Justice Scalia: ”Constitution Is Not a Living Organism”

Here you read Justice Antonin’s powerful wording reminding all Americans that the Constitution says what it says, period. In other words, our Constitution must at all times be followed with exact original intent of our Founders.

ATLANTA – During a speech in Atlanta Friday, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia on Friday defended interpreting the Constitution as it was originally written and intended.

Scalia delivered a speech titled “Interpreting the Constitution: A View From the High Court,” as part of a constitutional symposium hosted by the State Bar of Georgia. Originalism and trying to figure out precisely what the ratified document means is the only option, otherwise you’re just telling judges to govern, Scalia argued.

“The Constitution is not a living organism,” he said. “It’s a legal document, and it says what it says and doesn’t say what it doesn’t say.”

But an originalist interpretation still provides for a flexible legal system, he said.

“You want the death penalty? Persuade your fellow citizens it’s a good idea and enact it. You think it’s a bad idea? Persuade them the other way and repeal it. And you can change your mind. If you repeal it and find there are a lot more murders, you can put it back in,” he argued. “That’s flexibility.”