Ten Commandments for judges

By James Atticus Bowden

President George W. Bush makes one of the most important decisions defining his legacy by uttering a name. If that name for Supreme Court Justice is a constant Conservative to the end of the life time term, then the Bush presidency defines the start of an era. The momentum for change, like a glacier, will creak forward. Anything less, including a scheme of one Conservative for two open seats means enough Conservative Christians stay home, even if Hillary runs, and Liberals win the 2008 election. The U.S. Culture War widens, deepens and threatens because the Judges will get worse.

A Conservative Justice affirms the majority winning elections across the Nation. A 'Moderate' Justice overturns the elected will of the People. Stressing the majority with a Liberal who brings more Judicial tyranny is worse than frustrating the minority who have no right to rule.

There is no 'consensus' Judge because there is no consensus in America. Perhaps, we should build a majority to get judges to display these Ten Commandments.

1. Thou art not God. You don't know when life begins or ends. Don't make up 'rights' to kill humans or kill helpless people yourself, just because you can. The state legislatures decide legal medical procedures by exception.
   
   
2. Thou art not Priest-Kings. Don't tell people when, how, what, or where they can pray. The state legislatures settle how much public prayer, including schools, is appropriate. Quit the cultural cleansing of Christianity.
   
   
3. Thou art not Congress. Don't write laws. Don't order governments to spend money — appropriate taxes. You adjudicate disputes, not create the 'law of the land.'
   
   
4. Thou art not the President or Governor. Don't write regulations or try to administer government, including school systems. Don't order authorities to do to anything, except to carry out the orders they asked you to sign — like search warrants — within your narrowly defined — written — powers.
   
   
5. Thou shalt not follow foreign laws. Don't ever decide a case based on foreign law, tradition, or public opinion. Being ruled by foreign law is as despicable as by a foreign king.
   
   
6. Thou shalt not change our Constitution. Never. Don't make up penumbras. Don't change the meaning of the words. Private property is a right. Individual rights aren't Group rights. A plaque doesn't establish religion.
   
   
7. Honor the Family. Marriage is between a man and a woman. Don't pretend you know better than parents.
   
   
8. Honor Justice. Don't let the guilty go free because of a technicality. Compensate them in prison for some legal error.
   
   
9. Honor the Rule of Law. Rule under the Law, not over the Law. Don't let your politics prejudice your rulings. You don't know global warming from evolution, so don't make up science either.
   
   
10. Thou shalt post the real X Commandments. Place the key foundational law of American Civilization in a prominent place inside every courtroom. Look at it often and remember how small you are in power, place and time to the greatest law-giver, God, and to this great Nation of the United States of America.
    
    

Regardless of whom President Bush appoints, all the judges at every level of government should harken to these Ten Commandments for Judges. If the judiciary becomes so corrupted by power that the tyranny of the few judges becomes the dictatorship of the many, the Culture War will get terrible.

The Great U.S. Culture War is essentially a Second American Civil War (ACW II). There is practically no violence, yet, because the Constitution provides for majority rule in free, fair elections. Both sides contend for power through elections. If elections become meaningless and personal values of family, faith and security are threatened, there will be Hell to pay.

Judges who kill the helpless supporting partial birth abortion or euthanasia will go too far. Judges will make Biblical speech, like saying Homosexual behavior is a sin, hate speech, like it is in Canada and Europe. Judges could make criticizing Islam illegal, even from inside a church, as it is in Australia. Judges make a mockery of immigration laws already. They make illegal aliens almost un-deportable with greater rights than citizens, like paying in-state tuition fees.

The President and Congress can take power away from the Judiciary by law (Article II, U.S. Constitution) or Amendment. President Bush should begin by appointing wise Conservatives of bedrock convictions and conscience. Better to tame the tyrants legally, or through the civil disobedience like the Civil Rights Movement, than the bloodier alternatives.

Someday, we, The People, win. When?

© James Atticus Bowden