Posted on 03/02/2005 9:23:47 AM PST by churchillbuff
You telling me, Justice Kennedy, that they didn't execute juvenile murderers in the time when the Constitution was enacted? I don't belive it. (Actually Kennedy doesn't even ask that question -- he doesn't care what the people who wrote the constitution believed).
What this travesty of a decision shows is that the NUCLEAR OPTION is ESSENTIAL to get us some decent judges on federal courts. If the Republican senators are afraid of the Democrats, then it's time for them to be made even MORE AFRAID of the REPUBLICAN GRASS ROOTS!! MAYBE A MARCH ON WASHINGTON, TARGETING OUR OWN REPBULICAN SENATORS AND DEMANDING THAT THEY GROW SPINES?
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Because the same Republican senators who won't stand up to the Democrats when the GOP is in the majority, wouldn't stand up to the Democrats when the GOP was in the minority. Contrariwise, the Democrats play street-tough whether they're in the majority or the minority.
There are those who, in a way, expressed their indifference to this ruling saying "It's OK, these criminals will spend life in prison". This statement indicates clearly where the thrust of the supporters of the ruling are going with this - 'Rehabilitation' and eventual release back into Society.
What is missing from this hope for the eventual rehabilitation of these minors are statistics regarding recidivism - i.e., What is the rate at which youthful offenders, released after such 'Rehabilitation' go on to commit more, often worse, offenses after their release? I don't have the precise numbers but I recall that the rate is very high and I have no reason to think any released as a result of this ruling will be any less inclined to future violent acts than those already unleashed on the public.
IMO yet another victory of the rights of criminals over the right of Society to be safe. This artificial break between Youth and Adulthood ignoring the nature and severity of the offense is a farce.
What ever happened to "if you're old enough to do the crime...you're old enough to do the time"? If a "kid" commits an adult crime, then they have already surrendered any claim to be a "child".
Except for that technicality, I agree with you on this one.
The thing that burns me up about this court ruling is how the majority based their opinion on U.N. year-of-the-child prattle and foreign laws. That's the same thing they did last year in Lawrence v. Texas.
If that crack keeps widening, we're going down fast ! I'm ready to take action to boot them. Anybody got any ideas?
Not going to happen. Frist doesn't have the balls.
Now, PLEASE let him prove me wrong.
I don't know enuff about the "Nuclear Option" to decide if I support it or not, but I DO believe that Congress should begin IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS against liberal judges. I have heard that members of the Supreme Court have based their decisions on "international law", the laws of other countries, & our changing moral climate--rather than using the Constitution as the source for our laws.
This is an OUTRAGE, & I think this has got to stop! The Founding Fathers gave impeachment powers to Congress for a PURPOSE, & they should use them. It doesn't only apply to the President being impeached, 'cuz ALL constitutional officers of the US should face this threat in order to keep their office, obey their constitutional Oaths, & behave themselves.
The first replacement will be Bush's best chance to get a conservative candidate, seeing that Rehnquist will almost certainly be the first justice to step down. If Bush has to settle for a compromise candidate to replace part of the conservative bloc on the court, then we're in big trouble.
Oh, I don't doubt that. Because the Democrats know that if they can force Bush to accept a compromise candidate (e.g. a Souter) as a replacement for Rehnquist, then that would leave only 2 conservatives on the court, and we'd have a liberal Supreme Court for at least the next generation. They will have won the ultimate battle. I can't see Bush caving on this. I think Frist will use the "nuclear (constitutional) option" if needed for Supreme Court nominees. In fact, I think he's been intentionally saving it just for that purpose.
Do you think there are 67 votes in the Senate to convict?
I'm a conservative who opposes the death penalty... So I dont really think this is a conservative-liberal issue.
I oppose the death penalty because it cannot be corrected if a mistake is made, it is state-sanctioned murder, and it is costly.
I prefer life without parole... let a 16 year old kid think about being in prison for 70 or 80 years....
You will have trouble finding ANY Rebublicans with balls.
First we were told that they couldn't do anything without a majority in the House.
After they had a majority in the House, we were told that without a majority in the Senate, nothing could be done.
After they had a majority in both House and Senate, that nothing could be done without a Republican in the White House.
After they had a majority in both houses AND a Republican president, nothing could be done without a BIGGER majority.
Now they have that and THEY STILL CAN'T GET A FRICKING THING ACCOMPLISHED!!!
I believe that if the entire House and all of the Senate with the exception of Drunken Ted were Republicans, the Republicans still would not have enough balls to start a girls softball game.
Rush spent some time on this issue today - he said that the APA (American Psychological Assn) states that girls 14 to 18 are smart enough to have an abortion - but boys under 18 are not smart enough to make the right decision about killing someone ..??
The APA is the one with the psychological problem.
Fortunately, with genetic testing mistakes are now nearly impossible.
it is state-sanctioned murder
It's state sanctioned execution. There's a difference.
and it is costly.
How costly is it to put a plastic bag over their heads?
The nuclear option was when they decided to fillibuster judicial nominees.
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