Justice Sandra Day O''Connor Retiring

[lmurden]

BREAKING NEWS Justice Sandra Day O''Connor, first woman on U.S. Supreme Court, is retiring. Details soon.

 

[fire&ice]

I''m a little stunned. I thought they were going to say Rhenquist. She is/was my favorite justice.

 

[AGBF]

"The New York Times" has a lot of pieces on the resignation of Justice O'Connor and her legacy in their on-line edition.

Here is an excerpt from one article.

"Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court, announced today that she was resigning, setting off what is expected to be a tumultuous fight over confirming her successor.

President Bush says he hopes to name a replacement for Justice O'Connor 'in a timely manner' so the vacancy can be filled before the start of the Supreme Court's next term in October.

Justice O'Connor, 75, is widely viewed as the critical swing vote on abortion, affirmative action and other hot-button issues that have divided the court, and her departure is sure to ignite a passionate ideological battle throughout the summer over a successor.

Her departure, which had been the subject of rumors for weeks but was still a surprise, will give President Bush his first opportunity to name a justice. The retirement of Justice O'Connor creates the first vacancy on the court in 11 years, ending the longest period without a change in the lineup of justices in almost two centuries."

Justice O'Connor Resigns After 24 Years

 

[movie zombie]

Date: 7/1/2005 1:53:51 PM
Author: fire&ice
I''m a little stunned. I thought they were going to say Rhenquist. She is/was my favorite justice.

there are reports back to 1999 that she wanted to retire. this one is in 2000:

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3975/is_200304/ai_n9221306

i actually thought it would be her. at least she got to write the response re the recent decision to allow private property to be taken and given to another private group for private profit development.

peace, movie zombie

 

[fire&ice]

Date: 7/1/2005 6:56:30 PM
Author: movie zombie

Date: 7/1/2005 1:53:51 PM
Author: fire&ice
I''m a little stunned. I thought they were going to say Rhenquist. She is/was my favorite justice.

there are reports back to 1999 that she wanted to retire. this one is in 2000:

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3975/is_200304/ai_n9221306

i actually thought it would be her. at least she got to write the response re the recent decision to allow private property to be taken and given to another private group for private profit development.

peace, movie zombie

Well, I knew there was talk. I didn''t believe it - should have. We don''t agree on much politics - but her disent was spot on. I wonder if it was time or just the straw that broke the camels back. She is who I am (in terms of where I stand).

 

[blueroses]

My boyfriend told me this this morning, and my response was a loud, uncontrolled "F*&^" yelled across the house. I am frankly terrified.

 

[movie zombie]

Date: 7/1/2005 8:17:39 PM
Author: blueroses
My boyfriend told me this this morning, and my response was a loud, uncontrolled ''F*&^'' yelled across the house. I am frankly terrified.

frankly, we should all be terrified.......

peace, movie zombie

 

[Blue824]

When I saw it first it had a quick blurb "Supreme Court Justice Retires" and I totally thought Rhenquist too...I was hoping he''d retire, just because I feel bad for him, and that she''d stay on for a little longer...purely selfish reasons. I wonder what goes through thier heads...I''m not being critical at all, like I just wonder what their thoughts are, like how they decide to retire when they know the possibilities of who Bush will replace them with. I wonder if I was in that position if I''d hang on until the end to make sure that I did all I could or if I''d decide it was enough and retire. I guess I''m still expected to see Rhenquist retire as well.

Oh, does anyone know what happens if someone is not approved in time for the next session to begin?

 

[rubydick]

Date: 7/1/2005 8:17:39 PM
Author: blueroses
My boyfriend told me this this morning, and my response was a loud, uncontrolled ''F*&^'' yelled across the house. I am frankly terrified.

We all knew this is coming. We sleep in the bed we make. Unfortunately, the rest of the world also gets to sleep in our bed, even though they had no say in its making.

When I saw this topic, I quickly thought back to 2000 (as did MZ), when Sandra Day O''Connor basically threw an election. I''m no longer surprised, just sad.

But I do sense a change of the guard. Now that Dubya, gotten all the levers of power, the true face of evil is on display for Americans. And not surprisingly, many don''t particularly like the look of Lucifer''s face. Dubya is expected to nominate Alberto "Torture is just a glass-half-empty-excuse-for-not-being-content-with-always-being-on-top" Gonzalez.

Meanwhile, the icons of the American right continue to deface both themselves and the face of this nation. The latest was Paul Harvey, the noted radio commentator. Disney refused to distribute Michael Moore''s Fahrenheit 9/11, but has no problem paying $100 million to Harvey to spew filth like this (courtesy of F.A.I.R.):

Harvey''s commentary began by lamenting the decline of American wartime aggression. "We''re standing there dying, daring to do nothing decisive because we''ve declared ourselves to be better than our terrorist enemies--more moral, more civilized," he said. Drawing a contrast with what he cast as the praiseworthy nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II, Harvey lamented that "we sent men with rifles into Afghanistan and Iraq and kept our best weapons in their silos"--suggesting that America should have used its nuclear arsenal in its invasions of both countries.

Harvey concluded:

"We didn''t come this far because we''re made of sugar candy. Once upon a time, we elbowed our way onto and across this continent by giving smallpox-infected blankets to Native Americans. That was biological warfare. And we used every other weapon we could get our hands on to grab this land from whomever.

"And we grew prosperous. And yes, we greased the skids with the sweat of slaves. So it goes with most great nation-states, which--feeling guilty about their savage pasts--eventually civilize themselves out of business and wind up invaded and ultimately dominated by the lean, hungry up-and-coming who are not made of sugar candy."

