Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Toto · 03-19-2003, 11:58 AM

Justice Scalia Bans Media From Free Speech Event

Quote:

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia banned broadcast media from an appearance Wednesday where he will receive an award for supporting free speech.

. . .

Scalia made the same demand on John Carroll University, where he spoke Tuesday night. He talked mostly about the constitutional protection of religions, but also said that government has room to scale back individual rights during wartime without violating the Constitution.

"The Constitution just sets minimums," Scalia said. "Most of the rights that you enjoy go way beyond what the Constitution requires."

also here

Quote:

Shortly after Scalia began speaking, a young man in a T-shirt emblazoned with a peace sign stood in the balcony and read loudly from a prepared statement. Security guards escorted him away.

Scalia, who began his law career in Cleveland in 1961, spoke mainly about religious clauses in the Constitution. Afterward, he entertained questions from the audience.

With war looming in the Middle East, he did not mention Iraq or Saddam Hussein, and only alluded to President Bush - in whose election Scalia played a key role in ratifying.

In response to a student's question, Scalia said it was "a wonderful feeling" to have led the Supreme Court's rejection of a recount of the Florida vote, thus handing the election to Bush.

I'd love to find a copy of what he said about religious clauses. But it sounds like most people have other things on their minds.

Godless Sodomite · 03-19-2003, 12:22 PM

That's almost as rich as it would be if he banned the media from a Free Press event. Still, the man is very scary.

-Jerry

Toto · 03-20-2003, 10:49 AM

Some 'Mystified' by Award to Scalia for Free Speech

Quote:

. . ."I'm mystified by that. He is not a person I would consider to be champion of free expression," said Jane Kirtley, a University of Minnesota law professor.

"He has a mixed record," said professor Robert M. O'Neil, who heads the Thomas Jefferson Center for Free Expression at the University of Virginia. Scalia has voted to strike down limits on campaign contributions, but to uphold a ban on doctors in federal clinics from advising patients about abortion, he said.

Last year, Scalia dissented when the court struck down a law against computer-generated child pornography. He also wrote a ruling for a 5-4 majority that struck down state bans on judges taking stands on issues during election campaigns. In the case before the court, a Republican candidate for the Minnesota Supreme Court had been sanctioned for proclaiming his antiabortion views.

"He is in the middle of the pack on the current court on free-speech issues," said UCLA law professor Eugene Volokh . . . "With Scalia, it's a matter of expectations," he added. Scalia, he said, benefits from the assumption that conservatives will vote against free speech.

Strawberry · 03-20-2003, 02:45 PM

There's a thread in PD about this too. What is it with theists all of a sudden competing to up their irony content farther than previously thought possible?

They should have taken that award away from him the minute he did that...

fromtheright · 03-24-2003, 05:05 PM

Just curious, Toto, did Scalia give any explanation as to why he bans the press or won't take questions?

Toto · 03-24-2003, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by fromtheright
Just curious, Toto, did Scalia give any explanation as to why he bans the press or won't take questions?

I think Scalia takes questions from the audience; he just bans live broadcast. Probably because he's the 800 pound guerilla and he can.

There was an implication in another article that Scalia gives the same speech each time, so banning the broadcast media keeps it fresh.

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03-19-2003, 12:22 PM	#2
Godless Sodomite Regular Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: New York Posts: 453	That's almost as rich as it would be if he banned the media from a Free Press event. Still, the man is very scary. -Jerry

03-20-2003, 02:45 PM	#4
Strawberry Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Lancaster, PA/Toronto, ON, Canada Posts: 627	There's a thread in PD about this too. What is it with theists all of a sudden competing to up their irony content farther than previously thought possible? They should have taken that award away from him the minute he did that...

03-24-2003, 05:05 PM	#5
fromtheright Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 633	Just curious, Toto, did Scalia give any explanation as to why he bans the press or won't take questions?

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