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Thursday, March 30, 2006

Photo Of Scalia’s Gesture Emerges

I don't know if any of you have been following this, but apparently there is a "growing national controversy" over Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia making an Italian gesture that is the equivalent of the middle finger here in America.

scaliagesture03302006.jpg


Amid a growing national controversy about the gesture U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia made Sunday at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, the freelance photographer who captured the moment has come forward with the picture.

“It’s inaccurate and deceptive of him to say there was no vulgarity in the moment,” said Peter Smith, the Boston University assistant photojournalism professor who made the shot.

Despite Scalia’s insistence that the Sicilian gesture was not offensive and had been incorrectly characterized by the Herald as obscene, the photographer said the newspaper “got the story right.”

Smith said the jurist “immediately knew he’d made a mistake, and said, ‘You’re not going to print that, are you?’ ”

Scalia’s office yesterday referred questions regarding the flap to Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg, who said a letter Scalia sent Tuesday to the Herald defending his gesture at the cathedral “speaks for itself.”

“He has no further comment,” Arberg said.

Smith was working as a freelance photographer for the Boston archdiocese’s weekly newspaper at a special Mass for lawyers Sunday when a Herald reporter asked the justice how he responds to critics who might question his impartiality as a judge given his public worship.

“The judge paused for a second, then looked directly into my lens and said, ‘To my critics, I say, ‘Vaffanculo,’ ” punctuating the comment by flicking his right hand out from under his chin, Smith said.

The Italian phrase means “(expletive) you.”


Here's another description of what happened from CNN:

BOSTON, Massachusetts (AP) -- Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, in a scathing letter to the editor of the Boston Herald, accused the newspaper's staff of watching "too many episodes of 'The Sopranos'" for interpreting a hand gesture he made at a cathedral as obscene.

The Boston Herald reported Monday the justice made "an obscene gesture, flicking his hand under his chin" in response to a question about whether lawyers might question his impartiality in matters of church and state.

The incident occurred after Scalia attended Mass at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.


I wonder how many Americans, outside of media journalists who hate Scalia for being an arch-conservative, actually care about this?

Honestly, "growing national controversy?" Give me a break.

Comments

Avatar for realitybasedbob

Why would anyone think that a justice of the Supreme Court using an Italian hand signal for fuck you, in a cathedral, when asked by a reporter to comment about his critics would be news worthy? He is obviously coming unhinged. Maybe he needs to take a time out and go duck hunting with Cheney.

realitybasedbob on March 30, 2006 at 07:09 am
Avatar for The Bostonian Exile

"Growing national controvery"?

 This from a 50 cent tabloid that is given away for free in downtown Boston every day.  I mean, I’m pretty sure that most people wouldn’t want to be caught dead reading it in public.

Overblown much?

The Bostonian Exile on March 30, 2006 at 07:39 am
Avatar for Dave

Why would anyone think that a justice of the Supreme Court using an Italian hand signal for fuck you, in a cathedral, when asked by a reporter to comment about his critics would be news worthy?

LOL. I’m sure if John Kerry had given a reporter the finger and sworn at him during Mass, Rob would have ignored it too.

Dave on March 30, 2006 at 08:32 am
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I probably would have posted on it, laughed about it, and then pointed out that sometimes the journalists deserve it.


The war against illegal plunder has been fought since the beginning of the world. But how is… legal plunder to be identified? Quite simply. See if the law takes from some persons what belongs to them, and gives it to other persons to whom it does not belong. See if the law benefits one citizen at the expense of another by doing what the citizen himself cannot do without committing a crime. Then abolish this law without delay … If such a law is not abolished immediately it will spread, multiply and develop into a system.

Frédéric Bastiat, The Law

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

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Rob on March 30, 2006 at 08:45 am
Avatar for Bat One

Justice Scalia’s use of an ancient Sicilian hand gesture should be applauded.  For the reporter to have intruded on the justice is in itself offensive.  Scalia is entitled to his privacy the same as anyone else, and there is no excuse for a reporter ambushing him on his way in or out of church.  Certainly nothing the reporter asked Scalia was either newsworthy or even modestly important.

Indeed, the questions asked were inane and stupid, designed to denigrate Mr. Scalia rather than elicit pertinent and legitimate information.  The reporter, obviously an anti-Christian biogt, was attempting to use Scalia’s catholic faith as leverage against the jurist ("When did you stop beating your wife?"wink.  He’s fortunate that Scalia didn’t do a "Buzz" Aldrin number on him.

Hoorah for Antonin Scalia! 

Bat One on March 30, 2006 at 08:46 am
Avatar for Dave

The reporter, obviously an anti-Christian biogt,

Obviously.

Dave on March 30, 2006 at 08:56 am
Avatar for hdw

Despite Scalia’s insistence that the Sicilian gesture was not offensive and had been incorrectly characterized by the Herald as obscene, the photographer said the newspaper “got the story right.”

I thought the reporter said he made an "obscene gesture"… Sounds like she was wrong. He made a gesture while saying something obscene. It’s all in the details.
hdw on March 30, 2006 at 09:38 am
Avatar for richard

Good for Scalia. Now if we can just get him to wipe his ass with Mexican flag all will be good.

richard on March 30, 2006 at 10:55 am
Avatar for TwoHotel9

I’d pay good money to see him punch a reporter in the mouth, double it if his fist is wrapped in the Constitution!

TwoHotel9 on March 30, 2006 at 01:24 pm
Avatar for Bat One

I’d pay a lot more if I got to name the reporter.

Clearly Justice Scalia is far and away intellectually superior to the lot of them.  But even at his age, and weight, I’ll bet he’s even tougher than he looks and throws a pretty solid punch. 

Bat One on March 30, 2006 at 01:40 pm
Avatar for Dave

I’d pay good money to see him punch a reporter in the mouth

and

But even at his age, and weight, I’ll bet he’s even tougher than he looks and throws a pretty solid punch. 

So long as he doesn’t throw a pie at them… Jeez, you guys are getting partisan.

Dave on March 30, 2006 at 03:27 pm
Avatar for Bat One

Partisan?  Not at all.  Vengeful, or vindictive, or just plain mean?  Absolutely.  Besides, I happen to enjoy a good fight.

Bat One on March 30, 2006 at 04:21 pm
Avatar for TwoHotel9

Don’t make me go all Cartman on your ass, davey.

TwoHotel9 on March 30, 2006 at 06:52 pm
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