been some time

So. A plethora of opinion-spurring happenings over this brief respite from posts. There has been little need to add to the subsequent cacaphony of responses to the final round of SCOTUS opinions, the retirement of, so far, one Justice, and the appointments process...just to address Court commentary. On the London bombings, I have little to say: terrorists have a more or less retarded, or insane, world view- and our effort to stop the occurance of terrorism must incorporate some creative thinking that differes dramatically from old fashioned warfare. I liked this story, also, from Friday's All Things Considered.

Back ot the Court. Opinions, for your reading:

Van Orden v. Perry. Justice Rehnquist writes the majority, joined by Scalia, Thomas, and Kennedy. The opinion finds no establishmnet clause violation in a monument dedicated to the 10 Commandments on the public grounds before the Texas state capitol building. Souter writes, in my mind, the correct dissent. It has the added benefit of being the most colorful writting I've ever seen from this Justice.

Justice Souter wrote the majority opinion in the other 10 Commandments case, McCreary County v. ACLU.

Souter also wrote the majority for the unanimous Court in Grokster.

We have addressed Kelo a bit. It was decided correctly, then distorted in the most irresponsible way by the mainsteam media. We'll return to thta decision again.

The jailed reporters, and their mainstream media employers, also, in my mind, are wrong. While the media can and should enjoy some Constitutional protection for their written ideas, they do not and should not appreciate immunity from all laws as applicable to normal citizens. Protecting sources is great; but everything tangential to journalism cannot be used to expand the scope of a first amendment protection intended, namely, to prevent jailing folks for opinion-making.

Regarding reporters, I agree with the Supreme Court (as they refused to hear the case) and this comment.