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December 26, 2004
Review: "Constitutional Chaos" by Judge Adrew P. Napolitano (4 moose)
I am pretty much a law-and-order kind of American. The Patriot Act doesn't bother me, I think we worry too much about the rights of criminals, and I think too many judges impede enforcing the law.
I'm not going to pretend that Judge Napolitano has caused a radical change to my viewpoints on those issues, but I am definitely questioning the foundations of my beliefs.
I recommend everyone read "Constitutional Chaos." If you are more of an ACLU type, it'll confirm some of your concerns, but you'll get a more conservative perspective. If you are a conservative (like me), you'll learn that the government is ignoring laws they enforce on you and me, throwing away the key on untried suspects, and using the "War on Terror" as an excuse to ignore civil liberties.
I wish folks like the ACLU could argue as thoughtfully as Judge Napolitano...but perhaps they have been and I just wasn't willing to listen.
I felt there were a few shortcomings in his work:
- Sometimes he seems to think he has "proven" something when he hasn't.
- He writes as if everything his example defendents say is true (that is, he doesn't seem to show proper skepticism).
- He doesn't seem to show any flexibility -- civil rights trump everything else.
I still readily give "Constitutional Chaos" 5 moose...
Posted by alan at December 26, 2004 4:13 PM
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