc.edu)
Questions/Issues Discussed:
Is there an enumerated “right to privacy” in the US Constitution? Dr.
Sparks explains how Justice Douglas “discovered” the “right to
privacy”.
Why did Dr. Sparks have his students read about this case in his class?
What were Judge Robert Borks’ thoughts about this new right to privacy? Do other
legal scholars agree with him? This is important! Listen in closely…
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Title: Part 3 of 3 - How We Got to Roe v Wade
Topic: Abortion
Discussed by Professor John Sparks
with Grove City College (www.gcc.edu)
Questions/Issues Discussed:
Why did Justice Black state that the privacy that Douglas claimed to uncover was
a broad, abstract, ambiguous concept? Do other legal scholars agree with him?
Dr. Sparks uses several examples to explain why Douglas’ thoughts are so
dangerous.
Justice Black also bluntly stated that the “use of any such broad, unbounded
judicial authority would make of this court’s members a day-to-day
constitutional convention”. What does this mean?
Do most law schools teach aspiring law students that Roe v. Wade is the
law of the land and should not be overturned, because there is a right to
privacy found in the US Constitution? Dr. Sparks reveals that, unfortunately, it
would be extremely difficult to find a law professor today that doesn’t teach
that abortion falls under the “right to privacy”.
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December 21, 2021
Title: Biden’s Massive Vaccine Overreach
Topic: Vaccine Debate
Discussed by Professor John Sparks
with Grove City College (www.gcc.edu)
Part 1 of 3
Whether you have strong convictions against vaccines, or just about the Covid vaccine, or you have no particular aversion to vaccines, understanding what is going on with President Joe Biden’s OSHA-enforced vaccine mandate is important.
Professor John Sparks is the retired Dean of Arts & Letters at Grove City College and a fellow for Institute for Faith and Freedom. Today, he explains what Biden’s OSHA mandate means for the American people.
Click
here to read more on this topic from Professor John Sparks.
Questions/Issues Discussed:
Is it important to understand what Biden and OSHA are trying to accomplish with enforced vaccine mandates?
Is the OSHA-enforced vaccine mandate just one leg of a three-legged stool? Professor Sparks discusses the vaccine edict from the
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services directed at medical workers and the administration’s own vaccine directive aimed at the employees of certain federal contractors.
Does the OSHA mandate have legal issues which are being reviewed? Dr. Sparks explains the “emergency temporary standard” (ETS) in plain English and why it is being reviewed in Federal court.
How many times has OSHA issued an ETS? HINT: Not many in the last 50 years!
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Title: Part 2 of 3 - Biden’s Massive Vaccine Overreach
Topic: Vaccine Debate
Discussed by Professor John Sparks
with Grove City College (www.gcc.edu)
Questions/Issues Discussed:
Does Biden’s OSHA vaccine mandate use the words “grave danger”? Dr.
Sparks explains why the Fifth Circuit is examining the “grave danger”
language. He points out the emergency mandate doesn’t include businesses with
less than 100 employees, saying: “How grave can the emergency be when you
leave out these workers that are in smaller enterprises?”
Could the 5th Circuit Court possibly rule that the OSHA mandate must apply to
EVERY eligible person – no matter what?
Is Biden’s OSHA vaccine mandate over-inclusive?
Does the ETS recognize natural immunity?
When Congress passed the OSHA language that Biden is attempting to use to force
vaccines in the workplace, did the language aim at agents or substances (like
asbestos) that may be in the workplace, but not airborne viruses? Dr. Sparks
chuckles and says “no” which makes this ETS completely ridiculous.
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Title: Part 3 of 3 - Biden’s Massive Vaccine Overreach
Topic: Vaccine Debate
Discussed by Professor John Sparks
with Grove City College (www.gcc.edu)
Questions/Issues Discussed:
Is OSHA a public health agency or an occupational safety administration?
Does the Federal Government, including OSHA, have the authority to declare “Thou
shall get the jab” as a condition of employment?
Do individual states have the authority? Dr. Sparks urges citizens of states to
fight any and all mandates…
When might the courts release their verdict?
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November 18, 2021
Title: Parental Rights and Religious Liberty
Topic: Parental Rights
Discussed by Professor John Sparks
with Grove City College (www.gcc.edu)
Part 1 of 3
Do parents have a legal, Constitutional, religious, and moral right to be involved in their children’s education?
