Target: Dick Durbin, Chairman of Senate Judiciary Committee
Goal: Advocate for Supreme Court reforms to minimize political influence and erosion of legal precedents.
In just a week’s time, the United States Supreme Court has seriously weakened gun safety efforts and gutted once-guaranteed reproductive freedom in America. It may soon target efforts to combat the climate crisis, and from there any other number of guardrails we take for granted could fall. Justice Clarence Thomas has already proclaimed a desire to “correct the errors” of precedents establishing marriage equality and contraceptive access. This troubling series of events is the latest evidence of a broken if not shattered system that is increasingly defying the will of the majority of Americans.
Public confidence in the Supreme Court is at an all-time low of 25 percent. Once heralded as an independent body of thoughtful professionals free from the stain of politics, the court is now widely viewed as a political weapon. With the overtly political system used to send judges to lifelong appointments, such low opinions were almost inevitable.
The Supreme Court is supposed to be an equal and separate entity of the three branches of government, representing the judicial branch. Why, then, are the individuals entrusted with upholding our nation’s system of laws chosen and approved by politicians? Every Congressional confirmation proceeding now follows a predictable formula, with senators voting along party lines faithfully every single time. The former Senate majority leader made a second job out of packing courts at the federal level with judges who leaned toward a certain political philosophy. Now, the highest court in the land is little more than a uniform and un-diversified extension of the other two branches of government.
Sign the petition below to demand the undermining of American justice stop now.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Senator Durbin,
Women are no longer guaranteed the right to control their own bodies. Individuals are, however, assured the opportunity to freely carry firearms in public as if in the Wild West. What is next?…decisive wins for climate change deniers, marriage equality opponents, and racists? The Supreme Court, once a last refuge for granting protections and liberties, is increasingly turning into a political tool in an increasingly partisan country.
Any semblance of independence has crumbled. Perhaps it never really existed in a system where the other two branches of government mold this supposedly independent branch in their images. We are seeing the inevitable results of this fractured system, as confirmation hearings become scenes of political theatre and news of retirements or deaths are met with either salivation or trepidation from the warring parties.
These realities cannot and should not stand in a democracy. Politicians should have no part in shaping an allegedly independent branch of the government for decades to come. The selection and confirmation process could change via a Constitutional amendment or amendment to the Judiciary Act of 1789. If not, then the Court must include more justices to ensure fair and equal representation and to lessen political influence. Such a move would not be “packing” the courts, for real “court-packing” has already been in place for years. Rather, it would equalize the courts and prevent a select few from imposing their limited ideals of Constitutionality and supposed morality on the rest of the nation. In this vein, the policy of lifelong appointments merits serious reevaluation as well. The Constitution sets no firm guidelines on either of these points.
Please do everything in your power to help restore this broken branch so that it can steadily uphold the tremendous weight and responsibility of democracy.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Sora Shimazaki
Tiff, you’ve gone over the edge now…our Supreme Court is made up of originalists and they are FINALLY treating the Constitution as it should be interpreted. So now I’m going to call you out…just what do you think they are doing that is not originalist? I guess they’re just not liberal enough for you, huh? Maybe it’s time for you to take a little break…after all, the liberal agenda is trying for you, I suppose.
Tiffany perhaps you reform your petition to go after the administration that has no regard for the Constitution and has no regard for any laws. Another tip, stop watching the lame news that is feeding America with propaganda. Also, do a little research on the actual decisions that are being passed by the SC. They are following the Constitution unlike the corrupt installed government.
Agree with Frank overall, SO sad that SO many people have been brainwashed to think that “rights are being taken away”, when not only does the constitution protect our rights, which killing a viable, unborn child is not a “right”, BUT whatever restrictions are going to be imposed NEVER should’ve been taken from the states, meaning the PEOPLE, and too many people just don’t understand that!! These decisions BELONG with the PEOPLE, the citizens of our country, NOT the federal government!! If you don’t like your states restrictions, help to vote those people out, THAT is HOW it’s SUPPOSED to WORK!! If you don’t like that, you’re welcome to move to a country, who’s government controls their people!! IRONICALLY, many of those places, that some people are trying to turn us into, have the SAME, or tighter restrictions!!! And PLEASE stop LYING that ABORTION is HEALTH CARE!!! No one wants a mother to die, but everyone having right to kill an innocent, voiceless baby all the way up to it being born, or shortly before is NOT “health care”, it’s murder!! Health care is your heart, cholesterol, healthy weight, things that help you live longer! Killing your baby is not going to help you live longer, so STOP LYING to everyone, and calling it health care!!! Try putting more of your energy into helping woman, and girls, OH, sorry, “BIRTHING PEOPLE”, (SMH), who don’t want children from getting pregnant in the first place!! It’s a very sad state we are in when people are SO ANGRY that they can’t kill an unborn CHILD whenever they want. I would be arrested for torturing, and killing a pet, but it’s ok to tear apart, and murder a viable child with a beating heart?? NO, where is the compassion, and empathy for these babies?? Yes, let’s take care of those woman in certain situations, but a free for all with no limitations is just another form of genocide, which has taught the younger generations no respect for human life. Anyone who disagrees should have to witness the horrific procedure in person! God Bless all the voiceless unborn, who knows who they might have been! 💔🙏
From Dave Barnhart, a traditional Christian pastor:
“‘The unborn’ are a convenient group of people to
advocate for. They never make demands of you; they
are morally uncomplicated, unlike the incarcerated,
addicted or the chronically poor; they don’t resent
your condensencion or complain that you are not
politically correct; unlike widows, they don’t ask you
to question patriarchy; unlike orphans, they don’t need
money education, or childcare; unlike aliens, they don’t
bring all that racial, cultural, and religious baggage
that you dislike; they allow you to feel good about
yourself without any work at creating or maintaining
relationships; and when they are born, you can forget
about them, because they cease to be unborn. It’s
almost as if by being born, they have died to you.
You can love the unborn and advocate for them without
substantially challenging your own wealth, power,
or privilege, without re-imagining social structures,
apologizing, or making reparations to anyone. They
are, in short, the perfect people to love if you want to
claim you love Jesus but actually dislike people who
breathe.
Prisoners? Immigrants? The sick? The poor?
Widows? Orphans? All the groups that are specifically
mentioned in the Bible? They all get thrown under the
bus for the unborn”