"the justices made the ruling, let them enforce it." (Andrew Jackson). In this age of an out-of-control Supreme Legislature, has any great American quote ever rang so true and perfect?
Well, that would be a great thing, to have the President or Congress or a few states tell the Supreme Court to screw off. I do think they have overstepped their bounds on a few occassions. However, let's put that quotation in context. President Jackson said that in 1832 immediately after finding out that the Indian Removal Act had just been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. The IRA, the law which sanctioned the forced removal of "the Five Civilized Tribes" from the Southeast to Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma) was the law that led to the infamous Trail of Tears, one of the darkest and most shameful chapters of American history. It was government-sanctioned ethnic cleansing, no two ways about it. And it was indeed unconstitutional, at least as far as one tribe, the Cherokee, were concerned. The Cherokee had been recognized as landowning, taxpaying U.S. citizens and residents of their respective states for decades up until that point. Many had become wealthy businessmen and politicians and plantation owners in Georgia and South Carolina. They were certainly not a threat to peace and security. The only tribe of the five that was in arms against the U.S. Govt. was the Seminole tribe. The whole thing was nothing more than ethnic cleansing, motivated by greed for Indian land. And Jackson, veteran of many Indian wars, known to the Creek as "Sharp Knife" (wonder how he got that name?) let it happen, blinded by his own prejudice, convinced Indians were "heathen savages" who could never peacefully co-exist with white men. The Supreme Court was right to step in and say something. Of course, back then, Jackson realized what everyone else should realize: if I choose not to enforce the decisions of the Court, what can they do about it? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! So on he went. Don't get me wrong. Jackson was one of our greatest presidents. But nobody's perfect, and his fatal flaw was arrogance. Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely, and power corrupted Andrew Jackson. His entire presidency is a case study in the abuse of executive authority. That said, I just wish Richard Nixon or a few state governors had been so brazen back in 1973. The cause was definitely a whole lot more noble. And the Supreme Court does need to be reeled in a little bit. But I am not in the mood to simply exchange the nine high priests in black robes for one overbearing tyrant. All I want is a return to constitutional principles.
Despite the context, AJ is a great man b/c of the wisdom of that quote. it is truly timeless. And with our out of control Supreme Legislature deciding consistently against the will of the people through the franchise and our elected officials, there is never a better time than today for such a blow across the smug brow of the nine Kings and Queens.
Re: Despite the context, AJ is a great man b/c of the wisdom of that quote. Man, I appreciate your, um, writing style, but you make no sense. Don't be so narrow-minded that you do not see the history of the Court and place it into proper context. You may not appreciate the rulings now, but over the course of history, things have a way of playing out. Or would you rather your Justices all agree with you so that we can all goose-step to your particular world-view?
I ain't goose-stepping to Adolf Kennedy and Eva O'Connor! Cut the empty-minded crap and the "proper context"! Context this, we have a court now that is making more public policy decisions that the most active of city councils. I anxiously await the inevitable 5-4 decision over the Constitutionality of the "instant replay in the NFL" (they've made PGA rules already) and how they "feel" about parallel parking and its "context" in terms of what they are doing about that issue in Europe. And the worse is, we're stuck with these fools since no one, regardless of what party the President and non-super majority is in the US Senate, will be confirmed because no nominee to the USSC will get 2/3 of the vote of the Senate!
With the streetcars about to roll again on Canal Street, wouldn't it be a symbol, like this nation has never seen, if we can get Brown reversed, Plessy back into law, the very day the streetcars roll? The sybolism would be perfect (unless Plessy was about those st charles street cars - would you know, Mr W?)
