High-Stakes Courts

[Terri]

By Thomas Sowell
July 1, 2008

Recent landmark court decisions are reminders that elections are not just about putting candidates in office for a few years.

The judges that elected officials put on the bench can remake the legal landscape, change fundamental social policies and even affect the way wars are fought, long after those who appointed them have served their terms and passed from the scene.

The Supreme Court recently created a new "right" out of thin air for captured enemy soldiers and terrorists-- the right to seek release in the federal courts, something that neither the Constitution nor the Geneva Convention provided.

The High Court has also struck down gun control laws as violations of the Second Amendment. Whatever the legal merits or the policy merits of that decision, it is a major change, created by judges.

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[FlaJim]

It is hoped that this will be read by the nitwits who are claiming a moral rectitude in vowing to either stay home this fall or cast a vote for a third party candidate.

Want to see Hussein appoint Shrillary to the SCOTUS? It's in the cards and she'd love nothing more than legislating from the bench.

[clovers]

FLAJIM: I agree with you! But we are beating a dead horse when it comes to changing the cement-set minds of the stubborn "I won't compromise my principles" group.
I pray that they'll have a change of heart on election day,- otherwise it's President Obama in the White House and Mme. Clinton on the Supreme Court - and God help all of us!

LT

[STEELMAN]

Someone has been putting something in the water at the court house. How can they all of a sudden make such diasasterous decisions in their "right mind?"

Call the greenies! Call the plumber! Call the water testers!

[DRLJR]

And keep in mind the Justices in the majority on the Heller case did not even read the 2nd Amendment correctly. The amendment is a compound sentence with 2 subjects and 1 predicate which under English can be written as 2 separate sentences. There is no prefatory clause.

And the meanings of the words have not changed in the 200 years. And the majority still failed to properly understand the amendment. As a result they left some unconstitutional "restrictions" in place.

Electing individuals who will read the US Constitution as it is written versus what they want it to say is just as important when electing Representatives and Senators as it is with the Presidential election.

[RiverKing]

As usual, Dr. Sowell is right on the mark. Unfortunately, FlaJim and clovers are probably right, too.

I have "survived" 11 Presidential elections as an adult and can't recall a single one that wasn't "the most important election in our history" but this one may actually fit that description.

[schillerbjr]

Every Presidential election I vote, the Supreme Court is high on my list of qualifications.


2008 will be no different!!