In our check and balances system of government, the three branches -- Presidency, Legislative, and Judicial -- are equal in might and stature. To many this may not appear to be the case. Part of this is due to the intense media attention the Presidency and Congress enjoy. Part of this is also due to misconceptions within the public about the role of the judiciary in general and the Supreme Court specifically.
In the outstanding A Year in the Life of the Supreme Court, editor Rodney Smolla -- a professor of law at William and Mary College -- has put together a work that should go a long way towards educating the public. This collection of essays by experienced Supreme Court observers concentrates on the 1992-1993 term of the Court. While other terms may have had bigger cases that the public would recognize, several fundamental issues were addressed by the Court. For example, how does one balance the issue of free speech and access to protected services in the case of abortion? How much discretion does law enforcement have in searching an individual without probable cause? Does Title IX allow an individual to sue for monetary damages? Does Brown vs. the Board of Education require Mississippi to equalize its state-run university system? Can hateful speech lead to additional punishments when done in concert with another crime?
In each of the cases chosen for review, the method by which the case reached the Supreme Court is detailed giving the case the human component that each has initially (and is sometimes eventually lost). In addition, a justice who was pivotal in the resulting decision is highlighted along with a good explanation of the constitutional issues.
For a reader interested in understanding the Supreme Court1s function in our society, A Year in the Life of the Supreme Court is not only a good introduction, it is a definitive profile of the Court from the perspective of a trained observer and should not be missed.
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The book is filled with stories that keep family traditions and memories alive. It is a must-read for anyone interested in American History at the time of the Great Depression.
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In tracing the exploits of the 361st Fighter Group from the cold gray days of the winter of '43 when it was first formed, to the warm,deadly days of the spring of '45, Paul Cora aptly demonstrates this fact.
Yellowjackets is a history of people and airplanes; the pilots and ground crews of the 374th, 375th, and 376th Fighter Squadrons that made up the 361st Fighter Group, which became known as the "Yellowjackets" because of the bright yellow paint on the noses of their aircraft, and the P-47 Thunderbolt and P-51 Mustang, which they flew into combat daily, sometimes against great odds.
It's also about duty, sacrifice and heroism; stories depicting the actions of ordinary men who did extraordinary things every day without complaint, risking their lives while accompanying and protecting the heavy B-24 and B-25 bombers as they penetrated deep into German airspace during the spring of 1944.
Whether you're a WWII history buff, or, like me, simply fascinated by the American planes of that era, when you read this book you'll add to your store of knowledge about that slice of American history, while enjoying a fascinating account of how American fighter pilots contributed to allied victory in European skies. This is a must-read; a valuable read. I heartily recommend it.
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