HELLO, JUDGE. IF YOU'RE A LAWYER OR AN AMERICAN, I GUESS IT DOES NOT GET ANY BIGGER OR BETTER THAN THIS. CONGRATULATIONS. IN ADDITION TO HONORING THE WONDERFUL STATE OF MINNESOTA, AND UNLESS YOU CORRECT ME, I AM GOING TO ASSUME THAT YOUR PURPLE ATTIRE IS ALSO MEANT TO HONOR LSU IN MY STATE. IF ICE GOING I SQUINT REAL HARD, I MIGHT CALL IT MIGHT COLORS OF SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY IN LOUISIANA. I WANT TO COMPLIMENT YOU FOR SELECTING SENATOR DOUG JONES TO ADVISE YOU. SENATOR JONES KNOWS THE SENATE. THE SENATE KNOWS SENATOR JONES. WE KNOW HIM TO BE QUITE THE INTELLECT. BUT MORE IMPORTANT, WE KNOW HIM TO BE A PERSON OF JUDGMENT AND GOODWILL. I'M GLAD THAT YOU HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO HIM. I HOPE WE WILL BE ABLE TO USE OF THIS HEARING TODAY TO TALK ABOUT , IF NOT IMPLICITLY, AT LEAST IMPLICITLY, TWO THINGS. THE FIRST IS THE LEGITIMACY OF THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT. WHERE DOES THE COURT GETS ITS LEGITIMACY? WHAT CAN WE DO TO ENHANCE IT? JUDICIAL LEGITIMACY IS IMPORTANT. I DO NOT NEED TO TELL YOU THAT. I AM FOND OF THE CONSTITUTION, I KNOW YOU ARE TO. WHEN MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT INTERPRETED , I WANT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO BELIEVE THEM, I WANT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO SAY WELL, I MAY NOT AGREE, BUT THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO MADE THE DECISION ARE INTELLECTUALLY HONEST AND PEOPLE WITH GOOD FAITH. ONE OF THE PRIMARY ROLES OF THE UNITED STATES APPROVED PORT UPHOLD THE RULE OF LAW --ONE OF THE PRIMARY RULES OF THE UNITED STATES IS UPHOLD THE RULE OF LAW. SOMETIMES A JUSTICES HAVE TO UPHOLD THE RULE OF LAW WHEN IT IS NOT POPULAR WITH THE MAJORITY OF AMERICANS. BOY, THAT IS TOUGH. IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT. SOMETIMES, NOT GENERALLY, BUT SOMETIMES THE MAJORITY CAN MEAN JUST ALL OF THE FOOLS ARE ON THE SAME SIDE. THAT IS WHAT THE COURTS ARE FOR. I AM FOND OF THE BILL OF RIGHTS TOO, I KNOW YOU ARE AS WELL. I NEVER BELIEVED THE BILL OF RIGHTS WAS THEREFORE THE HIGH SCHOOL QUARTERBACK, OR THE PROM QUEEN. THE BILL OF RIGHTS IS THEY ARE TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF PEOPLE WHO DO NOT SEE THE WORLD EXACTLY LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE. OR WHO DO NOT LOOK EXACTLY LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE. FORTUNATELY, THE HISTORY WE HAVE HAD PEOPLE WHO TRIED TO DIGITALIZE THE SUPREME COU DEGITIMIZE. I REMEMBER THE IMPEACH ORALEARL WARREN. MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO DELEGITIMIZE THE SUPREME COURT BELIEVE THAT MEMBERS OF THE SUPREME COURT, THEY BELIEVE THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT OUGHT TO BE A MINI CONGRESS. THEY BELIEVE THE LAW IS NOT THE LAW. A LOT OF FOLKS JUST BE POLITICS PRACTICE IN A DIFFERENT WAY. THEY BELIEVE IN POOR PACKING AND THEY ARE WRONG. NUMBER TWO, I HOPE TODAY THAT WE CAN USE THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT, IF NOT EXPLICITLY , THAT IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO. THE APPROPRIATE BALANCE BETWEEN REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT AND DECLARATIVE GOVERNMENT. NOW, IN REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, AS YOU WELL KNOW, PEOPLE THROUGH THEIR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES MAKE PROMISES. THE DECLARATIVE GOVERNMENT, POLICY IS MADE BY THE ADMINISTRATIVE STATE AND FEDERAL DISH AREA. NOW, THEY ARE JUDICIARY. BOTH ARE IMPORTANT. WHAT IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS WE HAVE THE APPROPRIATE BALANCE BETWEEN REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT AND WHAT I CALL CLEAR TO GOVERNMENT. DECLARATIVE GOVERNMENT. IN ANY OF US THINK THAT IT WILL GET THIS BIG? IS IT HEALTHY? IS IT REALLY HEALTHY TO ARRIVE AT A CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE THE ADMINISTRATIVE STATE PASSES 30 FIVE A YEAR TO OUR ONE? IS IT REALLY HEALTHY TO HAVE A ADMINISTRATIVE STATE THAT MAKES ITS OWN LAWS, INTERPRETS IS ON LOSS, ENFORCES ITS OWN LAWS BEFORE COURTS. I THINK THAT IS A FAIR QUESTION TO ASK. IN TERMS OF THE DECLARATIVE GOVERNMENT AND THE SUPREME COURT, FELLOW JUDICIARY. FEDERAL JUDGES HAVE ENORMOUS POWER. YOU ARE APPOINTED FOR LIFE. YOU CAN'T BE UNELECTED. YOUR SALARY CAN'T EVEN BE REDUCED. YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT POWER. JUDICIAL POWER IS IMPORTANT. SO IS JUDICIAL RESTRAINT. I BELIEVE THAT THE APPROPRIATE ROLE IN THE FEDERAL JUDICIARY IS UPON FEDERAL JUDGES DO NOT MAKE LAWS. THEY DO NOT TELL US WHAT THE LAW OUT TO BE, THEY TELL US WHAT THE LAW IS. I SAID PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF COURSE, SOMETIMES FEDERAL JUDGES MAKE LAWS. I MEAN THEY MAKE THE LAW TO CASE, YOU DECIDE THE CASE. YOU HAVE TO TELL US WHAT REASONABLE MEANS IN TERMS OF PROCEDURES. YOU HAVE TO HELP US DEFINE RESTRAINT TRADE AFTER WE PASSED A STATUTE. OF COURSE JUDGES. I AM TALKING ABOUT THE PROPER BALANCE. I WILL LEAVE YOU WITH THESE LAST THOUGHTS THAT I WILL YIELD BACK MY TIME. I WANT YOU TO HEAR THE WORDS IN MY OPINION IS ONE OF THE MOST DISTINGUISHED SUPREME COURT JUSTICES. I AM GOING TO READ HIS WORDS. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE LOVE DEMOCRACY. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE NOT FOOLS. THE PEOPLE KNOW THEIR VALUE JUDGMENTS ARE QUITE AS GOOD AS THOSE TAUGHT IN ANY LAW SCHOOL, MAYBE BETTER. VALUE JUDGMENTS AFTER ALL, SHOULD BE VOTED ON. NOT DICTATED. I LOOK FORWARD JUDGE TO GETTING TO KNOW YOU BETTER. AND CONGRATULATIONS MOM AND DAD. 