Antonin Scalia Speaks At Valparaiso University

Supreme Court Justice
Antonin Scalia

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia spoke at Valparaiso University's Chapel of the Resurrection yesterday.

In these days of conservative speakers being run off or shouted down by those who disagree, the amiable Midwestern spirit of willingness to listen to neighbors and engage in intellectual discourse ruled the day. Maybe it was Justice Antonin Scalia's humor that won over those who weren't philosophically aligned.

It's refreshing to read in Jane Huh's Post-Tribune report that intellectual opponents were listening to Antonin Scalia:

Jennie McCrimmon, who is studying history and secondary education, is not a Scalia fan.

"He's very very conservative and I'm not," said McCrimmon, a junior from Downers Grove, Ill. But, she said, the justice is to be respected for his national influence.

"Since I've been here, he's one of the biggest names that we've had," McCrimmon said.

"I'm a philosophical opponent of the justice," said Arvid Sponberg, professor of English, who thinks Scalia's interpretation of the constitution is "wrong." "But you can't deny that he is probably one of the most articulate and approachable conservative voices in America. Plus, he's got a sense of humor."