Posted on 02/16/2016 10:19:47 AM PST by NKP_Vet
WASHINGTON - JUNE 07: Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia listens to remarks after participating in the swearing in of new Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne on the South Lawn of the White House June 7, 2006 in Washington, DC. Kempthorne succeeds Gale Norton, who stepped down in March. Kempthorne faces some opposition from Senate Democrats after saying he supports an expansion of oil and gas drilling in public lands and waters. He swore his oath of office on his great-grandfather's Bible.
Justice Antonin Scalia passed away Friday at the age of 79. The conservative-leaning, Reagan appointed Justice was famous for his dry, blistering dissents and firm commitment to Constitutional originalism. Scalia, who was educated at Harvard Law and was a practicing Roman Catholic, did not mince words on the following hot-button issues:
On Constitutional Flexibility: That's the argument of flexibility and it goes something like this: The Constitution is over 200 years old and societies change. It has to change with society, like a living organism, or it will become brittle and break. But you would have to be an idiot to believe that. The Constitution is not a living organism, it is a legal document. It says something and doesn't say other things. SOURCE: National Review
On the existence of the Devil: You're looking at me as though I'm weird. My god! Are you so out of touch with most of America, most of which believes in the devil? I mean, Jesus Christ believed in the devil! It's in the Gospels! You travel in circles that are so, so removed from mainstream America that you are appalled that anybody would believe in the devil! Most of mankind has believed in the devil, for all of history. Many more intelligent people than you or me have believed in the devil. SOURCE: NY Mag
On Judicial Overreach: It is difficult to maintain the illusion that we are interpreting a Constitution, rather than inventing one, when we amend its provisions so breezily. SOURCE: Bloomberg
On the Bill of Rights & popular opinion: A Bill of Rights that means what the majority wants it to mean is worthless. SOURCE: Star-Telegram
On Evolution vs. Creationism: The body of scientific evidence supporting creation science is as strong as that supporting evolution. In fact, it may be stronger.. The evidence for evolution is far less compelling than we have been led to believe. Evolution is not a scientific "fact," since it cannot actually be observed in a laboratory. Rather, evolution is merely a scientific theory or "guess.". It is a very bad guess at that. The scientific problems with evolution are so serious that it could accurately be termed a "myth." SOURCE: Patheos
On the Death Penalty and Pain: This is an execution, not surgery. . . . Where does that come from, that you must find the method of execution that causes the least pain? We have approved electrocution. We have approved death by firing squad. SOURCE: Student News Daily
On Affirmative Action: To pursue the concept of racial entitlement-even for the most admirable and benign of purposes - is to reinforce and preserve for future mischief the way of thinking that produced race slavery, race privilege and race hatred. In the eyes of government, we are just one race here. It is American. SOURCE: Cornell Law
On the 2nd Amendment: Undoubtedly some think that the Second Amendment is outmoded in a society where our standing army is the pride of our Nation, where well-trained police forces provide personal security, and where gun violence is a serious problem. That is perhaps debatable, but what is not debatable is that it is not the role of this Court to pronounce the Second Amendment extinct. SOURCE: ABC News
On politically appointed Judges: As long as judges tinker with the Constitution to 'do what the people want,' instead of what the document actually commands, politicians who pick and confirm new federal judges will naturally want only those who agree with them politically. SOURCE: LA Times
On The Supreme Courts ruling on Obamacare: Under all the usual rules of interpretation, in short, the Government should lose this case. But normal rules of interpretation seem always to yield to the overriding principle of the present Court: The Affordable Care Act must be saved. SOURCE: ABC News
On Capitalism: For in order for capitalism to work - in order for it to produce a good and a stable society - the traditional Christian virtues are essential. SOURCE: Huffington Post
On Character: Bear in mind that brains and learning, like muscle and physical skill, are articles of commerce. They are bought and sold. You can hire them by the year or by the hour. The only thing in the world not for sale is character. SOURCE: New York Times
On Democracy: Persuade your fellow citizens it's a good idea and pass a law. That's what democracy is all about. It's not about nine superannuated judges who have been there too long, imposing these demands on society. SOURCE: New York Times
On Christians vs. Intellectuals: God assumed from the beginning that the wise of the world would view Christians as fools.and He has not been disappointed. Devout Christians are destined to be regarded as fools in modern society. We are fools for Christ's sake. We must pray for courage to endure the scorn of the sophisticated world. If I have brought any message today, it is this: Have the courage to have your wisdom regarded as stupidity. Be fools for Christ. And have the courage to suffer the contempt of the sophisticated world. SOURCE: Mazeministry
On raising children: A right of parents to direct the upbringing of their children is among the 'unalienable Rights' with which the Declaration of Independence proclaims 'all men . . . are endowed by their Creator. SOURCE: YAHOO
On the court ruling on Gay Marriage: To allow the policy question of same-sex marriage to be considered and resolved by a select, patrician, highly unrepresentative panel of nine is to violate a principle even more fundamental than no taxation without representation: no social transformation without representation.
