SCOTUS Debates Broccoli, Has Lunch

Washington, DC. This morning, while the country waited for a landmark decision on the constitutionality of the individual mandate provision in the Affordable Care Act, Antonin Scalia, affectionately known as "Fat Tony" among his fellow justices, made the point that if the provision was upheld, it might mean that “therefore you (the government) can make people buy broccoli” because it's good for you.

Chief Justice Roberts questioned if that included broccoflower and if not why not.

Justice Kennedy wanted to know if that mandate would include people who already grew broccoli in their backyard gardens.

Justice Alito seconded Kennedy's point and asked if it also included large broccoli-growing corporate farms and if they would still get broccoli subsidies.

Justice Breyer argued that there should be an exemption in those instances in that they already had broccoli in abundance.

Justice Kagen concurred but said there was no way to make certain that anyone was actually eating broccoli.

Justice Sotomayor added that a special provision for those picking the broccoli should be included as forcing people who pick broccoli all day to buy broccoli would amount to cruelty.

Justice Ginsberg wanted to know if this provision could also include okra.

Justice Thomas argued that he was getting hungry and the court retired for lunch. Broccoli was not on the menu.

Meanwhile, 123 Americans died without health insurance.

©2012 Kona Lowell