The Naked Truth/Jamala Rogers
The Self-Inflicted Wounds of the U.S. Supreme Court
The U.S. Supreme Court ended its session with clear and convincing evidence that it can no longer be trusted as the last judicial stop for fair and objective rulings that protect the rights and lives of all citizens. The consolidated conservative High Court figuratively mooned the American people with a blaze of catastrophic, far-reaching decisions.
This is the most conservative court in 90 years with rulings that diminish the liberties guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. Public opinion of the once-revered court is at an all-time low. Outside influences on the justices have been well-documented and they go back decades.
Justices Antonin Scalia, his side-kick Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito have all been thoroughly exposed for blatantly taking lavish gifts and money from conservative influencers. Alito failed to recuse himself when his billionaire benefactor had business before the court. Whether it’s Harlan Crow, Thomas’ longtime sugar daddy or Paul Singer, Alito’s golden goose, there has been no consequences for the shameless political contamination of SCOTUS. If justices can be bought by billionaires, the masses of people will always be the losers.
For those watching SCOTUS since it dropped a bomb with the overturn of Roe, it’s been an aggressive, ideological acceleration to turn back the hands of time. The idea of using the constitution to inform fair and inclusive decisions has become laughable. Like most issues championed by the Republican Party — whether it’s in the Congress or in the courts — they favor white, wealthy men and disadvantage protected classes such as women, people of color and LGBTQA+. All pretense has disappeared that the U.S. Supreme Court will take seriously its basic roles to keep the branches of government in check and to recognize the limits of its own power and to protect the rights and liberties of all citizens.
The rulings to strike down affirmative action in colleges, LGBTQA+ rights and President Biden’s student loan debt program are omens of what’s to come. Add to this fact, the court gets to choose what cases it wants to hear and decide. We can anticipate a tense judicial atmosphere as the country heads into the 2024 elections.
The three Democratically-appointed women have been solid in trying to hold back the right-wing wave but to no avail. Supreme Court Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson, Elena Kagan, and Sonia Sotomayor have met the challenge with dignity and unmitigated respect for the law. As a minority, their job is to seriously critique the High Court’s rulings and to issue opinions that reaffirm the court’s judicial responsibility. They have done an admirable job of protecting the democratic ideals that are getting buried under a white, male-dominated conservative agenda.
It’s time to escalate the call for SCOTUS term limits. Justices are appointed for life unless they retire, resign or are impeached. It is clear that some justices are being unduly influenced by outside forces. It is clear that the supermajority will vote along ideological lines. It is clear that it will become more difficult to hold the High Court accountable. The proposed staggered, 18-year court has landed in Congress with little traction to date. With no term limits, justices feel untouchable. Without term limits, there is no fear of retribution.
It is imperative that we who believe in justice take a thorough assessment of the U.S. Supreme Court and its future to stop the festering of an institution designed to impact the country and its citizens. It is way off course and the longer it stays adrift, the more expansive is the damage to our lives and futures.