Miers, From Speeches in 90's: Goverment "Should Not Act" In Cases Where Religious Views Differ

In other words, as regards abortion, as people have differing beliefs, government should not pass laws restricting the procedure.

She also viewed judicial activism as useful:

Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers said in a speech more than a decade ago that "self-determination" should guide decisions about abortion and school prayer and that in cases where scientific facts are disputed and religious beliefs vary, "government should not act."

In a 1993 speech to a Dallas women's group, Miers talked about abortion, the separation of church and state, and how the issues play out in the legal system. "The underlying theme in most of these cases is the insistence of more self-determination," she said. "And the more I think about these issues, the more self-determination makes sense."

In that speech and others in the early 1990s when she was president of the Texas Bar Association, Miers also defended judges who order lawmakers to address social concerns. While judicial activism is derided by many conservatives, Miers said that sometimes "officials would rather abandon to the courts the hard questions so they can respond to constituents: I did not want to do that -- the court is making me."

Not to beat a dead horse, but I'm kind of agnostic about that. I think Roe v. Wade was a terrible judicial opinion but not terrible public policy.

Not sure why so many conservatives who are more passionately pro-life than I am are still willing to put so much trust in Harriet Miers, though.

This may be our last, best chance to stop judicial activism and reverse 50 years of liberal judicial lawmaking, and we're gambling on this woman?

posted by Ace at 03:10 PM

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