I certainly hope the media consolidation continues. Right now we are down to about six corporations which control over 90% of every radio broadcast, newspaper and TV station in America. That''s really far too many. Too much chance to get off message. We really only need one or two corporations in control of it all. Far more efficient that way. Think of the money we could save? And think about how easy it will then be to convince the American sheeple of the need to "stay the course in Iraq," along with supporting what many believe is planned next -- an invasion of Iran.

 

[tanuki]

Isn''t it amazing that anyone would listen to the opinion of Paul Harvey on war - after he intentionally shot himself in the foot to render himself ineligable to participate in World War II?

Bush and the Republican party are going to have to dance with the girl what brung ''em

 

[sxn675]

Date: 7/1/2005 10:57:07 PM
Author: Blue824
When I saw it first it had a quick blurb ''Supreme Court Justice Retires'' and I totally thought Rhenquist too...I was hoping he''d retire, just because I feel bad for him, and that she''d stay on for a little longer...purely selfish reasons. I wonder what goes through thier heads...I''m not being critical at all, like I just wonder what their thoughts are, like how they decide to retire when they know the possibilities of who Bush will replace them with. I wonder if I was in that position if I''d hang on until the end to make sure that I did all I could or if I''d decide it was enough and retire. I guess I''m still expected to see Rhenquist retire as well.


Oh, does anyone know what happens if someone is not approved in time for the next session to begin?

From what I understand, her husband has Alzheimer''s and is an invalid so she wanted to spend time with him. This must have been a very difficult decision for her. I am sad that she opted to retire, though I understand why.

 

[rubydick]

Date: 7/2/2005 4:39:02 PM
Author: tanuki
Isn't it amazing that anyone would listen to the opinion of Paul Harvey on war - after he intentionally shot himself in the foot to render himself ineligable to participate in World War II?


Bush and the Republican party are going to have to dance with the girl what brung 'em

Sadly, Tanuki, you are so right. And yet Harvey is given a forum all across our nation. The American revolution is dated 1776. Or so we Americans are taught. As we can now see, battles never end. The struggle against tyrrany is something that has no beginning, and will never have an end...

 

[Rank Amateur]

Date: 7/2/2005 4:39:02 PM
Author: tanuki
Paul Harvey...he intentionally shot himself in the foot to render himself ineligable to participate in World War II?

I googled this and couldn''t come up with much other than he served in the Army Air Corps for several years.

You got anything to back this up other than your predisposition against all conservatives?

 

[Momoftwo]

Date: 7/6/2005 5:30:47 PM
Author: Rank Amateur

Date: 7/2/2005 4:39:02 PM
Author: tanuki
Paul Harvey...he intentionally shot himself in the foot to render himself ineligable to participate in World War II?

I googled this and couldn''t come up with much other than he served in the Army Air Corps for several years.

You got anything to back this up other than your predisposition against all conservatives?

I also found nothing about shooting himself in the foot. I did find he enlisted in the Army Air Corps right after Pearl Harbor. I''m not exactly sure what a lot of people on this site are afraid of? First off, don''t jump the gun on something that you have no facts on and second, I''m tired of the conservative bashing I''ve seen on these boards. There are quite a few liberals who scare me tremendously because they have no clue.

 

[Matata]

Date: 7/6/2005 7:09:34 PM
Author: Momoftwo
I''m tired of the conservative bashing I''ve seen on these boards. There are quite a few liberals who scare me tremendously because they have no clue.

And we wonder why the peoples of the earth can''t get along, hold hands, and sing happy songs. We get trapped by labels -- liberal, conservation, christian, muslim -- and communicate to the stereotype of the label. We diligently cling to our belief systems. Attempts to communicate devolve into sparring matches where the goal becomes convincing the opponent they are wrong rather than engaging in reasoned discussion to discover common beliefs and, heaven forbid, open our minds to the possibility that the other side may have something of value to contribute.

I''m not criticizing you Momoftwo, it''s just that your statement defines the problem so clearly and is exquisitely represented in the first three discussions in the Around the World forum.

 

[fire&ice]

Date: 7/6/2005 7:38:57 PM
Author: Matata

Date: 7/6/2005 7:09:34 PM
Author: Momoftwo

Attempts to communicate devolve into sparring matches where the goal becomes convincing the opponent they are wrong rather than engaging in reasoned discussion to discover common beliefs and, heaven forbid, open our minds to the possibility that the other side may have something of value to contribute.

In my defense, I hear what others are saying. But, the fact that I don''t buy into exactly what they say, I''m misinformed, naive, etc instead of accepting the fact that I don''t have the truth & they don''t have the truth. What really is truth? For the most part, it''s perception. My perception - the negativity is deafening.

 

[tanuki]

The "shot himself in the foot to get out of World War II" was a rumor that I had heard for years and years which pre dated the internet.

The truth is a lot more interesting. This bit of information all seems to stem from a single biographical source, that liberal rag (in the Vietnam era) Esquire Magazine.
I could find a picture of the cover on PBS website but not the table of contents.

http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/encyclopedia/P/Pa/Paul_Harvey.htm

"The November 7, 1978, issue of Esquire magazine has an exposé of sorts on Harvey, including how he came to drop his last name of Aurandt: Briefly, he stole an airplane and was discharged from the Army Air Corps on Section 8 [mental illness] charges."

In order to see if this website is correct you would have to research the old fashioned way - in the stacks of your local library.