Emails initiating idea of UAB Critical Conversations and American Bar Association Task Force for American DemocracyFrom: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: Jones, Christopher <______@uab.edu>
Sent: Thursday, October 5, 2023 at 07:18:53 PM CDT
Subject: Re: For Dr. Christopher Jones - Critical Conversations and American Bar Association Task Force for Democracy
Hello Dr. Jones.
It is very gratifying to receive your reply.
I have no organizational position, credentials, or resources for putting forth what I am suggesting for a UAB Critical Conversations event, and I have only my inspiration and willingness to put in my personal time and effort.
Here is what I suggest:
I will use your email as an "indication of interest" on the part of UAB Critical Conversations for me to reach out to the Birmingham Bar Association, the Birmingham Business Alliance, Birmingham TV stations, Representatives Gary Palmer and Terri Sewell, and other appropriate parties, and to solicit from them whether they would be willing to be involved with a UAB Critical Conversations event as I am suggesting.
I will copy you on communications that I send to the foregoing parties.
You should feel free to cut me off at any point in what I do to try to put a package together in the foregoing way for your consideration.
I can discuss by phone or in person with you, as you may wish, about how I am progressing or about any ideas or suggestions you have for what I am trying to put together. My telephone number is 205-967-5586.
Again, it is very gratifying to receive your reply, and I hope what I will begin to do as described above is acceptable to you.
Sincerely,
Rob Shattuck
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On Thursday, October 5, 2023 at 11:17:23 AM CDT, Jones, Christopher <______@uab.edu> wrote:
Hi Mr. Shattuck,
Thanks for reaching out to us about this opportunity. We have recently tried to have conversations with our campus around issues of First Amendment and I can see how this Task Force could support our efforts to educate people on some of our current civic issues in a meaningful way. Would you be willing to have a phone/Zoom conversation about an event? If so we can schedule some time to do so.
Thanks,
Chris Jones, PhD. | Assistant Vice President for Campus and Community Engagement
Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
UAB | The University of Alabama at Birmingham
401 Campbell Hall | Mailing: AB 336G, 1720 2nd Ave S | Birmingham, AL 35294-0103
P: 205.934.8388 | _____@uab.edu
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From: ODEI <Inclusion@uab.edu>
Sent: Monday, October 2, 2023 11:22 AM
To: Jones, Christopher <_____@uab.edu>; Dilworth, Paulette Patterson <ppddei@uab.edu>
Subject: FW: For Dr. Christopher Jones - Critical Conversations and American Bar Association Task Force for Democracy
Dr. Jones,
This message came into the ODEI box over the weekend, could you review and respond?
Thanks,
Holly
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From: Rob Shattuck <
rdshatt@aol.com>
Sent: Sunday, October 1, 2023 7:09 AM
To: ODEI <
Inclusion@uab.edu>
Subject: For Dr. Christopher Jones - Critical Conversations and American Bar Association Task Force for Democracy
Dear Dr. Jones,
You are identified as the UAB Assistant Vice President for Campus & Community Engagement, and you oversee Critical Conversation: Community Wide Civic Dialogue, which is described at
https://www.uab.edu/dei/cace/campus-engagement/critical-conversations as a platform for students, faculty, staff, and local citizens outside of UAB to come together and discuss topics ranging from current events and pop culture to social commentary and how these issues intersect and affect our daily lives.
The purpose of this email is to suggest a Critical Conversations event relative to 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/.
I am a retired lawyer living in Mountain Brook. I have taken up pushing for supportive activities in Alabama relative to the ABA's Task Force. My efforts are indicated at
https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2023/08/american-bar-association-task-force-for.html.
The ABA Task Force says, during the coming year, it will reach out beyond lawyers, as it needs do given its mission, and I am doing that in Alabama, including to the business community, the university academic community and the news broadcasting community.
Do you think a UAB Critical Conversations event could be organized that is focused on the American Bar Association's Task Force for American Democracy and its Mission Statement?
I will call you to discuss this.
Thank you very much, Dr. Jones.
