March 27, 2006

The Boston Herald was waxing so self-righteous in criticism of Justice Scalia's giving the "finger" to one of its meek reporters. But as reported in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the Justice did no such thing. The reporter was clearly harrassing the Justice, confronting him as he was leaving Church and asking him if he took much flak related to his conservative Roman Catholic beliefs.
"You know what I say to those people?" Scalia said before making a gesture with his hand (not his finger), cupping the hand under the chin and flicking the fingers like a backward wave. "That's Sicilian."

The paper said that Scalia also said: "This is my spiritual life. I shall lead it the way I like."

I can understand why the Herald was in a tizzy. The very idea of a Justice attending Church!

Maybe some cultural diversity training is in order for the over-sensitive Herald reporter. And maybe an apology from the paper itself...