Danger To Democracy

This Court is so far “right leaning” that its legacy will be one that has sustained the American philosophy of divide and conquer pitting every groups interest against what is fair and just with regard to the American people. They have sided with the rich and powerful in every instance working against the principles of democracy. This court believes corporations are persons and their rights are more pronounced than that of actual human citizens.

The Roberts court has decimated voting rights protections and this week overturned the early voting challenge in Ohio, as they seek to intervene in other cases to work against protecting the voting rights of American citizen. I am not sure what planet these five conservative justices live on because they seem to think racism is a thing of the past. The outcome of their future intervention will be interesting because they have decided to accept a housing discrimination case. It appears that this court’s mission is to disenfranchise the American people in every area of protection and human rights.

This court has always sided with the interests of a few, namely business and the one percent. The fact is 90% of business fall into a similar category as this company. So you can see how dangerous this gang is as they continue to determine the course of policy in America. This gang has gone so far as to say a corporation is a “person” and appears to have more rights than people. The court allows big money to buy politicians to assure the interest of the rich – while denying its people the right to vote.

These five Supreme Court justices decision in the Hobby Lobby Case, for example, was based on its history and viewed by most as a further assault on the rights of women. Yet, I saw women cheering the outcome as if it was some sort of victory for them. What is interesting is that the word “Freedom” or “Liberty” is always associated with such bad decision. In this case, in particular, with respect to the Constitution – women were never mentioned. So it was presumed from the beginning women had no rights.

From my perspective, this gang has the saddest record on racial issues in a hundred years. I am sure most will agree that, not unlike Congress, this court stands alongside the worst. In fact, they have said, race is no longer an issue in America. Chief Justice, I beg to differ – race is always an issue and race matters. Affirmative Action, Civil Rights Act, Voting Rights, and the list goes on. This court not only reverses the issues pertinent to African American’s, but women and anyone who isn’t wealthy.

There have always been bad decisions from the Supreme Court. Let’s look back at a few of the worst decisions in history, and let’s hope the nation’s highest court can avoid repeating and continuing these devastating blows to justice.

The Dread Scott Decision has undoubtedly been the absolute worst. Scott, an African American born in the United States, had lived as a slave in both free and slave states. When he tried to sue for his family’s freedom, and was turned down, he took his case to federal court. In one of the most infamous cases in history, the Court ruled Scott could not sue because people of African descent were not protected by the Constitution and not citizens. In one part of the opinion, Chief Justice Taney goes so far as to say blacks were never thought of as any more than possessions:

“The unhappy black race were separated from the white by indelible marks, and laws long before established, and were never thought of or spoken of except as property.”

Number two would have to be Plessey v. Ferguson, which was the landmark decision upholding the constitutionality of state laws requiring racial segregation in public facilities under the doctrine of “separate but equal”; in other words “Jim Crow.” “Separate but equal” remained standard doctrine in U.S. law until its repudiation in the 1954 Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education.

These people are selected by presidents to serve for life, which means the gang of five including the Chief Justice was appointed by republicans with right-wing ideologies. So the legacy of the appointing president last generations after he is gone. In theory, Roberts could remain for another thirty – forty years and base upon what we see from this group, who seems to view minorities and women as non-existent; meaning they may cease to exist in the eyes of the court.

In fact, the Constitution has yet to be changed to include either. Don’t forget slavery was sanctioned and upheld in the name of God! And that’s my thought provoking perspective…