Sincerely,
Rob Shattuck
Mountain Brook
Email to Birmingham Bar Association and Birmingham Business AllianceFrom: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: jbuettner@birminghambar.org <jbuettner@birminghambar.org>; sammons@birminghambusinessalliance.com <sammons@birminghambusinessalliance.com>
Cc: Terri B. Lovell <terri.lovell@alabar.org>; sallen@birminghambusinessalliance.com <sallen@birminghambusinessalliance.com>; Christopher Jones <jonesc1@uab.edu>
Sent: Saturday, October 7, 2023 at 08:32:24 AM CDT
Subject: Proposed UAB Critical Conversations event & American Bar Association Task Force for Democracy
Dear Ms. Buettner and Mr. Ammons,
I am sending you this email to solicit the Birmingham Bar Association and the Birmingham Business Alliance to participate in a UAB Critical Conversations event (
https://www.uab.edu/dei/cace/campus-engagement/critical-conversations) that focuses on 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/. (I have previously emailed Mr. Ammons about the ABA Task Force.)
For more information about this proposed UAB Critical Conversations event, please read
https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2023/10/uab-critical-conversations-and-american.html and
https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2023/08/american-bar-association-task-force-for.html.
I hope the Birmingham Bar Association and the Birmingham Business Alliance are interested in participating in this proposed UAB Critical Conversations event.
Thank you for your attention to this email.
Sincerely,
Rob Shattuck
Mountain Brook
Email to CBS42, ABC3340, WBRC6 and WVTM13From: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: rmartin@cbs42.com <rmartin@cbs42.com>; pamhuff@sbgtv.com <pamhuff@sbgtv.com>; "susana.schuler@hearst.com" <susana.schuler@hearst.com>; shannon.isbell@wbrc.com <shannon.isbell@wbrc.com>
Cc: Sharon Tinsley <stinsley@al-ba.com>; bsbutler@ua.edu <bsbutler@ua.edu>; Christopher Jones <jonesc1@uab.edu>
Sent: Saturday, October 7, 2023 at 05:51:04 PM CDT
Subject: Proposed UAB Critical Conversations event & American Bar Association Task Force for Democracy
Dear CBS42, ABC3340, WBRC6 and WVTM13:
The purpose of this email to to find a Birmingham TV station that is willing to involve itself (sponsor, publicize, moderate) a UAB Critical Conversations event (
https://www.uab.edu/dei/cace/campus-engagement/critical-conversations) that focuses on 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/.
For more information about this proposed UAB Critical Conversations event, please read
https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2023/10/uab-critical-conversations-and-american.html and
https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2023/08/american-bar-association-task-force-for.html.
I hope a Birmingham TV station is willing to involve itself in this proposed UAB Critical Conversations event.
Thank you for your attention to this email.
Sincerely,
Rob Shattuck
Mountain Brook
Emails to Samford UniversityFrom: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: Amcewan@samford.edu <amcewan@samford.edu>; mwithers@samford.edu <mwithers@samford.edu>; jcobia@samford.edu <jcobia@samford.edu>
Cc: dburch1@samford.edu <dburch1@samford.edu>; denisonian@denison.edu <denisonian@denison.edu>
Sent: Monday, October 2, 2023 at 09:23:50 AM CDT
Subject: "Listening, Speaking and Teaching" at Samford; American Bar Association Task Force for American DemocracyDear Dr. Ewan, Dr. Witherspoon, and Dr. Cobia:
I am sending you this email in follow up to the below August 12th email I sent to Cumberland Law School Dean Hudson (c/o Deborah Clayton) relative to 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/.
I have not heard from Dean Hudson and do not know what his thinking is about what I have suggested.
The ABA Task Force says, during the coming year, it will reach out beyond lawyers, as it needs do given its mission, and I am doing that in Alabama, including to the business community, the university academic community and the news broadcasting community.
My efforts are indicated at
https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2023/08/american-bar-association-task-force-for.html.
I am sending you this follow up email because of your involvement in the "Listening, Speaking and Teaching" event at Samford earlier this year, reported at
https://www.samford.edu/education/news/2023/Listening-Speaking-and-Teaching-the-Subject-of-2023-Diversity-Forum?imageDo you think a " "Listening, Speaking and Teaching" event relative to
the American Bar Association Task Force for American Democracy and its Mission Statement can be organized at Samford?
As encouragement regarding the scope and mode of such a "Listening, Speaking and Teaching" event, I cite you Denison University's Debates and Discourse Program reported at
https://denisonian.com/2023/09/news/college-debates-and-discourse-program-partners-with-denison/If there is anyone else at Samford to whom this email would be better directed, please tell me.
Thank you very much for your attention to this email.
