Justice Antonin Scalia Browse All Authors Top 19 quotes by Justice Antonin Scalia The basic problem is simply that the Congress has become professionalized. It has interest much higher than ever existed before in remaining in office. It has a bureaucracy that is serving it. It is much more subject to the power of individualized pressure groups as opposed to the unorganized feelings of the majority of the citizens. Justice Antonin Scalia The Declaration of Independence, however, is not a legal prescription conferring powers upon the courts; and the Constitution's refusal to deny or disparage other rights is far removed from affirming any one of them, and even farther removed from authorizing judges to identify what they might be, and to enforce the judges' list against laws duly enacted by the people. Justice Antonin Scalia [T]he enshrinement of constitutional rights necessarily takes certain policy choices off the table.... 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. Justice Antonin Scalia The issue on gay rights, on abortion, on many of the issues in which Ruth's opinions and my opinions differ does not pertain to the substance, it doesn't pertain to whether gay people ought to have those rights — whether there ought to be a constitutional right — a right to abortion, that isn't the issue, the issue is quite simply who decides, that's all. Justice Antonin Scalia politics My shtick is, as you may know, textualism, I believe that judges should adhere to the text of the law and not amend or revise it to accord with what they think the law ought to be. Justice Antonin Scalia politics 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. Justice Antonin Scalia politics He took one for the team. Justice Antonin Scalia politics We're just old-fashioned Catholics, playing what used to be known as 'Vatican Roulette,'. Justice Antonin Scalia politics I have no illusions that your man will nominate someone who shares my orientation, but I hope he sends us someone smart. Justice Antonin Scalia top-news 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. Justice Antonin Scalia politics Maybe the legislature and the president are not as stupid as you think, they assuredly picked those people because of who they are and when they get to the court they remain who they were. Justice Antonin Scalia politics The death penalty? Give me a break. It's easy. Abortion? Absolutely easy. Nobody ever thought the Constitution prevented restrictions on abortion. Homosexual sodomy? Come on. For 200 years, it was criminal in every state. Justice Antonin Scalia politics Sometimes people come up to me and inquire, 'Justice Scalia, when did you first become an originalist?' As though it's some weird affliction, you know, 'When did you start eating human flesh?'. Justice Antonin Scalia politics It has turned into a childish spectacle, i don't want to be there to lend dignity to it. Justice Antonin Scalia politics The problem is that everything that is collectively bargained with the government is within the political sphere almost by definition. Justice Antonin Scalia top-news We really should start calling the law SCOTUScare. Justice Antonin Scalia health-news It's been the law for 40 years, disaster has not occurred, and why, when something is so well established throughout the United States, should this court come in and change it? Justice Antonin Scalia top-news I mean, if in fact the execution was not properly conducted, I don't see how you can blame it on the drug. Justice Antonin Scalia top-news It's a silly way to read them. Justice Antonin Scalia politics
