The Forum | Western Civilization

In Memoriam: Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia

February 16, 2016 by Michael B. Poliakoff

With the sudden death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, we have lost an unwavering defender of the principles on which this nation was founded. As ACTA shakes its head at its Constitution Day findings that nearly one out of ten college graduates thought Judith Sheindlin (“Judge Judy”), rather than Elena Kagan, sat on the Supreme Court, we cherish the voices of leaders who worked to pull us back to informed, engaged citizenship. James Madison envisioned liberty and learning in mutual support: two years ago, celebrating the birthday of George Washington, Justice Scalia expressed the need for a vibrant civil society outside the political realm and remarked, “That’s why I think education in democracy, education in republicanism, is so important.” ACTA mourns the passing of a man devoted to America, to the rule of law, and to the cultivation of the civic understanding essential for our nation’s future.

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