Professor Dr. John Sparks is the retired Dean of Arts & Letters at Grove City College and a fellow for the
Institute for Faith and Freedom. Today he discusses the legal and moral right parents have to be involved in their children’s education.
Click
here to read more on this topic from Professor Sparks.
Questions/Issues Discussed:
Are parents across the country concerned that some public schoolboards, administrators, associations, and even teachers hold them in disdain?
In the 1972 Yoder case, did several Amish fathers not want their children exposed to “worldliness”? What was their complaint? Dr. Sparks explains that the fathers were not opposed to public education; they simply did not want their children to be forced to receive higher education that was questionable and in contrary to their religious beliefs. They further claimed that this would ruin the Amish religion.
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Title: Part 2 of 3 - Parental Rights and Religious Liberty
Topic: Parental Rights
Discussed by Professor John Sparks
with Grove City College (www.gcc.edu)
Questions/Issues Discussed:
In 1972 Yoder case, the US Supreme Court stated that children are not mere
creatures of the state. Some statements regarding the decision:
Following briefing and arguments, Chief Justice Burger wrote the opinion which
gave Jonas Yoder and his fellow parents a victory. He said that the Amish
believe that their own salvation and that of their children “requires a life
in a church community separate and apart from the world and worldly influence.”
Chief Burger further pointed out that they seek sufficient education through
eighth grade, one that will allow them “to read the Bible, to be good
farmers and citizens, and to be able to deal with non-Amish people when
necessary in the course of daily affairs.”
In addition, the court concluded there was “nothing in the record to suggest
that the Amish qualities of reliability, self-reliance, and dedication to work
would fail to find ready markets in today’s society.”
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Title: Part 3 of 3 - Parental Rights and Religious Liberty
Topic: Parental Rights
Discussed by Professor John Sparks
with Grove City College (www.gcc.edu)
Questions/Issues Discussed:
BOTTOM LINE: Do parents have a legal, Constitutional, religious, and
moral right to be involved in their children’s education?
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January 28, 2021
Title: Political Speak: Let’s Go Fight!
Topic: Political Correctness
Discussed by Professor John Sparks
with Grove City College (www.gcc.edu)
The House of Representatives has passed a single Article of Impeachment charging President Donald Trump with committing a high crime.
They claim that Trump “made statements that encouraged – and foreseeably resulted in – imminent lawless action at the Capitol.” In short, his rally speech amounted to “incitement to engage in the insurrection.”
What did Trump say? Was it really that bad? Professor Dr. John Sparks has details about the speech and the Article of Impeachment. Dr. Sparks is the retired Dean of Arts & Letters at Grove City College and a fellow for the Institute for Faith and Freedom.
Click
here for more from the Institute for Faith and Freedom.
Questions/Issues Discussed:
What crime did the House of Representatives state in the recent Article of Impeachment of former President Trump?
What was the original purpose for impeachment?
Does the Constitution allow for the impeachment of a former President?
Did the House present any evidence? Did the House present any witnesses?
How has the Supreme Court ruled considering freedom of speech by politicians in the past?
In Dr. Sparks professional opinion, should Donald Trump be impeached?
Why are the Democrats going after Trump so hard?
Why did Chief Justice John Roberts choose to NOT preside over the impeachment hearing?
What happens next?
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January 13, 2016
Title: Obama is Going After Sweet Little Old Nuns Now
Topic: Religious Freedom
Discussed by Professor John Sparks
with Grove City College (www.gcc.edu)
The Obama administration just can’t leave the little guys alone – or
in this case, the sweet little ladies. The nuns within a Catholic
Religious Order, The Little Sisters of the Poor, are being bullied by Obama’s
Affordable Care Act minions at the Department of Health and Human Services. The
women do not wish to provide or be forced to pay for contraceptives through
Obamacare. (Why the women would even need the service in the first place is
apparently lost within HHS’s tiny little walnut sized brains.)
Side Note: The Little Sisters of the Poor is not some dinky little group
of women who don’t know what they’re doing. The Sisters have been in existence
since 1839, are spread across thirty countries, and are in thirty states in the
US.
