Justice Scalia's comments

[wicked]

These were made this week during oral arguments in Fisher v. University of Texas.

"They're being pushed into schools that are too advanced for them," Scalia said of African-American students accepted under affirmative action programs.

"Most of the black scientists in this country do not come from the most advanced schools," Scalia, a noted opponent of affirmative action said, according to reporters present for the case.

Scalia: Affirmative action doesn't help 'black scientists'

 

[Dick Whitman]

He's talking about kids not qualified to attend schools. I don't understand why this is controversial.

It isn't surprising that Scalia thinks kids are better off going to "lesser" schools. Despite his credentials, he's not an elitist. He encourages young lawyers to stay away from big firms and take jobs where they can have a life at home and a place in the community.

A friend of mine clerked for him last year, thus giving him a golden ticket to whatever New York or D.C. firm he wanted to go to, probably with a $250,000 signing bonus. He instead chose to go back home to Columbus, Ohio. I have little doubt that was Scalia's influence.

 

[micropolitan guy]

Georgetown, Harvard law, then taught at Virginia. A regular man of the people.

 

[Dick Whitman]

Georgetown, Harvard law, then taught at Virginia. A regular man of the people.

Hence: "Despite his credentials(.)"

 

[LongTimeListener]

So 2015 Scalia is transported back in time to vote on Brown v. Board of Education.

Think it goes 8-1 instead of 9-0?

 

[heyabbott]

Scalia is a douche but his question and statement was prompted by a study cited in a friend of the court brief on the case. The premisr is that in order to obtain "diversity", acadamic institutions are admitting students who may not be qualified for the rigours of elite, selective institutions. There are statistics that bare this out.

another question that doesn't get play was Roberts questions 'How does a diverse classroom help students in physics'?

 

[The Big Ragu]

He's an idiot for using the words, "slower-track school." It opened the door for people to turn the focus on his tone deafness and call him a racist.

It doesn't mean that the actual substance of what he was saying isn't true. Affirmative action programs admit lesser qualified students, by putting race ahead of academic performance as the criteria for admittance.

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

Scalia is an old coot whom they'll have to haul out of the chamber in a hearse as long as a Democrat is in the White House. (At least until after Herr Trump wins and dissolves SCOTUS by fiat.)

 

[Ace]

Words matter, Despite all his book learning and such we're supposed to assume he didn't mean what it sounds like he said?

 

[heyabbott]

Words matter, Despite all his book learning and such we're supposed to assume he didn't mean what it sounds like he said?

No, we all know he was giddy to be able to say it out loud

 

[Dick Whitman]

Words matter, Despite all his book learning and such we're supposed to assume he didn't mean what it sounds like he said?

Context matters, too.

 

[User 11148]

Words matter, Despite all his book learning and such we're supposed to assume he didn't mean what it sounds like he said?

What exactly is it that you're saying "it sounds like he said"?

 

[Ace]

What exactly is it that you're saying "it sounds like he said"?

That Texas should not have a football team because it's too tough for the blacks. They should be at lesser schools.

 

[dixiehack]

That Texas should not have a football team because it's too tough for the blacks. They should be at lesser schools.

Hard to get lesser than Texas most of this season.

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

IIRC, the 1969 Longhorns were the last all-white team to win a national championship.

 

[dirtybird]

He's an idiot for using the words, "slower-track school." It opened the door for people to turn the focus on his tone deafness and call him a racist.

It doesn't mean that the actual substance of what he was saying isn't true. Affirmative action programs admit lesser qualified students, by putting race ahead of academic performance as the criteria for admittance.

I'm not sure that's just what he's saying. If he did that, it's a concise, limited argument that can be answered in a range of ways. But he said something far broader and more full of holes.

 

[dirtybird]

Scalia is a douche but his question and statement was prompted by a study cited in a friend of the court brief on the case. The premisr is that in order to obtain "diversity", acadamic institutions are admitting students who may not be qualified for the rigours of elite, selective institutions. There are statistics that bare this out.

another question that doesn't get play was Roberts questions 'How does a diverse classroom help students in physics'?

Looking at the transcript, he seems to launch into the spiel well after the topic of that study is discussed. It follows a discussion of the nature of the 10 percent rule in producing diversity (kind of debatably what the case is about) and using race as a holistic qualifier in the non-10 percent cases.

 

[Rainman]

This is what happens when you gets news from NY Daily News and don't understand how oral arguments work.

Arguments are presented by counsel. Questions are asked and positions are presented by the Justices to elicit a response from the arguing attorney. They want an argument that addresses the position presented. He wanted an argument to explain the position that blacks don't do as well in faster paced schools. He isn't an advocate, he's a justice.

 

[Alma]

Context matters, too.

Yes it does, which is why Scalia being a notorious blowhard and judicial activist plays a factor in how his comments are viewed. And not a favorable factor

 

[User 11148]

Yes it does, which is why Scalia being a notorious blowhard and judicial activist plays a factor in how his comments are viewed. And not a favorable factor

Translation: If people don't like you, you should expect the things you say to be mischaracterized ...