Thursday, June 28, 2007

Segregation today, segregation tomorrow, and segregation forever

Even in the darkest hours of the last half century, did you ever think they would overturn Brown v. Board of Education? The Supreme Court has now spoken-- by a 5-4 vote, ruling that local school districts cannot take even modest steps to overcome residential segregation, and keep schools racially-mixed, unless they can prove the classifications are narrowly drawn to achieve specific educational purposes.

The Senate has spoken as well...


The following Democratic Senators voted to confirm the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court in 2005:

Byrd (WV)
Conrad (ND)
Johnson (SD)
Nelson (NE)


The following Democratic Senators voted to confirm the nomination of John Roberts (author of today's ruling) to the Supreme Court in 2005:

Baucus (MT)
Bingaman (NM)
Byrd (WV)
Carper (DE)
Conrad (ND)
Dodd (CT)
Dorgan (ND)
Feingold (WI)
Johnson (SD)
Kohl (WI)
Landrieu (LA)
Leahy (VT)
Levin (MI)
Lieberman (CT)
Lincoln (AR)
Murray (WA)
Nelson (FL)
Nelson (NE)
Pryor (AR)
Rockefeller (WV)
Salazar (CO)
Wyden (OR)


The following Democratic Senators voted to confirm the nomination of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court in 1991 (in a Democratic-controlled Senate):

Boren (OK)
Breaux (LA)
DeConcini (NM)
Dixon (IL)
Exon (NE)
Fowler (GA)
Hollings (SC)
Johnston (LA)
Nunn (GA)
Robb (VA)
Shelby (AL)


The following Democratic Senators voted to confirm the nomination of Anthony Kennedy to the Supreme Court in 1988 (in a Democratic-controlled Senate):

All of them. Kennedy approved 97-0.


The following Democratic Senators voted to confirm the nomination of Antonin Scalia to the Supreme Court in 1986 (in a Democratic-controlled Senate):

All of them. Scalia approved 98-0.


Remember these five roll calls the next time you hear someone explain that principles must sometimes be compromised to ensure that Democrats get elected.

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Nader on Michael Moore and "Sicko".

Nader on Hillary Clinton.

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I'll be in Cincinnati beginning tomorrow to watch the Cardinals play the Reds. Friday night is "Flash the 'Stache" night. The first 20,000 fans receive a free 1869-style handlebar mustache. There's also, evidently, a new Pete Rose exhibit at the Reds museum that is not to be missed! Despite my pleas, the car will not be stopping, en route, at Terre Haute, IN to visit the Eugene Debs Museum. Nor will we be stopping at the Creation Museum in Petersburg, KY, where I had hoped to have my picture taken perched upon a model of a Triceratops wearing a saddle.

2 Comments:

At 10:13 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Judicial Tyranny at work again. Virtually the only reason the person in the White House matters anymore. I’d like to see Marbury v. Madison completely struck down next session.

TA

 
At 8:40 AM, Blogger Dave Levenhagen said...

I would probably side with the court on this one. We are a different nation than when Brown v BOE was ruled. I'm sure they are out there, but I don't know any younger people that truly espouse racism.

Kids today are growing up with minorities in positions of political power, running large corporations, as superstars in every sport (maybe not hockey), leading actors in blockbuster films, and as the bosses and teachers of these children.

The real aim of BvB was to eliminate segregation. Not only in phycial presence in classrooms, but more importantly in hearts and minds of American children. I believe that this last goal has been met to a sufficient degree that even the reversal of BvB could never lead us down a path to renewed racism and segregation.

 

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