Sincerely,
Rob Shattuck
Mountain Brook
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From: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: Amcewan@samford.edu <amcewan@samford.edu>; mwithers@samford.edu <mwithers@samford.edu>; jcobia@samford.edu <jcobia@samford.edu>
Cc: dburch1@samford.edu <dburch1@samford.edu>; denisonian@denison.edu <denisonian@denison.edu>
Sent: Monday, October 9, 2023 at 08:26:27 AM CDT
Subject: FYI I'm also working on UAB Critical Conversations event re ABA Task Force for American Democracy
Dear Dr. Ewan, Dr. Witherspoon, and Dr. Cobia:
In follow up to my October 2nd email to you, please be advised I am also working on a UAB Critical Conversations event regarding the American Bar Association Task Force for American Democracy, which would be similar to the "Listening, Speaking and Teaching" event I am suggesting for Samford.
https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2023/10/uab-critical-conversations-and-american.html.
Both UAB and Samford can hold the events I am suggesting as far as I am concerned, but I thought you should be at least informed.
I hope Samford will move forward with my suggestion.
Thank you.
Rob Shattuck
Email to Auburn UniversityFrom: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: hollie.cost@auburn.edu <hollie.cost@auburn.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2023 at 06:43:37 PM CDT
Subject: Auburn Outreach & Public Service; American Bar Association Task Force for Democracy
Dear Dr. Cost:
I am not sure whether Auburn Outreach and Office of Public Service, of which you are the Assistant Vice President, is the best place to direct this email, but I will try.
The purpose of this email is to suggest an Auburn event relative to 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/.
I am a retired lawyer living in Mountain Brook AL. I have taken up pushing for supportive activities in Alabama relative to the ABA's Task Force. My efforts are indicated at
https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2023/08/american-bar-association-task-force-for.html.
The ABA Task Force says, during the coming year, it will reach out beyond lawyers, as it needs do given its mission, and I am doing that in Alabama, including to the business community, the university academic community and the news broadcasting community.
Do you think an Auburn event could be organized that is focused on the American Bar Association's Task Force for American Democracy and its Mission Statement?
For your information, I have put out this idea for consideration by UAB and Samford University in Birmingham, as indicated in
https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2023/10/uab-critical-conversations-and-american.html.
If you are not the best person at Auburn to whom to direct this email, please tell me who is a better person.
Thank you very much for your attention to this email.
Sincerely,
Rob Shattuck
Mountain Brook
Email to R. William Ide III, Vice Chair, American Bar Association Task Force for American Democracy From: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: bill.ide@akerman.com <bill.ide@akerman.com>
Cc: emyang@wstrongllc.com <emyang@wstrongllc.com>; marty@mitchellmeadows.com <marty@mitchellmeadows.com>
Sent: Saturday, October 14, 2023 at 05:34:50 PM CDT
Subject: Trying for Alabama university conversation events re ABA Task Force for American Democracy
Dear Mr. Ide:
Currently I am importuning Alabama universities to hold community conversation events that will contribute to advancing in Alabama the mission of the ABA's Task Force for American Democracy. What I have done thus far in this regard is indicated at
https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2023/10/uab-critical-conversations-and-american.html.
If you or your co-reporters Elizabeth Yang and Marty Smith have any suggestions or can refer me to any resources in Alabama for helping me in getting such community conversation events to be held by the Alabama universities, that would be much appreciated.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Rob Shattuck
Email to Professor Erwin, chair of Auburn political science department
From: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: coe0001@auburn.edu <coe0001@auburn.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2023 at 08:20:10 PM CDT
Subject: Seeking supportive activity at Auburn re American Bar Association Task Force for Democracy
Dear Professor Erwin:
Last week I sent the below email to Dr. Hollie Cost, Assistant Vice President of Auburn Outreach and Office of Public Service, soliciting the holding of an Auburn event relative to 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/.
I don't know who at Auburn would be interested in the holding of such an event. I am sending this email to you because you are the chair of the Auburn political science department, and either you might be interested in such an event being held or you might forward this email to someone else at Auburn who you think would be interested.
Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
Rob Shattuck
Mountain Brook, AL
Reply email to Bryan Taylor, candidate for Chief Justice of Alabama Supreme CourtFrom: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: Bryan Taylor for Chief Justice <bryan@bryantaylor.com>
Cc: Sarahstewartforchiefjustice Info <info@sarahstewartforchiefjustice.com>; Christopher Jones <jonesc1@uab.edu>; amcewan@samford.edu <amcewan@samford.edu>; mwithers@samford.edu <mwithers@samford.edu>; jcobia@samford.edu <jcobia@samford.edu>; dburch1@samford.edu <dburch1@samford.edu>; Cathleen Erwin <coe0001@auburn.edu>; bill.ide@akerman.com <bill.ide@akerman.com>; emyang@wstrongllc.com <emyang@wstrongllc.com>; marty@mitchellmeadows.com <marty@mitchellmeadows.com>; Terri B. Lovell <terri.lovell@alabar.org>
Sent: Saturday, November 4, 2023 at 07:20:42 AM CDT
Subject: Re: Taylor picks up endorsements from veteran GOP prosecutors
Dear Bryan,
I have solicited UAB, Samford and Auburn to host public conversation events concerning the American Bar Association Task Force for American Democracy, the mission of which is set out at
https://www.americanbar.org/groups/leadership/office_of_the_president/american-democracy/overview/. (For more information on what I am doing, see
https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2023/10/uab-critical-conversations-and-american.html.)
