Posted on 11/13/2010 8:24:12 PM PST by Nachum
LUBBOCK, Texas -- One of the most conservative justices on the U.S. Supreme Court and one of the most liberal ones sparred Friday over capital punishment, the direct election of senators and various other constitutional questions during a rare public debate that highlighted their philosophical differences.
Antonin Scalia, 74, the longest-serving current justice, appointed by Republican President Ronald Reagan, and Stephen Breyer, 72, appointed by Democrat Bill Clinton, shared the stage in front of a crowd of thousands during a West Texas event organized by Texas Tech University Law School.
They particularly clashed on the question of capital punishment.
Scalia argued that while there's room for debate about whether the death penalty is a "good idea or a bad idea," it is not cruel and unusual punishment.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
No. Paraphrasing Ayn Rand. (thanks namvolunteer!)
JFK appointed Byron White as a favor to big labor. White was a lifelong Democrat a big donor to RAT politicians, he was expected to be a solid liberal vote on the court. Instead, he turned out to be right-of-center.
If the plain language has no specific meaning, if rights can be found where none are specifically articulated, if federal judges can usurp state powers and claim a Constitutional basis, if you can interpret the language of the Constitution any way you want ... where is the need to change anything?
War is peace, Freedom is slavery, and Ignorance is strength...George Orwell, 1984
We are a long way down the slippery slope to the demise of the Republic and most of us, even my conservative friends don't or perhaps refuse to recognize it. Tyranny to revolution to liberty to democracy back to tyranny is always the continium. There is no stasis.
Breyer against the death penalty but for abortion.
I presume he will answer for that some day when he meets his maker.
That is a very wise thing to do. Think I will join in prayers for them also!!!
I agree with you. The one thing I never understood we the friendship between Ginsburg and Scalia. Not that they could be friendly with each other which is fine, but the fact that Scalia has not been able to influence her to some of her left wing thinking. Of course maybe they don’t talk politics when they vacation and have meals together....they used to go with their spouses but since she is a widow now I don’t know if they still get together anymore.
Compassion for the guilty is treason to the innocent.
1) We’re all guilty. Read your Bible.
2) If you know anything about Hell, you wouldn’t wish it on anyone.
Check out these testimonies of people God took to Hell and back:
http://www.freecdtracts.com/heavenandhell.htm
Are you recommending vigilanteism, or do you actually mean nothing else but government when you say, "society?"I make the point only because using "society" as a euphemism for government is a classic leftist ploy. Not that your post seems at all "liberal" substantively, but it's a pet peeve of mine. If I were making rules for the House of Representatives, it would be a point of order never to allow the use of the term "society" when nothing other than government is meant.
In the runup to the 2000 election, Democrats criticized the health care expenditures of "Texas." Bush gave the figure for how much money was spent in Texas on health care - i.e., how much the hospital, doctors, etc. of Texas were paid - but the "liberals" wanted to restrict the discussion to how much the State of Texas spent.If you say, "society should feed the children adequately," that is undeniable. If you say that the federal government should feed the children, you are saying that the children's parents have no responsibility for their nurture - and that is a different statement entirely, and one which many would dispute vigorously.
1) “WE” are NOT all guilty of pre-meditated MURDER.
Life Is a Gift from God
If every person has the right to defend — even by force — his person, his liberty, and his property, then it follows that a group of men have the right to organize and support a common force to protect these rights constantly.
http://www.constitution.org/law/bastiat.htm
Societies form governments to handle certain tasks.
IN our government those tasks were enumerated and limited and people (society) back then did not permit govt to do more than it was allowed.
One of the limited tasks is to administer justice via a system of laws applied fairly and accurately. Courts, jails, legitimate trials, executions. This is the context that I offer the comments in.
IN our government those tasks were enumerated and limited and people (society) back then did not permit govt to do more than it was allowed.
One of the limited tasks is to administer justice via a system of laws applied fairly and accurately. Courts, jails, legitimate trials, executions. This is the context that I offer the comments in.
So in that context, you literally mean government - but say "society" while taking for granted that government is the correct part of society for that function. As I say, I quibble only in the sense that others make that same assumption about tasks which are properly not delegated exclusively to the government.
I said what I said. It doesn’t require anyone to interpret it, it is straightforward.
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