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Supreme Court Hypocrisy [1]
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Date: 2023-07-01
Yesterday in Letters to an American, the renowned historian Heather Cox Richardson wrote, "Today the Supreme Court followed up on yesterday’s decision gutting affirmative action with three decisions that will continue to push the United States back to the era before the New Deal." (Please read Richardon’s full article, link above, and subscibe to her Medium page. It’s free to do so. I don’t want to rehash what she wrote, which is brilliant. I simply want to add to it.)
FDR arguably had the most benevolent administration (with one egregious hiccup that has been acknowledged and reparations made, the internment of Japanese Americans during WW II), followed closely by President Joe Biden. They created policies that help the vast majority of Americans sidestep oligarchs’ plans for total domination at their expense. But now, we have a far-right Supreme Court majority apparently bent on rolling back precedents that have advanced us toward “a more perfect Union” (heavy accent on union).
These rulings re-divide Americans “legally” into “us and thems.” They give greater power to bigots, restoring greater “equality” to white, self-proclaimed “Christian” people.
The individual who brought a purely hypothetical suit before the Supreme Court was blowing smoke out their nether regions. They have always been able to turn down customers. (I am a copywriter and content writer for hire and have done so myself when I deemed a prospective customer a potential PITA, selling an inferior product or service, or espousing bigoted policies that I deplore.) There was no need to take the matter to court. Nor was there any requirement that the Supremes take it, since the matter in this individual’s case was purely hypothetical. Despite this, they seized the opportunity to codify that it’s okay to refuse to serve LGBTQIA+ individuals wanting to get married, opening the door to other types of bigotries, citing states’ rights laws (the reason southern states gave for keeping people enslaved).
The other two matters they ruled on are equally egregious. Today’s Supreme Court is coming across as the supreme hypocrites they are in full view, and it’s time to call them out on it legally!
Clarence Thomas, who benefitted from Affirmative Action, voted against continuing it because some white bigots gave him a hard time for gaining access to higher education because of it. (I guarantee you that had he been able to gain access another way, he would have received the same vitriol from the same bigots. Bigots seize on any opportunity to be ugly; they don’t need a special reason.)
Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett testified under oath (mealy-mouthed as they could muster) that Roe v Wade was settled law. They voted to overturn it last year, and it was done. (So much for separation of church and state.)
In our long history and march toward “justice for all,” it has always been two steps forward, one step back. Incrementally, we’ve been heading in the right direction. Now, it seems, the highest court in the land is hammering away at even our Constitution, an imperfect document indeed, but one that has routinely been modified along the way to give greater voice and standing to marginalized and, in the above case, egregiously demonized communities (of which I am a member).
We need to expand the Supreme Court and level the playing field again. The way it’s going right now, it appears they will keep chipping away at the progress that has been made for marginalized people. (And for those unfamiliar with 20th century history, these same marginalized folks were the first targets for demonization in Germany as Hitler came to power. This is one slippery slope that must have dirt thrown on it with all deliberate speed!)
There are FAR more accepting people than there are bigots these days. But we need to STOP accepting what the far right has been practicing since 1980 and put this ship back on course.
They seek to reestablish the Original Intent of the Constitution? The first two steps, if they’re serious, would be for Amy Coney Barrett to leave the Supreme Court and relinquish her voting and jury rights, and for Clarence Thomas to leave and accept his lot as an individual without standing in any court, subject to the whims of southern plantation owners.
See where this is heading? You can’t deny rights to a person that you have. That’s why they’re called rights.
And speaking of rights, we still haven’t passed the Equal Rights Amendment. I think it’s high time we do that, whatever it takes. Because until we do, a future male-dominated Supreme Court can take women’s voting rights away. And then we’ll really be up the creek without paddles.
RESIST! STAND UP! NOW IS THE TIME FOR ALL PEOPLE OF GOODWILL TO COME TO THE AID OF YOUR COUNTRY!
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