If such a conversation event was held, would you be willing to participate? Would you be willing to suggest to the veteran GOP prosecutors David Barber, Brandon Falls, and Randall Houston, who have endorsed you, that they participate in such conversation events? Would you challenge your opponent Sarah Stewart to join with you in participating in such a conversation event?
I am copying on this email your opponent Sarah Stewart; the persons I have contacted at UAB, Samford and Auburn; the Vice Chair of the Task Force and its Task Force's reporters; and Terri Lovell of the Alabama State Bar.
Thanks for your attention to this email.
Rob Shattuck
Mountain Brook
[above email was sent to Bryan Taylor in reply to a Nov. 1 email I received from him that had subject line "Taylor picks up endorsements from veteran GOP prosecutors"]
Email to Caroleene DobsonFrom: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: cdobson@maynardnexsen.com <cdobson@maynardnexsen.com>
Cc: Christopher Jones <jonesc1@uab.edu>; amcewan@samford.edu <amcewan@samford.edu>; mwithers@samford.edu <mwithers@samford.edu>; jcobia@samford.edu <jcobia@samford.edu>; dburch1@samford.edu <dburch1@samford.edu>; Cathleen Erwin <coe0001@auburn.edu>; bill.ide@akerman.com <bill.ide@akerman.com>; emyang@wstrongllc.com <emyang@wstrongllc.com>; marty@mitchellmeadows.com <marty@mitchellmeadows.com>; Terri B. Lovell <terri.lovell@alabar.org>
Sent: Sunday, November 5, 2023 at 08:22:59 AM CST
Subject: Your Cong'l candidacy; ABA Task Force for American Democracy; endorsing Trump or not
Dear Caroleene,
You are a lawyer at Maynard Nexsen, who has announced that you are running as a Republican in the Alabama 2nd Congressional district election.
As you may know, the American Bar Association has created a Task Force for American Democracy, having a mission statement that is set out at
https://www.americanbar.org/groups/leadership/office_of_the_president/american-democracy/overview/ I hope you will read the entirety of the mission statement.
I selectively call to your attention the below from the mission statement:
"Clearly, our American democracy is not as strong as we once thought and there are those who seem determined to push it to the breaking point."
"ways to maximize voter confidence and participation in our democratic process;"
"ways to dis-incentivize irresponsible and extremist rhetoric and positions among elected officials and candidates for elective office;"
"ways for ensuring the integrity and the safety of state election officials and workers across the country;"
"The report will explain why democracy is foundational to American society and the welfare of the American people, provide an analysis of the root causes for today's threats to our democracy and rule of law, and recommend actions to be taken to restore, protect, and preserve our democracy and the rule of law."
In my opinion Donald Trump is "determined to push [American democracy] to the breaking point" and is the paramount "threat to our democracy and rule of law" as the unquestioned leader of "those who seem determined to push [American democracy] to the breaking point."
Further I think any candidate, such as yourself, who endorses Donald Trump is contributing to "push[ing] [American democracy] to the breaking point;" and is part of the "threat to our democracy and rule of law."
You, of course, will decide for yourself whether you agree with my foregoing characterizations of Donald Trump and of candidates who endorse Donald Trump, and whether you will endorse Donald Trump or not.
Regardless, I call to your attention that I have solicited UAB, Samford and Auburn to host public conversation events relative to the ABA's Task Force for American Democracy, per what is set out at
https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2023/10/uab-critical-conversations-and-american.html. I hope, if such a conversation event is held, you would be willing to participate in the same.
For your information, the persons copied on this email are professors I have contacted at UAB, Samford and Auburn; the Vice Chair of the ABA Task Force and the Task Force's two reporters; and Terri Lovell of the Alabama State Bar.
Thank you for your attention to this email.
Sincerely,
Rob Shattuck
Mountain Brook
