September 20, 2008
By Wendy Long
The New York Times
To the Editor:
The subtext of your article seems to be that most Americans are "suspicious" of foreign law out of xenophobia, ignorance and general backwardness. This is incorrect. Our Supreme Court cannot legitimately adjudicate based upon "inspiration" from other countries, or borrow from them to create a "good impression," as suggested by people quoted in the article.
In America, laws must derive from the consent of the governed through the representative branches. To do otherwise destroys self-government, which is what our country was all about in the first place.
Wendy Long
New York City, Sept. 18, 2008
The writer is counsel to the Judicial Confirmation Network.
Wendy Long's letter was in response to this September 17, 2008 New York Times article.
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