Can you name three members of the Supreme Court?

[hfojvt]

Today was graduation day at church. So I decided to test Eric Alterman's theory on the grads. Eric wrote that most Americans can name the three stooges, but they cannot name three members of the Supreme Court.

So I asked the pretty girl wearing the National Honor Society banner over her gown. She did not rise to the challenge. So I gave her one name - CT, maybe that would ring a bell. Nothing. How about RBG? Nothing. To her left was a burly guy with a buzz cut and to her right a hippie looking guy with hair 3 inches past his shoulders. They were also listening, but none of the three could name one of the remaining seven justices.

Probably they did not know there was gonna be a test today. I told them why I was being such a dork, and the hippie guy informed me that there are actually four stooges. Well, at least he learned something in school.

I, however, forgot to tell them to register and vote. Which might be just as well. They might vote for Larry.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

1. Off the top of my head:

Roberts, Alito, Ginsburg, Breyer, Thomas, Souter, Stevens, Kennedy, Scalia.

[hfojvt]

3. Wrong!

I said name three! Where did you learn to count? :P :patriot: :yourock:

[Starbucks Anarchist]

6. I'm a showoff!

:P

[philosophie_en_rose]

2. Of course

Roberts, Scalia, Alito, Thomas, Kennedy, Stevens, Ginsburg, and Souter.

On edit: I overlooked Breyer. :(

[hfojvt]

5. and they don't have first names?

I am not sure on any given day if I could name all nine, but three should be easy, especially since two were confirmed less than a year ago. Or has it been longer?

I used to think my students in 1988 should remember Reaganomics because that was recent history. Then I realized that they were 9 and ten when he was elected and probably not paying that much attention to it.

[philosophie_en_rose]

18. Of course they have first names.

John, Antonin, Samuel, Clarence, Anthony, John Paul, Ruth, David

and then Steven Breyer.

[ashling]

51. That's because

I overlooked Breyer.

you had him confused with the ice cream.
:rofl:

[Gormy Cuss]

4. Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, Flo Ballard?

It is rather pitiful when an NHS member can't even name one.

[hfojvt]

9. there's alot of women

in your court of 'nine old men'

I don't think she tried very hard. I would have taken it as a personal challenge even if caught off guard. 'Give me a minute and I will name all nine.' I am not sure I could have as a HS grad either though.

[Deja Q]

7. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Scalia, and Clarence Thomas

:shrug:

[Reverend_Smitty]

8. Didn't look at the responses...

Steven Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, John Paul Stevens, John Roberts, Sam Alito, Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, David Souter...and I had to cheat for this one...Anthony Kennedy (for the life of me I couldn't think of the 9th guy...shame on me!)

on edit:
the ironic bit about it all was when I was a senior in high school I could name all 9 with no problem

[hfojvt]

12. Really

and Kennedy's the swing vote. I doubt if I would get all of those first names.

[Reverend_Smitty]

32. I was sitting there for a few minutes...

telling myself "I will not use google" but I drew a total blank on Kennedy's name. I'm actually a little ashamed of my "overachieving and proud of it" self :P

Government was my favorite and probably one of my best subjects in school. I couldn't wait to go to that class every day because we usually had a guest speaker in 3-4 times a week and I loved to grill politicians!

[billyskank]

10. John, Paul, George?

Ringo?

No?

[Deja Q]

11. Honky, senile honky, token black guy?

:shrug:

[bridgit]

13. kennedy, ginsberg, roberts...

[HEyHEY]

14. Judge Dre, Judge Judy, And Easy Mutha Fuckin' E

[hfojvt]

16. I guess Wopner stepped down.

What about Judge Dredd?

[Tikki]

59. and Judge Reinhold....

Tikki

[NMDemDist2]

15. hmmm without reading the thread (for spoilers/hints) I can name

Chief Justice Roberts
Ginsberg
Stevens
Thomas
Alito
Scalia

seems I'm missing a few

drat!

[hfojvt]

17. missing three, my dear

Kennedy, Breyer, and Souter

I complete you. :o

[NMDemDist2]

20. heh!

It is good to be completed (in a totally healthy way of course)

:rofl:

[wildhorses]

19. edited to keep my answers out fo subject line ---

o'conner, ginsberg, alito and your initials remeinded me ---clarence thomas...

do i win anything:P

[NMDemDist2]

22. ehhhhh

o'connor retired a while ago

no cookies for you!

[wildhorses]

26. oh phooey ---i suck

x( :P

[hfojvt]

27. at least you didn't say Warren, Rehnquist, Brandeis

or Oliver Ellsworth and really show your age.

http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=E000147

I am all out of cookies though, and



apparently running short of witty repartee too.



Can I borrow a cup from a DUzy winner?

[wildhorses]

30. why sure thing, darlin'

and a donut to go with it

:donut:

[THUNDER HANDS]

21. lets see..

Ginsburg
Breyer
Thomas
Scalia
Roberts
Alito
Kennedy

wow, and I wasn't even thinking hard!

[WritingIsMyReligion]

23. Roberts, Alito, Scalia.

All the fuckers in a row. :P

[hfojvt]

28. well that saxaphone player

Clarence (Clemens) Thomas shouldn't be left out of the Worst Justices Ever group. Otherwise known as the Injustice League.