Dr. John Sparks explains the situation in further detail. It goes far beyond
just a simple pill or condom. It’s about their religious right and the
government taking away that right. “The government is highly secularized and
they do not recognize that others adhere to their convictions,” Dr. Sparks
believes. The Sisters have been fighting this battle since 2013 and will finally
go before the United States Supreme Court in March.
If the government can offer exemptions to other religious groups, churches, and
even small employers, why can’t they offer exemptions to The Sisters? Listen in
as Dr. Sparks discusses the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the
compelling reason why The Sisters should not even be in this predicament!
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March 20, 2015
Title: Supreme Court is being Pushed on Marriage Issue
Topic: Same-Sex Unions
Discussed by Professor John Sparks
with Grove City College (www.gcc.edu)
Edmund Burke wrote
the following in Reflections on the Revolution in France: “When ancient
opinions and rules of life are taken away, the loss cannot possibly be
estimated. From that moment we have no compass to govern us; nor can we know
distinctly to what port we steer.”
The SCOTUS has agreed to hear four cases involving the issue of same-sex unions.
These cases come from the Sixth Circuit, where the U.S. Appeals Court had
earlier upheld Michigan’s definition of marriage as limited to one man and one
woman. That decision (DeBoer v. Snyder) created what is called a “conflict among
the Circuits” and forced the Supreme Court to address the issue – a decision
which will affect every American.
Dr. John Sparks, with the Center for Vision and Values at Grove City
College, is confident that SCOTUS will continue to allow individual states to
make their own laws regarding same-sex unions. But what about the “Full faith
and Credit Provision”? Dr. Sparks discusses how this law gives respect to the
legal determinations of other states, including same-sex unions. However, it has
some wiggle room. Listen in as he explains this Provision, how states have dealt
with various marriage issues in the past, and what the future of marriage may
look like.
Dr. Sparks’ article on this issue can be found [here].
More from this Guest More on this Topic More from this Organization
March 17, 2015
Title: Supreme Court is being Pushed on Marriage Issue
Topic: Same-Sex Unions
Discussed by Professor John Sparks
with Grove City College (www.gcc.edu)
Edmund Burke wrote
the following in Reflections on the Revolution in France: “When ancient
opinions and rules of life are taken away, the loss cannot possibly be
estimated. From that moment we have no compass to govern us; nor can we know
distinctly to what port we steer.”
The SCOTUS has agreed to hear four cases involving the issue of same-sex unions.
These cases come from the Sixth Circuit, where the U.S. Appeals Court had
earlier upheld Michigan’s definition of marriage as limited to one man and one
woman. That decision (DeBoer v. Snyder) created what is called a “conflict among
the Circuits” and forced the Supreme Court to address the issue – a decision
which will affect every American.
Dr. John Sparks, with the Center for Vision and Values at Grove City
College, is confident that SCOTUS will continue to allow individual states to
make their own laws regarding same-sex unions. But what about the “Full faith
and Credit Provision”? Dr. Sparks discusses how this law gives respect to the
legal determinations of other states, including same-sex unions. However, it has
some wiggle room. Listen in as he explains this Provision, how states have dealt
with various marriage issues in the past, and what the future of marriage may
look like.
Dr. Sparks’ article on this issue can be found [here].
More from this Guest More on this Topic More from this Organization
March 12, 2015
Title: Supreme Court is being Pushed on Marriage Issue
Topic: Same-Sex Unions
Discussed by Professor John Sparks
with Grove City College (www.gcc.edu)
Edmund Burke wrote
the following in Reflections on the Revolution in France: “When ancient
opinions and rules of life are taken away, the loss cannot possibly be
estimated. From that moment we have no compass to govern us; nor can we know
distinctly to what port we steer.”
The SCOTUS has agreed to hear four cases involving the issue of same-sex unions.
These cases come from the Sixth Circuit, where the U.S. Appeals Court had
earlier upheld Michigan’s definition of marriage as limited to one man and one
woman. That decision (DeBoer v. Snyder) created what is called a “conflict among
the Circuits” and forced the Supreme Court to address the issue – a decision
which will affect every American.
Dr. John Sparks, with the Center for Vision and Values at Grove City
College, is confident that SCOTUS will continue to allow individual states to
make their own laws regarding same-sex unions. But what about the “Full faith
and Credit Provision”? Dr. Sparks discusses how this law gives respect to the
legal determinations of other states, including same-sex unions. However, it has
some wiggle room. Listen in as he explains this Provision, how states have dealt
with various marriage issues in the past, and what the future of marriage may
look like.
