Is American Justice Blind? Or Blinded?
Biden's Supreme Court pick could bring the Big Fight out of the shadows
Justice Stephen Bryer’s retirement announcement has brought the Supreme Court to center stage where I think it should be. This is where the fight over America’s core purpose is on full display. Proponents and opponents of democracy will have to take a side.
President Biden said he will nominate a Black woman to Breyer’s seat. This also brings race to center stage where it, too, needs to be. Finally, the CRT ruckus might be hauled out of the shadows.
The racial/power issue is so complex that I can only outline my view at the moment.
The Supreme Court conservative majority wants to strengthen states’ rights, making states free from federal civil rights guidelines. (Would this be a confederacy of states?)
Republicans say that a person who sees discrimination in our institutions (CRT) is a racist. They will call Biden a racist for intending to choose a Black woman for the Court. (This is meant to weaken him and interfere with the process.)
I realize that being race and gender blind as Republicans advocate, sounds good. I wish we really were.
Breyer has pointed out the Main Question,
[S]hould we adhere to the ideal that the law should be race and gender blind, or should we work to remedy past wrongs?
Or. It can’t be both.
This Supreme Court situation brings the Big Fight out of the shadows. We shall see, for example, if Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema reject Biden’s choice to fill Justice Breyer’s seat, “because he was racially motivated”. I don’t want to imagine that, but I can.
Our values have been turned upside-down. But we can’t let that blind us to our central task, which is to support those in power who would and can enact justice for all Americans.
Thanks Deda.
Buckle up!