R.I.P. William Buckley

You know, freedom of association, that kind of stuff. You know, that enduring-even-against-the-current-crew piece of paper that kinda is the linchpin of our way of life. As a lawyer, you should probably bone up on what it is.

 

It may or may not have been legal, but I think that's the relevant question.

 

No it has nothing to do with legality. Freedom of political association, along with that of religious association, were the big issues that the framers wanted to protect most having gotten out from under England. You cannot outlaw political parties. Unconstitutional. Simple as that.

 

A law like that might be unconstitutional, but I don't think an action would be classified as constitutional. You explained what you meant, so the semantics aren't that important.

 

McCarthy was, however, right about communists being close to power in the U.S. government.

 

Ergo, McCarthy had no right to ruin people for doing a constitutionally allowed activity, and thus his actions are constitutionally indefensible.

And Pall, there were black helicopters in the early 1950s?

 

Except for the fact that nowhere does the Constitution mention anything about a right to "freedom of association."

As I understand, Supreme Court cases have concluded that the association right can essentially be inferred from the 1st Amendment. But its not a right that's explicitly set out in the Constitution. Instead, its a judicially inferred right that's been subject to legal debate over the years.

 

Umm, bucko, I'm pretty sure that the right to free speech and free assembly are right there in that first amendment.

So, yeah, it's set in stone.

 

A lot of people were on the wrong side of the civil rights movement. Among them, the following Democratic governors and senators: George Wallace, Herman Talmadge, George Smathers (JFK's good buddy), Lester Maddox, Orville Faubus, John Stennis, Leander Perez, the Long brothers ... I could go on.
Bull Connor also was a Democrat.

 

Ya, it's in the 15, uh, 10 commandments.

 

Curious: How are your shops playing Buckley's death? 1A? Lead national story? Brief? Newshole too small for dead conservatives?

 

Many of whom (let's not forget Strom Thurmond) became Republicans when the Democratic party made things less pleasant for racists. And the South was basically a one-party entity in those days, so your post is simplistic as hell.