Senator Russell Pearce in the Arizona Republic on the Supreme Court’s 1982 decision Plyler vs. Doe, which addressed a Texas statute that prohibited public education funding for illegal aliens:

“It’s not the law of the land when a Supreme Court issues a bad decision,” Pearce said. “It’s to be challenged and overturned.”

This article appears in Feb 24 – Mar 2, 2011.

The editor of the Tucson Weekly. I have no idea how I got here.

5 replies on “Mystifying Quote of the Day”

  1. Senator Pearce’s quote is spot on !!! Used to believe the members of Supreme Court were wise, well versed in constitutional law and ruled accordingly. The new members of the bench input empathy and do not consider 0ur Constitution to be a deciding factor.

  2. I’m sure Russell would have taken an extremely principled stand against the Dred Scott decision, denying that it, too, was the law of the land.

  4. “It’s not the law of the land when a Supreme Court issues a bad decision,”
    Wrong. It most certainly is the law of the land. The rule of law is the basis of our civilization.

    “It’s to be challenged and overturned.”
    Correct. The ability to affect peaceful change is also one of the cornerstones of our civilization.

    There are a number of decisions I don’t agree with. Most recently, the decision that gave foreign and domestic corporations the ability to buy our elections. I abide it because it’s the law, for now.

    Prisons are full of those who don’t like the rules, so don’t play by them. Pearce is no better.

  5. LouisWu,

    The SCOTUS has been corrupted. Three of its justices are demonstrably impeachable.

    Abscent any integrity at the level of even our Supreme Court, what rule of law? What civilization?

    My advice? Stop with the abiding complacency and choose a damn side and conduct yourself as though you meant it. Let too much more time go by with that attitude, and it honestly won’t matter what you do.

    The Citizens United V. FEC decision was tatamount to the Dred Scott decision in 1856, and quite possibly the growing protests started in Madison will be tatamount to Fort Sumter in 1861.

    Good Luck,

    Robert Alexander Dumas

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