Comments on: US Supreme Court raises middle finger to middle america

By: P. Froward

P. Froward — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 23:54:28 +0000

Well, Scalia seems not to think that the gesture he made is obscene, which I think would make a difference between thoughtlessness and genuine swinishness.

It was a mistake either way, “for reasons which must now be all too obvious”.

By: andy

andy — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 18:58:40 +0000

Thanks for pointing that out.

I’m not an expert on the etiquette of insulting and dismissive gestures, but I would have thought that both the (individually) raised middle finger, and the brushing the fingers against the chin gesture, are both pretty offensive to make in a Church.

Is there a reason why one should be seen as less offensive than the other?

By: P. Froward

P. Froward — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 00:00:32 +0000

Well, actually, the middle finger is used in that gesture, along with the rest, so it’s obviously not correct to say “there wasn’t any middle finger”. “Not that gesture“, is what I was aiming at.

By: P. Froward

P. Froward — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 23:58:54 +0000

There wasn't any middle finger, apparently. He brushed his fingers under his chin, which is supposedly a Sicilian gesture meaning "don't bother me". Which, okay, whatever. I'd've preferred the middle finger myself, but that inference doesn't appear to be accurate.

By: andy

andy — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 06:31:37 +0000

Oops. Thanks Thomas. Too much late night posting, too little brainpower and research skills applied.

By: Thomas Wicker

Thomas Wicker — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 05:54:33 +0000

Quick aside: Bush’s recent appointee was Justice Samuel Alito, not Antonin Scalia (see http://www.supremecourtus.gov/about/members.pdf for a list of the members). Scalia was appointed by Reagan back in ’86. That’s how come Bush said, in his election campaign of ’00, that he wanted more Scalias on the court (which Americablog is referring to when it mentions that Scalia is Bush’s favorite).

So, love ‘im all you like (I don’t; I think he’s dead wrong about virtually everything), but he ain’t even a Bush I appointee.

(fyi, Bush I appointed Justices David Souter and Clarence Thomas, and Bush II appointed Chief Justice John Roberts in addition to Justice Alito)