Dr. Sparks’ article on this issue can be found [here].
More from this Guest More on this Topic More from this Organization
February 16, 2015
Title: Are College Savings Plans in Danger?
Topic: 529 Plans
Discussed by Professor John Sparks
with Grove City College (www.gcc.edu)
Today’s topic with
Professor and Attorney John Sparks is “529 Plans”. If you are not
familiar with a 529 Plan, it is a college-savings plan that many middle-class
parents use when saving for their children’s college experience. Parents like
the fact that these plans are tax-free; grandparents can contribute to the plans
as well. The 529 Plans also transfer from state to state and even from one child
to another if one decides not to attend college! What’s not to like about the
529 Plans?
Well, as you may guess, there is one person who is not a fan of these
money-saving plans! Obama! Why? Because he thinks the majority of the 7 million
families using the 529 Plans are wealthy! However, Professor Sparks disputes
that. He says that 70% of the people who take advantage of the plans have an
annual income of less than $150,000.
Listen in as Professor Sparks explains the tax Obama wanted to place on the 529
Plans. Fortunately, it appears that Obama has tabled his assault for now, but
that doesn’t mean it won’t be brought up again, probably tucked into some random
bill that has nothing to do with education or taxes.
Favorite quote from Professor Sparks: “Obama is going to do what Obama is
going to do.”
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March 27, 2012
Title: Obamacare: will it withstand constitutional scrutiny?
Topic: Obamacare
Discussed by Professor John Sparks
with Grove City College (www.gcc.edu)
Part 1 of 3
Special guest Dr. John Sparks answers:
Lets first look at the odd of a lawsuit making it all the way to be heard by the
U.S. Supreme Court. How many cases does the U.S. Supreme Court take each term?
Please explain for our listeners what is meant by term...
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Title: Part 2 of 3
Topic: Obamacare
Discussed by Professor John Sparks
with Grove City College (www.gcc.edu)
What are briefs and what is
meant by oral arguments?
Does the U.S. Supreme Court usually just allow 60 minutes of oral arguments - 30 minutes for each side?
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Title: Part 3 of 3
Topic: Obamacare
Discussed by Professor John Sparks
with Grove City College (www.gcc.edu)
Why has the U.S. Supreme Court
scheduled five and half hours of oral arguments with Obamacare?
Does this allow for individual Justices to ask questions, and if they ask
questions, will this be an indication of which way they may be leaning?
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September 23, 2011
Title: Pat Robertson says you can dump your spouse if they contract Alzheimer’s. I say, “Wait a minute!”
Topic: Marriage
Discussed by Professor John Sparks
with Grove City College (www.gcc.edu)
Recently, Pat Robertson, chairman of the Christian Broadcasting Network, told his “700 Club” viewers that divorcing a wife with Alzheimer’s disease is justifiable.
According to the news story on the incident, Robertson’s apparent rationale was that one only vows to remain married until “death do us part,” and a late-stage Alzheimer’s spouse is effectively dead since the afflicted one cannot recognize her mate nor communicate effectively with him.
I disagree with Pat Robertson. Listen in and then send us your comments.
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December 20, 2010
Title: Obamacare and the US Constitution
Topic: Obamacare Neutered
Discussed by Professor John Sparks
with Grove City College (www.gcc.edu)
Segment 1 of 2
Is It The Beginning Of The End For ObamaCare? Federal District Court Judge in Virginia strikes down congressional mandate that all have to buy health care insurance or pay a fine. Judge Hudson states that nowhere in the US Constitution is there language granting congress such powers.
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Title: Obamacare and the US Constitution
Topic: Obamacare Neutered
Discussed by Professor John Sparks
with Grove City College (www.gcc.edu)
Segment 2 of 2
Will this suit ‘fast-track’ to the Supreme Court. Professor John Sparks explains the recent ruling of the Federal District Court Judge from Virginia, Judge Hudson. This judge ruled that the US Constitution does NOT give Congress the power to tell Americans they have to buy something or be fined. Questions remaining, “When will the US Supreme Court hear the case? And how will it rule?” Professor Sparks teaches law at Grove City College.
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