My Country – The Goddard Publishing Family Justice Douglas focused on the free press a lot in these first 45 days. William Goddard published the Maryland Journal and the Baltimore Advertiser. Goddard encountered multiple mobs because of several pieces he ran from a column called “Tom Tell Truth.” The column satirically called for the colonists to accept the British’s …
Month: March 2017
My Country – UnAmerican Activities Justice Doulgas wrote An Almanac of Liberty in 1954. On this date in 1954, Edward R. Murrow reported on Sen. Joseph McCarthy and begin his decline. I have no idea if Douglas watched this report and mentioned it in the book. But today’s entry focuses on unAmerican activities. Watch the …
My Country – The Establishment Clause On March 8, 1948, McCollum v. Board of Education held that the use of public school facilities by religious organizations to give religious instruction to school children violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. What is the Establishment Clause? Our country has had many arguments about the separation of …
My Country – Alexander Hamilton and the National Bank On March 7, 1819, Chief Justice John Marshall upheld the chartering of the National Bank in McCulloch v. Maryland. The Creation of a National Bank Alexander Hamilton proposed the charter of the bank in 1790, but many argued the Constitution did not grant an express power to …
My Country – Dred Scott On March 6, 1857, the Supreme Court delivered one of its most debunked and despicable opinion. The Court denied Dred Scott his freedom. Who was Dred Scott? In 1846, Dred Scott asked the courts for his fredom. Basing his claim on the Missouri Compromise, Scott argued he became free when …
My Country – Political Tolerance Continuing off of President Jefferson‘s First Inaugural, Justice Douglas quotes Walter Lippman. Lippman wrote the book Public Opinion and was one of the founding editors of The New Republic. Lippman argued that many great nations declined and fell when the people became irreconcilably divided and the when politicians became enemies. Instead of trying to …
My Country – Thomas Jefferson and We Are All Federalists On March 4, 1801, Thomas Jefferson became the third President of the United States. The day began with the discharge of a cannon from the Washington artillery company. At noon, “dressed as a plain citizen, without any distinctive badge of office, the President-Elect walked up …
My Country – Neighbors Advocating and Halting Political Speech In 1920, Governor Alfred E. Smith vetoed a bill authorizing a New York Court to determine whether a political party supports or advocates principles or policies which would violate the state or federal Constitution. Justice Douglas quotes Governor Smith’s veto. The voters of this State are …
My Country – Lochner & Judges and Social Legislation Although I mentioned yesterday that Douglas quit his March 1 entry without talking about how courts would later look at regulations, he started where I finished. Justice Douglas notes that for nearly the next sixty years, legislation was declared unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment. He listed: a …
Lent begins today. I do not give anything up, but do observe the fasting. I’m a bit hungry and could use a Coke. My Country – Regulations Do business regulations deprive owners of properties their rights without due process of law? As we watch the new administration, regulations continue to be a hot button issue. …