A board I serve on in Washington, D.C., was fortunate to meet with Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia last week. Scalia is a famous jurist, admired by many for his intellect and convictions and despised by liberals for his steadfast willingness to act on them.
Scalia, the justice most hated by the left, was unanimously confirmed (98-0) by the Senate in 1986. Imagine how he would fare today with the politics of personal destruction running rampant.
With the same-sex marriage decision by the Supreme Court due soon, it was interesting to talk with someone tasked with making an important decision for gays (historically the role of the Tony Awards committee). The Court will determine if defining same-sex marriage is a state’s right or whether marriage remains traditionally defined only as the union of two resentful and entrapped people who eventually end up wearing sweatpants to watch Wheel of Fortune every night.
From an Italian immigrant family, Scalia graduated from Georgetown University and Harvard Law School. He is the embodiment of the American dream, and he seems intent on keeping that dream alive for others. The man we met last week was nothing like the cantankerous lout the media portray him to be. He is a kind, thoughtful man with a good sense of humor; a down-to-earth man whom you would feel very comfortable making major decisions on your behalf.
He said humbly that the Supreme Court was less important in citizens’ lives than state and local courts, where 90 percent of jurisprudence is administered. Most important legal matters that affect us are decided locally. The Supremes are just there to referee in case the Constitution is violated.