If, even as the price to be paid for a fifth vote, I ever joined an opinion for the Court that began: 'The Constitution promises liberty to all within its reach, a liberty that includes certain specific rights that allow persons, within a lawful realm, to define and express their identity,' I would hide my head in a bag. The Supreme Court of the United States has descended from the disciplined legal reasoning of John Marshall and Joseph Story to the mystical aphorisms of the fortune cookie. SOURCE: Bustle
On being a good Judge: If you're going to be a good and faithful judge, you have to resign yourself to the fact that you're not always going to like the conclusions you reach. If you like them all the time, you're probably doing something wrong. SOURCE: Romper
On Separation of Church and State and the Pledge of Allegiance: I think the main fight is to dissuade Americans from what the secularists are trying to persuade them to be true: that the separation of church and state means that the government cannot favor religion over non-religion. We do Him [God] honor in our pledge of allegiance, in all our public ceremonies. There's nothing wrong with that. It is in the best of American traditions, and don't let anybody tell you otherwise. I think we have to fight that tendency of the secularists to impose it on all of us through the Constitution. SOURCE: Huffington Post
On Originalism: On this day, when we're celebrating our constitutional heritage, I urge you to be faithful to that heritage - to impose on our fellow citizens only the restrictions that are there in the Constitution, not invent new ones, not to invent the right because it's a good idea. SOURCE: Google News
On the decline of the Supreme Court: Day by day, case by case, the Supreme Court is busy designing a Constitution for a country I do not recognize. SOURCE: TIME
Rest in Peace, Justice Scalia
He is sorely missed already. The miserable venal Mitch McConnell had better honor Scalia’s wish not to be replaced by someone who would undo his great work.
Wow...Thank you for posting this. He truly will be missed.
A fine, honorable man.
Good post!
B T T T
We can’t clone him but we can honor him by emulating him and not losing the Republic he fought so hard to keep.
“No social transformation without representation.”
Amen to that!
Cant clone him but, we could remove Kagan from the court since I dont think there is a requirement for 9 in that court.
If McConnell buckles and Hillary gets elected we will lose so many Freedoms we now enjoy we will not recognize this country.
I now believe, this is the most important election since Reagan. I only hope conservatives truly realize the implications and everyone votes for the GOP nominee in the general election.
Thanks for posting.
“If, even as the price to be paid for a fifth vote, I ever joined an opinion for the Court that began: ‘The Constitution promises liberty to all within its reach, a liberty that includes certain specific rights that allow persons, within a lawful realm, to define and express their identity,’ I would hide my head in a bag. The Supreme Court of the United States has descended from the disciplined legal reasoning of John Marshall and Joseph Story to the mystical aphorisms of the fortune cookie.”
What a sharp wit! And how true!
Have 9 Scalia’s on the Supreme Court or don’t have a Supreme Court.
He was a true referee and the extreme leftists that are trashing him are merely revealing their political bias and misunderstanding of what the Supreme Court is designed to do. It is not to “change our lives” and find new rights, that is for elected politicians. It is to review our lives and make sure human actions or inactions are within the written scope of the Constitution.
If Obama puts another Sotomayor on the Court - then don’t even have the Court. It’s worthless. They are merely unaccountable dictators in robes and that is unacceptable. Scalia’s money quote: “A Bill of Rights that means what the majority wants it to mean is worthless.”
I'm wondering why none of the GOP candidates have even brought up that Hillary stated a week or so ago that Obama would be a great Supreme Court Justice.
This is a winning issue for the GOP if they don’t snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Let AMerica decide if we should be a free country or elect Hillary and lose our freedoms if she puts 4 libs on the court.
Awesome. Thanks for posting.
Guarantee you he nominates the racist leftist Loretta Lynch. She was confirmed as AG pretty easy and Bill O’Reilly said she’s great!
These are SO good!
They certainly are.
children: A right of parents to direct the upbringing of their children is among the ‘unalienable Rights’ with which the Declaration of Independence proclaims ‘all men . . . are endowed by their Creator. SOURCE: YAHOO
And California’s rule is clearly unconstitutional. Forcing us to push 30+ vaccines into our child’s body or he won’t be allowed any schooling, camp, or sport activities.
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