1.0Advocacy and Evidence Resourceshttps://law.temple.edu/aerrich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="In3Xy7ZbJ7"><a href="https://law.temple.edu/aer/2026/09/01/thanks-but-no-thanks/">THANKS BUT NO THANKS</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://law.temple.edu/aer/2026/09/01/thanks-but-no-thanks/embed/#?secret=In3Xy7ZbJ7" width="600" height="338" title="“THANKS BUT NO THANKS” — Advocacy and Evidence Resources" data-secret="In3Xy7ZbJ7" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script> /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); //# sourceURL=https://law.temple.edu/aer/wp-includes/js/wp-embed.min.js </script> My mother’s insistence that I always be polite and say “thank you” has generally held me in good stead.  But in an opening statement? In an article this author recently read, the writer urged that the first sentences of an opening statement thank the jurors for performing their civic duty, a duty only free people