Justice Ginsberg being sworn into into the supreme court
Ruth Bader Ginsberg died late Friday night. Supreme Court Justice Ginsberg was an amazing woman who championed civil rights acts and fought for equality between men and women. She is only the 2nd ever woman to sit on the supreme court bench. So, what does this mean for our country? Justice Ginsberg was a liberal on the supreme court, and because of her passing, Donald Trump will have the power to decide who will fill her spot. Trump will put a conservative in place of Justice Ginsberg, which will affect the supreme court long after Trump is out of office. This gives conservatives a 6-3 majority over the liberals in the supreme court. Many are unhappy with the way things are panning out. Here is a quote from Maureen Dowd from the New York Times who said, “we have a president who takes those knitting needles and stabs the country mercilessly with them.” The death of Justice Ginsberg has brought up many emotions in people, which might be a sign of trouble due to our already fuming political climate.
What gives Trump the right to vote in the next justice? Through our checks and balances, the president can vote in the next justice. He picks whom he sees the best fit, and the Senate must consent to vote in that justice. Since we have a majority of Republicans in our Senate, they will likely consent to the conservative candidate that Trump puts on the bench. I can see why this can anger those that hold liberal beliefs. It seems like the Republican party is slowly taking over the entire government, and due to voting, which is in favor of the majority, Republicans, Democrats are not being heard. One way Trump could go about this is by putting a Democrat in place of Justice Ginsberg. If Trump puts in a Democrat, then I am sure the liberals who feel suppressed will feel more heard. Though it is unlikely he will go this route if he does, it will be a proper tribute to democracy.
It wouldn't feel right to finish this blog post without paying respect to Justice Ginsberg. She lived a beautiful life, and has helped countless people. What a powerful woman she was.
May she rest in peace.
Who do you think Trump should vote in?
Do you think this is going to be fuel to the fire that is our political climate?
5 comments:
I personally don't believe Trump should nominate or vote in a Supreme Court justice. 4 years ago, Merrick Garland (Obama's nominee for Supreme Court Justice) was blockaded by the Republican Party from being voted in. Obama had 9 months left (269 days) in his presidency, but Garland wasn't able to be voted into the SC because it was "an election year." Ruth Ginsberg's vacancy is the 2nd closest to a US election ever (Buchanan & Yurish, NY Times), at 46 days before election day. I do not think that this debate will be over soon; it will be highly contested, and any decision made will be controversial.
NY Times: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/09/19/us/politics/supreme-court-vacancies-election-year.html
I agree that President Trump shouldn't nominate another Supreme Court justice until the election results are final. It would be the fairest and most democratic to democratic supporters to do so, just like in 2016 when Barack Obama wasn't able to nominate another democrat for the Court. This event just raises the stakes of this year's election even more between Trump and Biden. Justice RBG supported so many progressive people in this country and the months leading up to this decision will most definitely fuel the current political climate as LGBTQ+ supporters, women's rights advocates, and many more are feeling the intense fear for their rights all over again.
Ruth Ginsburg will forever be remembered as a beautiful soul and inspiration to all. Reading her biography, I'm taken away by how she overcame all the challenges in her life, from her husband's cancer, mother's death, sexism, and far more. To be one of the first four woman on the Supreme Court, and the first Jewish woman, all coming from a low-income background, is simply amazing. The fact that even Trump sincerely praised her once hearing that she passed away suggests that her inspiration transcended party lines. She made America better.
Unfortunately, America must continue on, all the while keeping her memory. And we must continue swiftly due to the ongoing pandemic and upcoming election, which have huge implications that the Supreme Court may influence. I disagree that Trump should not appoint another justice for concerns of democracy--he has the right to do so under our form of democracy. Not electing another Supreme Court justice could also make passing important laws concerning the coronavirus all the more difficult. There is no way he will elect a Democrat justice; that's just how our modern political parties function. We cannot afford to wait. Government isn't always about fairness; there are winners and losers, so Obama's failed nomination shouldn't play a role either. The president can and should nominate a justice, though I worry about some of the conservative beliefs she might have.
I also agree with Danny that this is just the way that our form of government works. It is completely within Trump's right to appoint who he wants for that seat. Although he will appoint someone with conservative views, causing a lot of push back from liberals, I think that we should just accept that this is how our government works. Eventually, there will also be a time where the government will be dominated by Democrats, and we will just have to accept that as well. Although Trump will definitely appoint a conservative, I think that his decision of appointing a woman is a good and bold choice that shows that our society is moving forward by having more women represented in the government. As to whether RBG will actually be replaced before the election, there is a possibility that she may not be replaced since it normally takes around 2.2 months to officially appoint a judge and with the election date being less than two months, Trump's appointment may not actually go through
I do not think Donald Trump should be able to nominate a new Supreme Court justice before the election results. I believe it would be unjust seeing as it is so close to an election. On top of that, it is highly disrespectful seeing as Ruth Ginsburg just passed away. She deserves the appropriate amount of time before her position is replaced. She did a lot for this country as a whole, and many people are grieving for her and everything she did. In fact, a lot of members of my family and their friends were extremely upset when they heard she passed away.
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