Constitution
We’re All Becoming Texas
Posted by Sheila Kennedy in Constitution on May 8th, 2013
My husband says I’ve been in a bad mood since 2000. I’m entitled. On Monday, the Republican-led Texas House passed HB 1076 , a bill that would ban state agencies from enforcing any new federal gun laws, including background checks. The self-satisfied know-nothings who voted for this bill are very pleased with themselves. Talk about [...]
Continue reading...
A Constitutional Ethic
Posted by Sheila Kennedy in Constitution on February 18th, 2013
At this point in the semester, my undergraduate class is encountering a concept called “the constitutional ethic.” (The term is an organizing theme of the textbook we are using, written by yours truly and colleague from Minnesota.) So what do we mean by “constitutional ethic”? How does such an ethic differ from our usual understanding [...]
Continue reading...
Talking Politics? What You Need to Know Before You Open Your Mouth
Posted by Sheila Kennedy in Academic Papers, Constitution on February 2nd, 2013
Introduction As Daniel Patrick Moynihan famously observed, we are all entitled to our own opinions, but not to our own facts. Arguments based on manufactured histories or distorted realities are intellectually dishonest and ultimately [...]
Continue reading...
THIS is Why Judges Shouldn’t be Elected
Posted by Sheila Kennedy in Constitution on November 1st, 2012
Several months ago, the Indiana Supreme Court had to decide a case involving homeowners who shot at police who were entering their home. It turned out that the entry was in error and the homeowners were acting in what they said was self-defense; nevertheless, the Court ruled that the use of weapons to repel the [...]
Continue reading...
True, But…..
Posted by Sheila Kennedy in Constitution on September 17th, 2012
Over at Masson’s blog, Doug addresses the misunderstandings that underlie the outsized reactions of Islamic fundamentalists to “provocations” like the amateurish film (or trailer–no one is yet certain an actual film was ever made) that set off the latest round of murderous rage: Part of the problem seems to be, culturally, a lack of understanding [...]
Continue reading...
Recent Comments