Posted on 10/17/2007 3:25:32 PM PDT by wagglebee
Philadelphia, PA (LifeNews.com) -- Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia attended Catholic celebratory events on Monday and gave a speech at Villanova Law School's Second Annual John F. Scarpa Conference on Law, Politics & Culture. He reconfirmed his belief that the so-called right to abortion is found nowhere in the Constitution.
He said that notion is not guided by his Catholic views but by his understanding of the Constitution and his perspective as a "strict originalist" and "legal positivist."
"Not everything you may care about is in the Constitution," he told the audience, according to a report in The Bulletin newspaper. "It is a legal document that had compromises in it. What it says it says; what it doesn't say it doesn't say."
"I don't agree we are in an era of narrow constitutional interpretation. There are still sweeping decisions out there," Scalia added.
"Roe v. Wade is one. There is nothing in the Constitution about the right to abortion," the associate justice explained.
Scalia said that he also supports the notion that state legislatures should be allowed to make laws because they are closer to the people. That state's rights argument has long been extended towards overturning Roe v. Wade.
"To the extent you believe judges have the right to change law then you are in the soup," he argued, according to The Bulletin.
"Why would you think nine people, much less nine lawyers, are likely to come to a more accurate reflection of current mores than our legislators?"
You are absolutely correct, sir!
That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
You are so right. I was actually shocked at how incoherently written it was when I first read it.
Somehow, I thought he’d be able to convey some of the evil brilliance of the demon who inspired it.
My physician has advised me to not read that sentence. It's bad for my blood pressure.
He probably does, but I want him to tell Justice Kennedy otherwise.
He probably does, but I want him to tell Justice Kennedy otherwise.
“to secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our POSTERITY we do hereby ordain this Constitution of The United States of America.”
...nor healthcare, no education, nor an EPA or OSHA. Add freely to the list.
you wrote:
We have deprived tens of millions of human lives in the past 30+ years
Bingo.
This why the culture war, and the political war over the constitution is FAR more important that the Iraq war ever was. How many Americans did Iraq kill before this war?
Precious political capital was spent on this War. It might cost the GOP the next election, and it will almost certainly cost them the Senate, which will conform any justice.
Freepers Freepers: So many have missed the point: the SCOTUS and the judiciary is where the liberals have gotten their power and worked their will; “conservatives” elected to office mostly do not have the spine to stand up to the courts and are co-opted by the liberal society (say “Orrin Hatch”) Even Reagan got MSM/liberal society approval for sandra Day O”Connor— imagine if we had Bork nominated in 1981 witha republican senate. Scalia and Roberts were major victories but we needed one more and it will likely be 4 years before we get another chance.
sorry eleni121, most of this is my standard FR rant, but the SCOTUS and judiciary is where the action is, not Iraq, and I know too many FReepers obsess over that war.
WFB said years ago (IIRC) that we’d get better decisions from 9 people selected randomly from the phone book
We need him as president...not just a judge. Could we clone him?!
^
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