In order to have a society in which public issues can be openly and vigorously debated, it is not necessary to allow the brutalization of innocent victims.
Samuel Alito Connected to the Carolinas
Source
Dissenting, Snyder v. Phelps, 131 S. Ct. 1207, 1229 (2011).
- year
- 2011
Cite this record
“In order to have a society in which public issues can be ope…” Samuel Alito. Carolina Quotes, record CQ-A7088767AC. https://carolinaquotes.com/quote/a7088767ac
More from Samuel Alito
The separation of church and state has been a cornerstone of American democracy for over two hundred years. Getting rid of it was long overdue.
Most Americans—understandably—will cheer or lament today’s decision because of their views on the issue of same-sex marriage. But all Americans, whatever their thinking on that issue, should worry about what the majority’s claim of power portends.
At present, no one—including social scientists, philosophers, and historians—can predict with any certainty what the long-term ramifcations of widespread acceptance of same-sex marriage will be. And judges are certainly not equipped to make such an assessment. The Members of this Court have the authority and the responsibility to interpret and apply the Constitution. Thus, if the Constitution contained a provision guaranteeing the right to marry a person of the same sex, it would be our duty to enforce that right. But the Constitution simply does not speak to the issue of same-sex marriage. In our system of government, ultimate sovereignty rests with the people, and the people have the right to control their own destiny. Any change on a question so fundamental should be made by the people through their elected offcials.