40 Antonin Scalia Quotes for You to Enjoy

Antonin Scalia

American Judge

Born: Mar 11, 1936

Constitution Good Law People Will You

Related authors: Clarence Thomas John Roberts Maryanne Trump Barry Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. Ruth Bader Ginsburg Sonia Sotomayor Thurgood Marshall

I attack ideas. I don't attack people. And some very good people have some very bad ideas. And if you can't separate the two, you gotta get another day job. You don't want to be a judge. At least not a judge on a multi-member panel. Antonin Scalia

Like most rights, the Second Amendment right is not unlimited... It is not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose. Antonin Scalia

Rights Whatever Unlimited Carry Weapon Purpose Like Most Amendment Whatsoever Any Manner Keep Right Second Second Amendment

The Constitution that I interpret and apply is not living, but dead, or as I prefer to call it, enduring. It means, today, not what current society, much less the court, thinks it ought to mean, but what it meant when it was adopted. Antonin Scalia

If you're going to be a good and faithful judge, you have to resign yourself to the fact that you're not always going to like the conclusions you reach. If you like them all the time, you're probably doing something wrong. Antonin Scalia

Time Good You Yourself Judge Faithful Something Fact Wrong Like Reach Always Conclusions Doing Going Them Resign

Being a good person begins with being a wise person. Then, when you follow your conscience, will you be headed in the right direction. Antonin Scalia

Good You Wise Will Good Person Follow Direction Wise Person Headed Begins Person Being Then Your Conscience Right Right Direction

If I have brought any message today, it is this: Have the courage to have your wisdom regarded as stupidity. Be fools for Christ. And have the courage to suffer the contempt of the sophisticated world. Antonin Scalia

Today Wisdom Courage World Stupidity Christ Fools Brought Sophisticated Message Contempt Any Regarded Your Suffer

A good, hard-hitting dissent keeps you honest. Antonin Scalia

Good You Dissent Keeps Honest

I used to say that the Constitution is not a living document. It's dead, dead, dead. But I've gotten better. I no longer say that. The truth is that the Constitution is not one that morphs. It's an enduring Constitution, not a changing Constitution. That is what I've meant when I've said that the Constitution is dead. Antonin Scalia

Truth Constitution Truth Is Better Living Changing Say Longer Dead Document Said Gotten Enduring Meant Used

What secret knowledge, one must wonder, is breathed into lawyers when they become Justices of this Court that enables them to discern that a practice which the text of the Constitution does not clearly proscribe, and which our people have regarded as constitutional for 200 years, is in fact unconstitutional? Antonin Scalia

Knowledge Constitution People Practice Become Secret Our Our People Must Constitutional Lawyers Fact Unconstitutional Clearly Discern Court Does Enables Years Text Wonder In Fact Regarded Which Justices Them Breathed

I am something of a contrarian, I suppose. I feel less comfortable when everybody agrees with me. I say, 'I better reexamine my position!' I probably believe that the worst opinions in my court have been unanimous. Because there's nobody on the other side pointing out all the flaws. Antonin Scalia

Me Better Believe Other Everybody Side Say Worst Out Unanimous Something Pointing Feel Nobody Suppose Comfortable Because Court Opinions Am Been Flaws Less Agree Position

Why in the world would you have it interpreted by nine lawyers? Antonin Scalia

You World Nine Would Lawyers Why Interpreted

Originalism is sort of subspecies of textualism. Textualism means you are governed by the text. That's the only thing that is relevant to your decision, not whether the outcome is desirable, not whether legislative history says this or that. But the text of the statute. Antonin Scalia

History You Decision Says Relevant Outcome Only Sort Governed Text Legislative The Only Thing Whether Means Your Thing Desirable

The court makes an amazing amount of decisions that ought to be made by the people. Antonin Scalia

People Amazing Made Ought Court Makes Decisions Amount By The People

Burning the flag is a form of expression. Speech doesn't just mean written words or oral words. It could be semaphore. And burning a flag is a symbol that expresses an idea - I hate the government, the government is unjust, whatever. Antonin Scalia

Government Hate Words Whatever Unjust Could Written Idea Flag Oral Just Form Burning Mean Expresses Expression Symbol Speech

Many Americans do not want persons who openly engage in homosexual conduct as partners in their business, as scoutmasters for their children, as teachers in their children's schools, or as boarders in their home. They view this as protecting themselves and their families from a lifestyle that they believe to be immoral and destructive. Antonin Scalia

Home Business Believe Destructive Immoral Lifestyle Openly Schools Protecting Partners Conduct Families American Children Want Persons Themselves Engage View Teachers Who Many Homosexual

A law can be both economic folly and constitutional. Antonin Scalia

Law Constitutional Folly Both Economic

You could have 50 different states having 50 different regulations... until they were all litigated out. Antonin Scalia

You States Out Having Could Until Were Different Regulations

I try to be an honest originalist! I will take the bitter with the sweet! Antonin Scalia

Try Will Sweet Bitter Take Honest

By formally declaring anyone opposed to same-sex marriage an enemy of human decency, the majority arms well every challenger to a state law restricting marriage to its traditional definition. Antonin Scalia

Marriage Enemy Law Decency Every State Definition Restricting Majority Well Arms Opposed Traditional Human Same-Sex Same-Sex Marriage Anyone Declaring Challenger

As a young man, you're dazzled by the power of the White House and all that. But power tends to corrupt. Antonin Scalia

You Man Power Young White White House Corrupt Tends House Young Man

I spent my junior year in Switzerland. On the way back home, I spent some time in England, and I remember going to Hyde Park Corner. And there was a Roman Catholic priest in his collar, standing on a soapbox, preaching the Catholic faith and being heckled by a group. And I thought, 'My goodness.' I thought that was admirable. Antonin Scalia

Faith Time Home Remember Thought Goodness Year Preaching Group Corner Back Way Spent Collar Admirable Some Hyde Park Priest Catholic Catholic Faith His Junior Junior Year Going Roman Roman Catholic Being Soapbox England Standing Switzerland

Antonin Scalia Quotes

No more Antonin Scalia quotes