"You are the best governor ever -- deserving of great respect."
Does THIS exlain the reluctance to join the "Big Gulp" (R)'s?
Yawn...Big deal. I know people who are absolutely brilliant thinkers and yet can't write. I know a few fantastic writers who are dumber than rocks.
If you haven't already, click on the link and read the last few paragraphs of this story. It's not just her writing style that's disturbing.
You are exactly right. However, in the legal realm, especially at this level, a person has to be able to express their thoughts precisely and accurately in writing.
"Yawn. I know people who are absolutely brilliant thinkers and yet can't write."
With respect, you seem to suffer from a surfeit of insouciance.
Yawning at the inability of a potential Supreme Court justice to write, when writing is fundamental to the job?
Yesterday, when I read Brooks' article, I thought it was a big deal. A very big deal.
Then, I remembered something rather important.
First, those articles are set pieces for a small, specialized audience. It required no more effort than she gave to them. There was probably no editorial staff and the only review was done by printer.
Second, SC opinions are not set pieces. The drafts are reviewed, edited, re-edited, circulated among the Justices, discussed, and edited again and again until the meaning of the text matches the Justice's intent.
The criticism is bogus. I should have realized that straight away.
Preferring to make my views known to the White House and to my senators by personal mail, I have generally avoided commenting on this forum about Ms. Miers' qualifications. Your remark, however, pushed me to the edge. How?Over a twenty-year span in my profession of teaching both English composition and literature, I've taught thousands of students. To date, not ONE bright student failed to write coherently, even brilliantly, but, without exception, all of the poor thinkers invariably produced equally poor writing.
Simply put, as the mind works, so do the words tumbling out on paper (or on a word processor). Ms. Miers' mushy, unintelligible writing not only reveals a mushy, mediocre mind but also portends an embarrassing process. A "nice" woman does not an exceptionally qualified Supreme Court justice make. I, for one, hope she steps aside.
Regards . . . Penny
> Yawn...Big deal. I know people who are absolutely brilliant thinkers and yet can't write. I know a few fantastic writers who are dumber than rocks.
Without reference to Miers in particular, don't you think a SCOTUS job description is one of those that requires acumen in both areas... thinking and writing, given that future precedent is not set on what a justice thought, but on the words set down in the opinions that they wrote?
Anyone whose name we might recognize?
This woman can do nothing wrong in your eyes, can she? If she streaked the South Lawn you'd say "she's in really good shape for her age!"
I think we have to begin hoping that the nomination is recalled before this gets any uglier. What was he thinking?
Where a SCJ is concerned,its a very big deal. Lawyers will make arguments, and judges will make decisions, based on what she wrote, not what she thought.
"Big deal. I know people who are absolutely brilliant thinkers and yet can't write. I know a few fantastic writers who are dumber than rocks."
Ditto.
I read well articulated, well argued, deeply researched balderdash every day. Pick up any wall street analyst stock report.
Do you also know some brilliant pilots who can't fly, or some magnificent chefs who can't cook?
Yeah, but for a spot on the SCOTUS we should look for someone is both a great writer and a brilliant thinker.
"You are the best governor ever -- deserving of great respect."
Does THIS exlain the reluctance to join the "Big Gulp" (R)'s?
Agreed!
Meirs' undergrad degree was in mathematics. Can't fake that.
(As I recall, Bush's SAT's were low in Verbal and high in Math.)
"I know a few fantastic writers who are dumber than rocks."
Then they can't be all that fantastic.
Please, examples.
"We have to understand and appreciate that achieving
justice for all is in jeopardy before a call to arms to assist in obtaining
support for the justice system will be effective. Achieving the necessary
understanding and appreciation of why the challenge is so important, we can
then turn to the task of providing the much needed support."
Huh?
But writing is a clear part of the job of a justice, not that all of them are good writers, I am sure.