From Trekbbs: Are liberals Anti-Democracy

[SirNitram]

'Judicial Activism'? You mean the new catchphrase from the Bush administration to refer to any judges that strike down laws that remove rights with no objective basis? Perhaps we'll finally get a straight answer on how these individuals are doing anything other than their jobs..

No, I mean: "a departure from the text, structure, and logic of the Constitution." which goes way back to the early days of our republic, and which has became a more common practice since the days of the Warren Court.

Or weren't you paying attention?

In other words, they do their job of interperating it's meaning, and when groups disagree with it, they frame it as 'a departure of the true meaning'. While I can imagine judges going outside the 'logic of the constitution', one cannot state that applying equal rights is outside it's logic unless one is being purposefully deceptive or outright ignorant.

[SirNitram]

'Judicial Activism'? You mean the new catchphrase from the Bush administration to refer to any judges that strike down laws that remove rights with no objective basis? Perhaps we'll finally get a straight answer on how these individuals are doing anything other than their jobs..

"Judicial activism" has been used to describe judges for years now. In fact, critics of the Rehnquist Court often accuse it of judicial activism for conservatism.

Conceeded; I have honestly only heard it when those evil liberals refuse to restrict people's rights.

[Andrew J.]

Need I remind certain members that the drive to end racial discrimination first began to really pick up steam with a court decision, and not legislative action? I never see people criticize Brown v. Board of Education, or call that Supreme Court "activist."