Supreme injustice

We are the species that clamors to be lied to. -Joyce Carol Oates

That title may be an overstatement, but the Supreme Court has issued a flurry of rulings as their session comes to a close and virtually all of them are going in the wrong direction, IMO.

- An Alaskan teen lost his appeal for free speech protection because the poster he held up was interpreted as encouraging drug use ("Bong Hits for Jesus") - a shocking ruling, really.

- But campaign money was speech that is actually worth protecting - the Court limited the interpretation of provisions of the McCainFeingold campaign finance reform law regarding television ads paid for by corporations.

- The interests of corporations were also protected in a ruling limiting the scope of the Endangered Species Act; not a surprising ruling, but disappointing none the less.

- And worst of all, a suit protesting the use of (presidential as opposed to congressional) funds to promote religion was struck down (apparently the tax payers have no say in presidential discretionary spending); a really chilling ruling that is heralded as ushering in a new era of "hostility" toward the principle of separation of church and state.