Overview
"If you're going to be a good and faithful judge, you have to resign yourself to the fact that you're not always going to like the conclusions you reach. If you like them all the time, you're probably doing something wrong." Justice Antonin Scalia
Former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, Antonin Scalia, in the above statement, has depicted the dilemma that federal judges are faced with when deciding on whether an act, law or executive is constitutional. This task seems reasonable and attainable; however, as advocates of the Constitution, the Supreme Court Justices are held to a certain standard when given the task of safeguarding the Constitution. Similar to the president, justices of the Supreme Court must make their decisions based on the facts and laws of the case, while putting aside any personal attachments or feelings regarding the morality of their choice. So, for this week's discussion post, I would like you to take a look at the hypothetical below and tell me how you would conclude if you were a justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.
Hypothetical #1
A florist has refused to provide floral arrangements for a gay couple's wedding because of her Christian beliefs. Can astate require that businesses open to the public provide "full and equal" services to customers without regard to their sexual orientation? Please discuss how you would rule in this case. Remember to incorporate terms/concepts from this week's module.