Box Turtle Bulletin
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobby“Now you must raise your children up in a world where that union of man and box turtle is on the same legal footing as man and wife…”
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyMay 20th, 2014
Anti-gay activists like to pretend that the only way marriage equality is obtained is through the machinations of radical militant activist judges who impose their leftist agenda against the will of the people. So it’s always nice to know a little about who these judges are and how they came to hold their position.
Judge John E. Jones III, whose ruling found that Pennsylvania’s ban on same-sex marriage (legislative, not a constitutional amendment) is in violation of the US Constitution, is a bit hard to sell as a radical militant activist with a leftist agenda. But he’s certainly had that accusation thrown at him before, when he found that intelligent design could not be part of a school curriculum.
Before Jones became a jurist, re ran for Congress for the Sixth Congressional District seat and then, when unsuccessful, was co-chair of the transition team for Governor-elect Tom Ridge. He considered a run for Governor in 2001. As a Republican.
Jones was appointed by President George W. Bush as federal judge on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania in February 2002 and was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate on July 30, 2002.
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Ben In Oakland
May 20th, 2014
Don’t leave out that his nomination was roundly praised by Little ricky Santorum, who knows a thing or two.
But only one thing. Or possibly two.
Jack
May 20th, 2014
SO CRAZY:
Pennsylvania Republican Chairman Rob Gleason decried the ruling.
“Today, an activist judiciary has substituted its judgment in place of the law created by the elected representatives of Pennsylvania and has stifled the ongoing debate of people with differing points of view,” Gleason said.
Chris McCoy
May 20th, 2014
Sometimes I wonder if Conservatives understand what the Judicial Branch does, and why it exists. Do they not teach Article Three of the Constitution anymore?
I have come to learn that “activist judge” has the meaning “A judge who ruled against the way I wanted.”
Someone should ask Gleason, in public, if Brown stifled the ongoing debate of people with differing points of view.
Victor
May 21st, 2014
We all need to learn that there are no thoughtful discussions any more. Politics and public policy are simply competing memes intended to bolster one’s base by telling them what they already believe. For every action you can hear the click and hiss of the required pre-taped response. It is intended to plug that hole of doubt that opens up briefly in the minds of the listener with a cork to make sure no new thoughts enter. This is not discourse and it advances nothing… the pointless dance of political balkanization.
John
May 21st, 2014
Why is it that only liberals, or perceived liberals, get labelled as activist judges? Conservative judges these days have certainly done a lot to advance conservative causes. Being an activist does not connote one’s place on the political spectrum.
Paul Douglas
May 21st, 2014
If anyone is an activist judge its His Portliness Scalia or Uncle Clarence. Now those two are activist judges!
Jack
May 21st, 2014
Seemingly the only way the next GOP president will be able to guarantee ‘strict constructionist’, non-activist judges is by naturalizing Saudi Arabian clerics and appointing them to the federal bench.
Chris McCoy
May 21st, 2014
John wrote:
Because the Liberals who would be upset over the rulings of Conservative Judges know that judicial action is not “activism”. I have never heard of a liberal using the “activist judge” allegation before.
Even while many liberals decried and disagreed with the Supreme Court ruling against Affirmative Action in Minnesota, I did not see any liberals accuse the SCOTUS of judicial activism.
ebohlman
May 22nd, 2014
I’ve seen some progressives refer to Citizens United and Kelo as “judicial activism”, but it’s not very common (and people of all political stripes used it with regard to Kelo, which appeared to anger everyone with strong political beliefs of any sort).
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