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Today in History (1862) - The U.S. government forbids all Union army officers from returning fugitive slaves, thus effectively annulling the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 and setting the stage for the Emancipation Proclamation. On the same day in 1865, the Confederate Congress voted to enlist 300,000 black troops, granting them freedom with the consent of their owners. Lee surrendered a few weeks later. |
To read about Justice Scalia's Tuesday night visit to Harvard University (The Crimson; the official story). No video available as of yet.
The money quote, at least according to Atrios:
I even take the position that sexual orgies eliminate social tensions and ought to be encouraged.UPDATE: Alas, the Crimson misquoted Scalia. His actual statement was, "I even accept for the sake of argument that sexual orgies eliminate social tensions and ought to be encouraged." Apparently the misquote was partly due to the Crimson reporter's not having a tape recorder, remembering the Mississippi speech at which recorders were forcibly erased.
"There had been a miscommunication on whether we could have a recorder," Crimson Managing Editor Elisabeth S. Theodore said. (Scalia's policy allows print reporters to use tape recorders to check accuracy.)
I am trying hard not to vizualize the Justices of the Supreme Court eliminating social tensions by means of an orgy led by Justice Scalia. That's one thing that surely would have to remain confidential, even from Vanity Fair.
Posted by: Shag from Brookline at September 30, 2004 11:04 AMThe new book, "America," written by the writers of the Daily Show, has a page depicting all the current Supreme Court justices in the nude. Of course viewing that page might make your task of not visualizing the orgy that much more difficult.
It is a very funny book though.
Posted by: Sean S at September 30, 2004 10:50 PMI have yet to appear before the SCOTUS to argue a case in my 50 years of practice. I do recall early in my career being told that to overcome the fear of public speaking, to imagine that the audience is naked. In the unlikely event that my time will come to argue before the Court, I cannot imagine using this technique. I don't wish to know what's under the robes. Now if I were permitted to argue in the nude, perhaps that might limit the tough questions from the Justices so that they might focus on the bare facts.
Posted by: Shag from Brookline at October 1, 2004 06:55 AMOf course that quote is ripped out of context.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2004/10/01/national1540EDT0653.DTL&type=printable
Posted by: Jeremy at October 2, 2004 11:22 AMNot really out of context, at least for anyone who knows about Scalia; his point being that no matter how much an individual judge may think something is socially desirable, he ought not overrule the democratic will of citizens on issues of morality.
Posted by: PG at October 2, 2004 11:54 AM