In his decision on Louisiana’s abortion law, Chief Justice John Roberts chose not to rule on the merits of the law (“Supreme Court strikes down Louisiana abortion clinic law,” June 29, TribLIVE), instead choosing to apply “stare decisis,” the following of precedents in law.
If this practice had been rigorously applied throughout our history, we would still have “separate but equal education” (Plessy v. Ferguson, 1896), former slaves would not be allowed to become U.S. citizens (Dred Scott v. Sandford, 1857) and we would still have Prohibition (Volstead Act, 1920). All of these unfortunate acts were overturned based on examining the merits of their repeal and looking at the terrible results of those acts.
Perhaps our chief justice should make the same examination when next he is asked his opinion.
Lloyd Kline
Mt. Lebanon