Spock Cited By Texas Supreme Court

Conservatives, who are prone to irrational hysteria over a wide number of things, have increasingly been seeing the concept of international law as a threat. How are they going to respond if American courts start deferring to the United Federation of Planets? The Texas Supreme Court has cited Mr. Spock in interpreting the Texas Constitution. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America reports on Spock being cited in when writing their opinion in Robinson v. Crown Cork and Seal:

Appropriately weighty principles guide our course. First, we recognize that police power draws from the credo that “the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.” Second, while this maxim rings utilitarian and Dickensian (not to mention Vulcan21), it is cabined by something contrarian and Texan: distrust of intrusive government and a belief that police power is justified only by urgency, not expediency.

Footnote 21 reads:

See STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN (Paramount Pictures 1982). The film references several works of classic literature, none more prominently than A Tale of Two Cities. Spock gives Admiral Kirk an antique copy as a birthday present, and the film itself is bookended with the book’s opening and closing passages. Most memorable, of course, is Spock’s famous line from his moment of sacrifice: “Don’t grieve, Admiral. It is logical. The needs of the many outweigh . . .” to which Kirk replies, “the needs of the few.”

United Federation of Planets

8 Comments

  1. 1
    mbfromhb says:

    » Spock Cited By Texas Supreme Court Liberal Values http://goo.gl/Z80G

  2. 2
    loydcase says:

    And on a lighter note, Mr. Spock was cited in a decision by the Texas Supreme Court: http://bit.ly/aix0dB

  3. 3
    Kevin 'Demortes' says:

    Too funny. Lawmakers quote Spock http://digs.by/ajNZb3

  4. 4
    Jim says:

    RT @ronchusid: Spock Cited By Texas Supreme Court #p2 #p21 #topprog http://bit.ly/dC5SYn

  5. 5
    EJ Perkins says:

    Live Long & Prosper: The Texas Supreme Court cites Star Trek's Mr. Spock in interpreting the Texas Constitution. http://bit.ly/cB5JXp

  6. 7
    Bryan Bailey says:

    » Spock Cited By Texas Supreme Court Liberal Values http://goo.gl/41n4

  7. 8
    Steven Hugg says:

    RT @loydcase: And on a lighter note, Mr. Spock was cited in a decision by the Texas Supreme Court: http://bit.ly/aix0dB

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