Miranda v. Arizona: Temple

    Miranda v. Arizona: Temple

      Dissenting Justice John Harlan says that "this Court is forever adding new stories to the temples of constitutional law, and the temples have a way of collapsing when one story too many is added" (HarlanDissent.IV.50). The "temples of constitutional law" is a reference to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

      Oh, wait, nope. It's just a reference to the fact that we're talking about sacred stuff here. Laws and our Constitution are almost revered. Just like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

      But temples are also fragile, as history shows us: most temples end up getting destroyed when some invading party comes in. Harlan's use of a temple as a symbol for the delicate balance between order and disaster, and the loftiness of the American Constitution, is a powerful use of language.