[LOCKED] OT: Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia Dies of Natural Causes while on Hunting Trip in Texas
He was on a hunting trip in West Texas. He complained of not feeling well Friday evening. It is reported that he passed in his sleep.
Edit: Folks, don't think it needs to be said, but let's remember to avoid the politics. Just wanted to post the news as it's current events and sometimes I first get news from you guys while refreshing the site.
MOD EDIT - a couple people are starting to say things which could lead down the path of politics, so we'll lock it here. I know I'll get flack for this, and if you disagree, you can always find me on Twitter if you've got it and we can talk. - LSA
February 13th, 2016 at 5:27 PM ^
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February 13th, 2016 at 6:36 PM ^
This is huge. The court might become liberal again for the first time since Earl Warren.
February 13th, 2016 at 5:28 PM ^
February 13th, 2016 at 5:29 PM ^
This is one of the most significant news stories of the decade. I think this board can handle it.
February 13th, 2016 at 5:31 PM ^
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February 13th, 2016 at 5:34 PM ^
People always say this, and it almost never does.
February 13th, 2016 at 5:39 PM ^
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February 13th, 2016 at 7:04 PM ^
February 13th, 2016 at 5:32 PM ^
There may be a rule against this somewhere? Against dying? That'd be a pretty incredible rule.
February 13th, 2016 at 5:28 PM ^
However, the story has been broken by reporters in San Antonio, Texas.
February 13th, 2016 at 5:29 PM ^
Confirmed by all the major networks, CNN, Fox News, etc about a half hour ago.
February 13th, 2016 at 5:29 PM ^
February 13th, 2016 at 5:29 PM ^
February 13th, 2016 at 6:12 PM ^
I'm not trying to insult you here, but you should feel stupid for that. Even more for trying to justify it below. Come on, man. This is not only a justice on the US Supreme Court (whose names all Americans should know) but he is the most well known of them.
Honest question - how old are you? If you're like 16, then I take it back. But it actually surprises me that a person can get past college age without at some point learning his name.
February 13th, 2016 at 6:29 PM ^
February 13th, 2016 at 6:57 PM ^
You're doubling down on dumb now. It's not pretentious or elitist to expect someone to know who Antonin Scalia is. It's not like you didn't know some Senator from Kansas or something. This guy has been one of the 5-10 biggest names in our government for the last 30 years or so. I don't think you're in any position to insult the other side here.
And I'm not trying to be a jerk. I was honestly surprised that you made it this far without knowing his name. Personally, I think all Americans should be able to name all Surpreme Court justices, but I know most can't. Not being able to name any (which I imagine is the case with you since you didn't know Scalia) makes me think you're trying to be uninformed. And also, this is a Michigan blog with lots of educated people. Don't be surprised that you're in the minority here.
February 13th, 2016 at 7:01 PM ^
February 13th, 2016 at 7:43 PM ^
I did not once call you uneducated. I have no idea of your level of education. Not knowing one thing certainly doesn't make someone uneducated on its own. I said I was surprised you could get to 30 without knowing who Scalia is. I actually think it's more likely you live under a rock than you're uneducated.
Question - if we had this same convo and instead of Scalia the person was, I don't know, Harry Truman, would you still think we were elitist? I'm curious where the line is for this.
February 13th, 2016 at 6:39 PM ^
February 13th, 2016 at 7:26 PM ^
Also, is Obama going to be able to force in a replacement ? Or does this have to wait till either Hillary or Rubio is president ?
February 13th, 2016 at 7:31 PM ^
February 13th, 2016 at 7:41 PM ^
February 13th, 2016 at 7:39 PM ^
25% of adults over 21 cannot find Pakistan on a map. Over 50% of those at the high school level cannot name the three branches of the governent. Combined test scores of like aged elementary students on a universal level, tested to determine their comprehension on a wide variety of topics, and relating directly to their respective countries, U.S.A. finished 24th out of 26 developed countries, one place lower than Poland, a country recognized for lack of financial resources to adequately educate its students.
