"The fact that the nation’s attention will shift so quickly to speculation about his successor, rather than an appreciation of him, is unfortunate." -Tom Goldstein
This thread is not about who his replacement will be but about honoring the service and career of Justice Stevens. Please, limit your thoughts and comments to this.
Career HighlightsFourth-longest-serving Justice in the history of the United StatesSecond oldest Justice everServed in the United States Navy from 1942–1945 as a commissioned intelligence officerAwarded the Bronze StarPersonal HighlightsWatched Babe Ruth’s “called shot” during the game 3 of the 1932 World SeriesAttend University of Chicago Laboratory Schools 71 years before Malia and Sasha ObamaLike President Obama was resident of Hyde Park in Chicago IllinoisIs known for his bow tie and for being a gentleman to advocates and peersFamous QuotesOn Bush v. Gore
“Time will one day heal the wound to that confidence that will be inflicted by today’s decision. One thing, however, is certain. Although we may never know with complete certainty the identity of the winner of this year’s Presidential election, the identity of the loser is perfectly clear. It is the Nation’s confidence in the judge as an impartial guardian of the rule of law.” ~Justice John Paul Stevens, Bush v. Gore.
On the Freedom of Speech
“The interest in encouraging freedom of expression in a democratic society outweighs any theoretical but unproven benefit of censorship.” Justice Stevens, Reno v. ACLU.
On the Separation of Church and State
"Whenever we remove a brick from the wall that was designed to separate religion and government, we increase the risk of religious strife and weaken the foundations of our democracy" ~Justice John Paul Stevens, Zelman v. Simmons-Harris.
On the War Powers
“For if this Nation is to remain true to the ideals symbolized by its flag, it must not wield the tools of tyrants even to resist an assault by the forces of tyranny.” ~Justice Stevens, Rumsfeld v. Padilla.
On the Constitution as a Living Document
“Perhaps even more important than our specific holding today is our reaffirmation of the basic principle that informs the Court’s interpretation of the Eighth Amendment. If the meaning of that Amendment had been frozen when it was originally drafted, it would impose no impediment to the execution of 7-year-old children today. The evolving standards of decency that have driven our construction of this critically important part of the Bill of Rights foreclose any such reading of the Amendment. In the best tradition of the common law, the pace of that evolution is a matter for continuing debate; but that our understanding of the Constitution does change from time to time has been settled since John Marshall breathed life into its text.” -Justice Stevens, ROPER V. SIMMONS
Thank you for your service Justice Stevens...