[huskerlaw]

24. Of course.

Roberts, Alito, Scalia, Thomas, Kennedy, Stevens, Ginsburg, Souter, Breyer

[NMDemDist2]

25. dude, you're a lawyer

you better know the Supremes!! :spank:

[hfojvt]

29. really, she

argued before them just a few weeks ago, and Clarence Thomas is STILL emailing her dirty jokes.

[huskerlaw]

61. ROFL

Thankfully, not true. ;)

[huskerlaw]

35. Yeah, well...

you'd be surprised how many lawyers DON'T.

I focused on constitutional law in law school, but many of my classmates who focused elsewhere probably couldn't name them. It's not like they deal with SC decisions on a regular basis.

[NMDemDist2]

63. really? is that it? or is it the dirty jokes??

:rofl:

[UrbScotty]

31. Ginsberg, Breyer, Souter, Stevens. There, that's four.

Then there are the five tools.

[GoneOffShore]

33. I would tell you, but then I would have to kill you.

Clarence Thomas, Anthony Scalia, Samuel Alito, Chief Justice Roberts, Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

And I can't think of the rest. But it is Sunday afternoon.

[Danger Mouse]

34. Yeah, easily.

Ginsberg, Scalia, Alito, Roberts, Kennedy, Thomas...off the top of my head. Sorry, don't know all of em.

[Mr. Blonde]

36. Another one that will stump most people

is the five freedoms in the First Amendment. Ask them that and who the five members of The Simpsons family are.

Although apparently there are college text books that say there are only 4, so it isn't entirely the student's fault.

[Reverend_Smitty]

40. I can name...

Freedom of the press
Freedom of religion
Freedom of speech
Freedom of assembly

What am I missing?

[Mr. Blonde]

41. Missing

to petition the government for redress of grievances.

[Reverend_Smitty]

45. oh dammit!

that one kind of gets rolled in with freedom of speech and assembly

[Mr. Blonde]

49. Yeah

and underused. I notice a lot of people with grievances and none getting redressed.

[Reverend_Smitty]

53. It's the secret freedom the government doesn't want you to know about

lol

[Starbucks Anarchist]

55. Press, speech, assembly, religion, petition.

[NC_Nurse]

37. Scalia, Thomas, Kennedy, Souter, Stephens,

Roberts, Alito, Bader Ginsberg, and ? Crap! Who'd I miss?

[NC_Nurse]

38. Breyer, dammit!

I forgot him...:(

[DFW]

39. All 9 of 'em

The Good (Breyer, Stevens, Bader-Ginsburg, Souter), the Bad (Kennedy),
and the Ugly (Scalia, Alito, Thomas, and Chimp Justice Roberts).

[femmocrat]

42. Yes. I can name all nine of them and know which are ultra-conservatives.

Do I get a prize?

[Orsino]

43. Sure. I've got some GREAT names for at least five of them. n/t

[Forkboy]

44. hehe

:thumbsup:

[SPKrazy]

46. Alterman is way underrated

as a writer in the political world in my opinion

his book

"what liberal media" was excellent in my opinion

let's see

Thomas
Ginsberg
Bryer

can't believe i think of Thomas first :eyes:

[Wetzelbill]

47. Larry, Moe and Curly

I even know Shemp!!!

Actually I can name them all. But I only learned how to do that in the last five years or so. I was always a Dem and interested in politics, but it took a fuck up like Bush to make me hardcore.

[MrSlayer]

48. I can name them all.

But I'm quite sure Eric Alterman is quite correct that the majority of people cannot name three.

[JI7]

50. that's an easy one for me, but i find most people don't know it

sometimes i feel like i'm living in another world from people i talk to. if i mention some political news thing they are clueless.

i told one person i wanted to attend some campaign event and they didn't understand why.

[devilgrrl]

52. Stevens, Kennedy, Breyer, Bader-Ginsburg, Suter, Alito, Roberts, thomas, Scalia

:shrug:

[pokerfan]

54. There were nine Stooges

Coincidence? I think not.

Moe Howard
Larry Fine
Curly Howard
Shemp Howard
Ted Healy
Joe Palma
Joe Besser
Curly-Joe DeRita
Harry (Emil Sitka)

[Deep13]

56. Ginsburg, Souter, Breyer, Stevens, Shemp, Curly, Larry, Moe, Curly Joe

[davsand]

57. Before I read the responses I wrote down my answers.

I had Thomas, Ginsburg, and Scalia written down. I was not NHS.

Can I vote now?



Laura

[davsand]

58. Hell, most adults can't name the Great Lakes

I used to run a "Trivial Happy Hour" where I'd give cheap drinks to people that could answer trivia questions. I had a LOT of people that missed that one. I am not surprised that the names of the "Supremes" are unknown. It isn't like they MATTER, is it?



(That last sentence was sarcasm--ok?)


Laura

[kwassa]

60. Manny, Moe and Jack

[LynneSin]

62. I can name all 9

Antonin Scalia
Clarence Thomas
John Roberts
Samuel Alito
Anthony Kennedy
Ruth Bader Ginsberg
David Souter
Paul Stevens
Stephen Breyer

[Q3JR4]

64. I can usually remember 8

of the nine.

Always hitch up on the last one and, strangely enough, it's a different justice each time.

[CBHagman]

65. I can name them all.

Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Antonin Scalia...

Excuse me. :puke:

...Clarence Thomas...

Excuse me.

:grr:

...John Roberts, Samuel Alito -- It is Sam, isn't it? -- Anthony Kennedy, David Souter, and John Paul Stevens.