February 13th, 2016 at 7:45 PM ^
Do you really think a vast majority can't name a single justice? Like not one? I find that surprising. Maybe I just don't have enough dumb friends.
February 13th, 2016 at 5:30 PM ^
If you had to look up Antonin Scalia... Did you just never pay attention to the news? Never had a civics class in school?
The man was a SCOTUS justice for 30 years...
February 13th, 2016 at 5:31 PM ^
February 13th, 2016 at 5:32 PM ^
Well, that's one way to go through life.
February 13th, 2016 at 5:34 PM ^
February 13th, 2016 at 5:37 PM ^
February 13th, 2016 at 5:40 PM ^
Again. That's one way to go through life. I just can't believe anyone could not know who Scalia is, given his ubiquity in American discourse. This is about as big a death there's been in the American legal community since Rehnquist. And given the importance of SCOTUS in the past decade, and given Scalia's position as one of the biggest and most important legal minds of the past century with his position in the current court... How can you miss that?
February 13th, 2016 at 5:43 PM ^
February 13th, 2016 at 5:52 PM ^
February 13th, 2016 at 5:50 PM ^
acknowledging you didn't know the name of a major public figure who actually impacted decisions that affected your life or those in your family, says something about you. In any case, this is huge breaking news, whether you think so or not, because this is a man whose decisions did impact life in this country in all worlds imaginable such as the choosing of a president. Or maybe that decision slipped your knowledge as well.
February 13th, 2016 at 6:05 PM ^
February 13th, 2016 at 6:11 PM ^
*sigh*
February 13th, 2016 at 6:09 PM ^
February 13th, 2016 at 6:16 PM ^
Being a dumbass is not something to be proud of.
February 13th, 2016 at 6:22 PM ^
February 13th, 2016 at 6:18 PM ^
and did not memorize the name of every member of the Supreme Court. As someone in their twenties, the only name I remember often seeing individually in the news is Sotomayor. Checking the list now I recognize most of the others but if put on the spot would not have been able to list them off. I remember learning about the Supreme Court in middle/high school but obviously did not pay much attention as I was more focused on girls and my next game.
And I have no idea who Rehnquist is. Different strokes for different folks, I have always poured all my interest into sports rather than government/politics and I'm sure there are others on this blog, dedicated to sports, who are the same way. I totally understand the impact the Supreme Court can have on my life, but knowing the names of every member of the Supreme Court does not allow me to alter that impact in any way, so I wouldn't say that it is imperative knowledge.
February 13th, 2016 at 6:19 PM ^
February 13th, 2016 at 6:53 PM ^
I'm not even a dumb jock, I once won my school jeopardy tournament, but any reference to Justice Scalia I would have seen in the news was something that I must have never deemed worth remembering. I think the more goverment knowledgeable folks like you are overestimating how important his name is (rather than his & the Supreme Court's actions/decisions).
February 13th, 2016 at 6:39 PM ^
is to publicly admonish and invalidate those who don't meet one's own definition of a proper fellow citizen...
February 13th, 2016 at 6:59 PM ^
they may come in handy if you're ever challenged to a duel.
February 13th, 2016 at 7:31 PM ^
He is the one who resently questioned if black people would be better served going to a less rigorous college.
February 13th, 2016 at 5:55 PM ^
youre prob not as informed as youd like to believe
February 13th, 2016 at 6:00 PM ^
February 13th, 2016 at 6:09 PM ^
February 13th, 2016 at 6:10 PM ^
February 13th, 2016 at 6:24 PM ^
February 13th, 2016 at 7:11 PM ^
Saying that you should know who he is is not the same thing as saying that you should memorize the names of all the Justices.
If you feel that being uninformed about government/politics is how you want to live your life, though, that's cool. Sincerely. Not everyone is into it. I just hope you don't pretend to have informed views politically when you clearly care very little about it.