Original Intent is the judicial philosophy promoted by President George W. Bush and Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas. Originalists believe the U.S. Constitution should be interpreted in the way the Founding Fathers understood it in 1789 - an era when only white men were allowed to vote and slavery was legal. Others believe the Constitution was crafted in broad, open-ended language and that its meaning evolves over time. Original Intent: The Battle for America argues that the far right is using originalism as a cover to advance a radically conservative political agenda.
With the appointments of Justices Roberts and Alito, the balance of the Supreme Court shifted dramatically to the right. Many laws that are considered fundamental rights can be overturned, particularly laws that protect civil rights, voting rights, affirmative action, reproductive rights, privacy, and sexual freedom. The film contains interviews with: Robert Bork, Supreme Court nominee; Prof. Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean, UC Irvine Law School; Prof. Alan Dershowitz, Harvard Law School; Edwin Meese, Attorney General, Reagan Administration; Senator Alan Simpson (R-WY); Prof. Nadine Strassen, NY Law School and President, ACLU; and Nina Totenberg, Legal Affairs Correspondent, National Public Radio. An essential film for courses in Political Science, Government, Constitutional Law and American Studies.
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