this post was submitted on 11 Feb 2024
544 points (96.6% liked)

politics

19089 readers
4174 users here now

Welcome to the discussion of US Politics!

Rules:

  1. Post only links to articles, Title must fairly describe link contents. If your title differs from the site’s, it should only be to add context or be more descriptive. Do not post entire articles in the body or in the comments.

Links must be to the original source, not an aggregator like Google Amp, MSN, or Yahoo.

Example:

  1. Articles must be relevant to politics. Links must be to quality and original content. Articles should be worth reading. Clickbait, stub articles, and rehosted or stolen content are not allowed. Check your source for Reliability and Bias here.
  2. Be civil, No violations of TOS. It’s OK to say the subject of an article is behaving like a (pejorative, pejorative). It’s NOT OK to say another USER is (pejorative). Strong language is fine, just not directed at other members. Engage in good-faith and with respect! This includes accusing another user of being a bot or paid actor. Trolling is uncivil and is grounds for removal and/or a community ban.
  3. No memes, trolling, or low-effort comments. Reposts, misinformation, off-topic, trolling, or offensive. Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.
  4. Vote based on comment quality, not agreement. This community aims to foster discussion; please reward people for putting effort into articulating their viewpoint, even if you disagree with it.
  5. No hate speech, slurs, celebrating death, advocating violence, or abusive language. This will result in a ban. Usernames containing racist, or inappropriate slurs will be banned without warning

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.

That's all the rules!

Civic Links

Register To Vote

Citizenship Resource Center

Congressional Awards Program

Federal Government Agencies

Library of Congress Legislative Resources

The White House

U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. Senate

Partnered Communities:

News

World News

Business News

Political Discussion

Ask Politics

Military News

Global Politics

Moderate Politics

Progressive Politics

UK Politics

Canadian Politics

Australian Politics

New Zealand Politics

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

The Hawaii Supreme Court handed down a unanimous opinion on Wednesday declaring that its state constitution grants individuals absolutely no right to keep and bear arms outside the context of military service. Its decision rejected the U.S. Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Second Amendment, refusing to interpolate SCOTUS’ shoddy historical analysis into Hawaii law. Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern discussed the ruling on this week’s Slate Plus segment of Amicus; their conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] Ranvier@sopuli.xyz 196 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (4 children)

The conservatives on the supreme court are crap historians and even worse judges.

[–] cogman@lemmy.world 123 points 9 months ago (5 children)

Originalism is nothing more than a mechanism for the Supreme Court to undo past precedent they don't like. Welcome to the new lochner era.

Hopefully we end this one like we ended the last, with a wave of socialism and a tough president willing to pack the court.

[–] Ranvier@sopuli.xyz 55 points 9 months ago (4 children)

Sorry Loving v Virginia, it didn't used to be widely understood that the equal protection clause would forbid inter racial marriage bans. After all, both white and black people are forbidden from marrying other races by those laws. There, equal. That's how it was historically understood, heck it was illegal in 16 states still at the time and widely disapproved of.

But this presumes origialism is some coherent philosophy in the first place, instead of an excuse for partisan hackery cherry picking by Heritage Foundation stooges to get the conclusion they want.

Count me in favor of packing the court, not like there's any integrity to jeopardize. More to lose by doing nothing while they continue to rampage.

[–] cogman@lemmy.world 26 points 9 months ago (2 children)

The next two civil rights I'm guessing we lose are gay marriage (Obergefell) and contraceptive access (Griswold). Obergefell because it was already close and hating anyone that's not cis is in vogue now on the right. Griswold because it was determined on exactly the same lines as Loving and Roe (In fact, Griswold is what underlay roe) and there's enough religious nuts out there that feel like contraceptives are sinful.

[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 10 points 9 months ago

We may lose sodomy as well (Lawrence)

[–] lolcatnip@reddthat.com 5 points 9 months ago

*not cis and straight

[–] jkrtn@lemmy.ml 19 points 9 months ago (3 children)

The Senate already changed the number of justices to 8 for a year. I don't see why it would be wrong to add extras after they admitted the count doesn't matter.

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] fne8w2ah@lemmy.world 5 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

More judges are needed to right the wrongs of the federal Supreme Court!

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 10 points 9 months ago

And the major questions doctrine is just there to change laws they don't like.

[–] jkrtn@lemmy.ml 5 points 9 months ago

In practice, "Originalism" refers to a quality of the judgements. Each ruling is its own original interpretation of the Constitution very clearly independent of any others.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] GentlemanLoser@ttrpg.network 30 points 9 months ago

Both of those assume good faith

[–] ikidd@lemmy.world 6 points 9 months ago (1 children)

The liberal judges on SCOTUS still recognize 2A, though maybe with a few more restrictions. You wouldn't see them pass this decision.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 120 points 9 months ago (3 children)

Sure, if Alabama can ignore SCOTUS, why not?

[–] watson387@sopuli.xyz 73 points 9 months ago (2 children)
[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world 23 points 9 months ago

And Florida

[–] jballs@sh.itjust.works 13 points 9 months ago (16 children)

Speaking of Texas laws, could the rest of us pass a law that allows private citizens to sue anyone in possession of guns?

load more comments (16 replies)
[–] zaph@sh.itjust.works 43 points 9 months ago

Only republican led states are allowed to ignore scotus.

