I suppose you all realize that as members of the court marshall for the trial of the conspirators in the assassination of our belo...ved president you have on your souls a grave responsibility. The object of this trial is not to determine the guilt or innocence of a handful of rebels but to save this country from further bloodshed. The solemn truth, gentlemen, is that the federal union is on the verge of hysteria. That is why the trial of these conspirators has been placed in your hands rather than in a civil court. Because men of the sword can be hard, and hardness is all that can save this country from riot, mob rule, even resumption of the war itself.... To help you to be hard, first, you must not allow your judgement in decision in this case to be troubled by any trifling technicalities of the law or any pedantic regard for the customary rules of evidence. Second, and most important, you must not allow yourself to be influenced by that obnoxious creation of legal nonsense--reasonable doubt.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
In government offices which are sensitive to the vehemence and passion of mass sentiment public men have no sure tenure. They are ...in effect perpetual office seekers, always on trial for their political lives, always required to court their restless constituents.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
The confirmation of Clarence Thomas, one of the most conservative voices to be added to the [Supreme] Court in recent memory, carr...ies a sobering message for the African- American community.... As he begins to make his mark upon the lives of African Americans, we must acknowledge that his successful nomination is due in no small measure to the support he received from black Americans.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
And from a cliff top is proclaimed The gathering of the souls for birth,... The trial by existence named, The obscuration upon earth.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
... the outcome of the Clarence Thomas hearings and his subsequent appointment to the Supreme Court shows how misguided, narrow no...tions of racial solidarity that suppress dissent and critique can lead black folks to support individuals who will not protect their rights.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
The Supreme Court would have pleased me more if they had concerned themselves about enforcing the compulsory education provisions ...for Negroes in the South as is done for white children. The next ten years would be better spent in appointing truant officers and looking after conditions in the homes from which the children come. Use to the limit what we already have.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
The whole matter revolves around the self-respect of my people. How much satisfaction can I get from a court order for somebody to... associate with me who does not wish me near them?LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Being accused of making money by selling sex in Hollywood, home of the casting couch and the gratuitous nude scene, is so rich wit...h irony that it's a better subject for a comic novel than a column.... On one coast the cops are busting sex workers on Eighth Avenue, dragging them downtown to night court where they pay the fine and go right back to their corner; on another they're charging Heidi Fleiss with pandering in a town in which the verb is an art form.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
As to the thirty-six Senators who placed themselves on record against the principle of a World Court, I am inclined to think that ...if they ever get to Heaven they will be doing a great deal of apologizing for a very long time--that is if God is against war--and I think He is.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »