FORMER CHIEF JUDGERobert Henry (USSYP OK – 1971)The Principles of the Enlightenment Holding True(LEFT) Judge Henry with Oklahoma delegatesRaven Owens and Tuqa Alibadi“I hope youwill leave thistremendousgathering with anew commitmentto following thelaw that has madethis country so verygreat and the envyof the world.”Former Chief JudgeRobert Henry (USSYP OK – 1971)Distinguished alum Judge Robert Henry’s kickoff speaking event has been a cherishedtradition of the USSYP for nearly 20 years. The former Chief Judge opened the first in-personWashington Week Monday presentation since the start of the pandemic – and his messagewas hopeful. His long tenure at the highest ranks of the Judicial branch set the stage for the groupvisit to the Supreme Court later that day, and his former posts as Oklahoma state legislator and stateattorney general further informed his perspective on government, politics and the law. He held aloft acopy of the book Enlightenment Now by Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker, encouraging the studentsto remember and commit themselves to the core principles upon which America was founded. Ourfounding leaders “were concerned with reason, science, humanism and progress,” and were not “heldin lockstep with old ideas,” Judge Henry noted. An open-minded, multi-disciplinary thought processis needed now more than ever to tackle our nation’s challenges, he posited, pointing to Pinker’s datadriven thesis of the Enlightenment’s enormous historical success around the globe. Judge Henrydiscussed the bedrock role of the Judiciary in providing stability in uncertain times. “This country isplanted thick with laws; most of them are good. I hope you will leave this tremendous gathering witha new commitment to following the law that has made this country so very great and the envy of theworld.” Oklahoma delegate Raven Owens applauded Judge Henry in her closing remarks: “He has livedby the philosophy that public service is the rent you pay for the space you occupy.” Fellow delegate TuqaAlibadi agreed: “He has proven to us the potential we all hold.”14 | UNITED STATES SENATE YOUTH PROGRAM 2023
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