[–] TwentySeven@lemmy.world 5 points 9 months ago

Afaik it hasn't worked out for Alabama (any of the times)

[–] AnneBonny@lemmy.dbzer0.com 82 points 9 months ago (40 children)

It’s an amazing case because the Hawaii Constitution has a provision that is the same as the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It literally uses the exact same words as the Second Amendment. And Justice Eddins said: Even though the provisions are the same, we will not interpret them the same way, because we think the U.S. Supreme Court clearly got it wrong in Heller when it said the Second Amendment creates an individual right to bear arms.

The bill of rights protects rights, it doesn't create rights. That is a pretty fundamental concept.

load more comments (40 replies)
[–] HelixDab2@lemm.ee 33 points 9 months ago (3 children)

::sigh::

This is a bad ruling; Hawai'i is saying that their state laws and traditions take precedent over federal laws, the US constitution, and SCOTUS rulings. It's intentionally trying to undermine the concept of the rule of law in order to get the result that they want. That's not a "devastating rebuke", it's a toddler screaming about not getting candy in the supermarket.

This is counter to the concept of the rule of law, and should be seen as an embarrassment, not something to celebrate.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 36 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

That’s not a “devastating rebuke”, it’s a toddler screaming about not getting candy in the supermarket.

It appears Hawai'i is parroting decisions by redder states, in an effort to force the SCOTUS to rule broadly on the question of Supremacy (or, at least, try and split the baby in some coherent way).

This is counter to the concept of the rule of law

Its counter to the concept of Federalism, but right in line with the Seperatist theory of law that quite a few modern day politicians happily espouse when it suits them.

[–] verdantbanana@lemmy.world 9 points 9 months ago (13 children)

just like cannabis and other laws in states taking precedent over federal laws?

Texas is another example and abortion is a state by state issue too as is medical and vehicle insurances

driver's licenses are a state by state thing too as is voting not a federal thing all state by state and education standards are state by state and SNAP benefits

US should have gotten things more united and settled before it was too late and shattering instead of waiting to cry and moan about it afterwards

load more comments (13 replies)
[–] SlothMama@lemmy.world 8 points 9 months ago (2 children)

I think this also. I don't think this is good, but it's not without precedent considering how Federal law and marijuana legalization works on a State level superceding Federal.

Truthfully this is just another ruling denying Federal as law of the land.

[–] HelixDab2@lemm.ee 10 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

Marijuana laws don't supersede federal law though; the fed. gov't simply chooses not to enforce the laws in states that have legalized it, and citizens of the legal states don't have standing to sue the gov't and compel them to enforce the laws. (And yeah, I agree that marijuana needs to be descheduled completely so that this isn't an issue.) (IIRC, they would need to demonstrate a personal harm caused by lack of enforcement to have standing to sue.)

In point of fact, if you purchase legal marijuana, either for recreational purposes or medical reasons, you are ineligible to purchase a firearm; this is made very clear on form 4473, where it specifically states that even if it's legal in your state, it's still a federal crime that makes you a prohibited person.

[–] DragonTypeWyvern 6 points 9 months ago (1 children)

It is ultimately all rooted in the same concept, a rejection of the Supremacy Clause.

This is just another salvo in the kind of language that leads to either a civil war or a secession, and it being made by the "good guys" doesn't stop that.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] reverendsteveii@lemm.ee 6 points 9 months ago

marijuana legalization works on a State level superceding Federal.

it really doesn't, though. federal agents can and still occasionally do assert the supremacy of federal prohibition over state level legalization, it's just that they've been directed not to in most cases. you can absolutely still be arrested for possession and when I was getting my card they made an effort to point that out and told me not to bring it to the post office or national parks or anything else like that where the law enforcement is likely to be federal rather than state or local.

[–] Skkorm@lemmy.world 23 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Considering Hawaii is, by UN definition, illegally occupied? Good. Hawaii should be it's own nation.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] FluffyPotato@lemm.ee 19 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Not too familiar with the US but didn't Texas just recently just set a precedent that the supreme court can just be ignored. Doesn't the legal system there work off of precedent so that's a thing you can just do now?

[–] deaf_fish@lemm.ee 10 points 9 months ago

I call it the you and what army precedent. Things will get interesting from here on out.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] dezmd@lemmy.world 17 points 9 months ago (2 children)

This is asserting we have no rights outside of what the federal or state constitutions allow, which is a bad precedent to attempt to set. The Bill of Rights Amendments do not provide us with rights, they instead protect us from government limitations of certain rights that are inherent. People seem do not understand the juxtaposition of granted rights vs protected rights in these contexts when diacussing these kinds of cases.

Does the Hawaii state constitution specifically deny the right to keep and bear arms outside of military service?

[–] ryathal@sh.itjust.works 7 points 9 months ago

Even if it did, it wouldn't matter as the US constitution is the ultimate authority and contradicts that opinion. It would take a few years to get to the Supreme Court though.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] RainfallSonata@lemmy.world 6 points 9 months ago

More of this.

[–] reagansrottencorpse@lemmy.world 5 points 9 months ago (1 children)

The supreme court is supremely illegitimate. Ignore all their rulings.

[–] GladiusB@lemmy.world 6 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Does this apply to the border? Asking for a friend.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments
view more: next ›