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Scalia on C-Span.

By Ann Althouse

Video accessible from the C-Span front page. He's talking to students at Thomas Jefferson High School in Alexandria, VA.

ADDED: A little simulblogging:

Scalia tells the kids he has 28 grandchildren.

I laughed at about 5:40, at the closeup of two boys reacting to the story of a woman in the 19th century who offered her grandson $5 if he would memorize the Constitution.

He tells them no other country has a term equivalent to "un-American." (Is that true?)

He tells them the Constitution mentions the death penalty "approvingly."

He says that Kelo is "a fragile decision" that will not "stand the test of the ages."

"You can murder anybody in the country and still not violate federal law, if you do it right."

A student asks what thinker has most influenced you, and he's stuck for a moment, then plugs in his tape loop on "The Federalist," then concludes that the answer is: the Framers... "James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, John Marshall... why don't I just say the Framers?"

Why did Scalia go to law school? He had nothing better to do. He says it again in French: Faute de mieux. Plus, he had an Uncle Vinnie who was a lawyer. And he loves process. And words. And he loves it. You kids should do what you love.

What does he like most about being a Justice? The law! He gets a "kick" out of figuring out "even the most insignificant legal problem." He finds writing "painful" but loves "having written." What does he like least? His first thought is "being a public figure," but he settles on "reviewing cert. petitions." Too many of 'em!

Does the Court have any traditions, like maybe "Movie Night"? "It used to be a tradition to wear these little pill box hats... oh, and... whenever we meet after robing ? putting on our little Superman suits ? before going out to the bench, we all shake hands with each other."

Why is he opposed to cameras in the courtroom? Most people would watch a 15-second sound bite that would not be characteristic of the oral argument, and he doesn't want to be part of the "miseducation" of the American people.

What was he like in high school? (Good question. Life is high school, right?) "I was something of a greasy grind." President of the Dramatic Society. Played the lead in "MacBeth." Played the French horn in the band. On the junior varsity rifle team. In the Boy Scouts. "Pretty normal childhood, yeah... Middle class, maybe lower middle class ? eh, middle class."

When he was a kid, he didn't "aspire" to anything. The "secret" is to "keep your nose to the grindstone." And "a whole lot of luck."

At about 50:35, he impersonates a cop giving the Miranda warnings.

"In my social views, which I do not apply from the bench, I am a fairly conservative fellow."

Full post as published by Althouse on April 09, 2008 (boomark / email).