Wednesday, 17 February 2016

PUT IT TOGETHER AND SEE

On Saturday , when his death was announced, I knew nothing about Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. 

Zero, Zilch, Naught and Nada .

In two days, the media revealed much and  more was surmised. The seventy-nine year old 
Justice died at a ranch in Texas where he was on a hunting week-end. He retired early the night before because he was not feeling well. 

He was the first Italian appointed to the  Supreme Court. He liked to be known by his nickname Nino. He was on the Conservative side of the court.  

He had nine children. And twenty-nine grandchildren. His wife is barely mentioned.

An only child, he was educated in private catholic schools. His mother was a school teacher. 

A first picture showed him seated  atop a very large elephant with a colleague while on vacation in India. His friendship with  Liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg  was referenced a number of times. 

A Globe and Mail story on Monday referred to a Canadian Justice meeting with Justice Scalia on vacation in Australia. The Canadian said he found Scalia to be sarcastic. 

On the occasion, Scalia mentioned Americans love Australians and New Zealanders.They are like Canadians without the chip on the shoulder. 

A close friend  spoke of a conversation he had  with the Justice on the Wednesday before he died.

He spoke of a shoulder ailment and that he would no longer be able to play tennis and the world would just have to get by. 

There was an interview with Pierce Morgan ,the Irish host who took Larry King's place. It seems important American  personages can be skewered with liberal doses of humor so that everyone involved can pretend it's not happening. 

The Justice was accompanied by someone who appeared to run interference for him. 

Pierce Morgan had no skills in artifice. His interviews cut to the chase. He didn't last long in the role. 

What I appreciate most about the Internet is the opportunity for an instant profile or news story of whoever or whatever, in a search engine. 

But everything above and more beside  about Justice Antonin Scalia was presented by the media in the two days following his death. 

No effort was  required on my part for a picture to emerge. 

2 comments:

  1. People interviewed said that they admired Scalia's mind. They had a bit of a problem over what he did with it though. The
    only totally positive bit referenced was from a Mr Harper's PMO type.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The other Justices are supposed to stand at the door when he goes to his funeral. I hope one of them doesn't catch cold.

    ReplyDelete

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