Way cool . . .

Liberal Originalists? Whatever works . . .

In this article ("Rethinking the Constitution's Original Intent" - WSJ.com) about a movement among some Liberal legal scholars' toward Originalism (i.e., interpreting the Constitutional based on what was intended in its original text), there is this revealing statement about this "movement."

Professed Liberal Originalist Douglas Kendall provides some historical context for Liberal Originalism and refers to former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black who, ostensibly, represented the ideals of Liberal Originalism but ultimately threw in the towel:

"Black was the great progressive textualist, and once he lost the battle, the court decided that avenue is closed," says Kendall. Other justices of the 1950s and '60s, including William Brennan and William O. Douglas, "were less concerned with having the correct test as getting the right answers," he says.

(emphasis added). Yep. "The end justifies the means."

Religious freedom in the U.S.A.

On James Madison's birthday, a fascinating op/ed on his view of so-called "separation of church and state": Madison and Religious Freedom - WSJ.com

Madison and his evangelical allies had a completely different concept. They wanted to promote religion. They just believed that the best way to promote religion was for government to leave it alone.

This basic approach has made America one of the most religiously free and religiously vibrant nations in the world.

Indeed.