In 1776, the Continental Congress resolved that the United States of America would be an independent republic, free of British imperialism. They took two more days to hash out the accompanying Declaration.
Exactly two centuries later, the United States Supreme Court partially freed republican government from its own act of judicial imperialism. In Gregg v. Georgia and two of its companion cases, the Court held that revised, guided-discretion capital sentencing statutes fixed the constitutional problem the Court hadfabricated discovered four years and a few days earlier in Furman v. Georgia.
Some people actually think that Gregg was wrong in rejecting the argument that the death penalty is unconstitutional in all cases, despite the unambiguous words of the Constitution. It says, "nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law...." It does not say "nor be deprived of liberty or property without due process of law or life under any circumstances." If it meant that, it would say that.
Anyhow, Tony Mauro reports at BLT on an annual four-day protest from the June 29 anniversary of Furman to the July 2 anniversary of Gregg. Some of the protestors "dramatize their opposition to the death penalty" by fasting. Except they aren't really fasting; they are on a liquid-only diet. How "dramatic" is that? It's half-baked. It's misrepresentation, saying they are fasting when they are not. Kind of like most of their arguments. Kind of like the "innocence list" that one does not have to be innocent to get on.
If they are going to have this annual protest, though, I commend them on their timing. The Supreme Court's terms don't run as late in the year as they did in the 70s, so the justices have mostly departed for more favorable climates and don't see the protest.
Exactly two centuries later, the United States Supreme Court partially freed republican government from its own act of judicial imperialism. In Gregg v. Georgia and two of its companion cases, the Court held that revised, guided-discretion capital sentencing statutes fixed the constitutional problem the Court had
Some people actually think that Gregg was wrong in rejecting the argument that the death penalty is unconstitutional in all cases, despite the unambiguous words of the Constitution. It says, "nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law...." It does not say "nor be deprived of liberty or property without due process of law or life under any circumstances." If it meant that, it would say that.
Anyhow, Tony Mauro reports at BLT on an annual four-day protest from the June 29 anniversary of Furman to the July 2 anniversary of Gregg. Some of the protestors "dramatize their opposition to the death penalty" by fasting. Except they aren't really fasting; they are on a liquid-only diet. How "dramatic" is that? It's half-baked. It's misrepresentation, saying they are fasting when they are not. Kind of like most of their arguments. Kind of like the "innocence list" that one does not have to be innocent to get on.
If they are going to have this annual protest, though, I commend them on their timing. The Supreme Court's terms don't run as late in the year as they did in the 70s, so the justices have mostly departed for more favorable climates and don't see the protest.
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