Church and State Separation Issue in the Supreme Court

datePosted on 11:31, May 5th, 2009 by Kosmic Kurt

President Obama has had a full plate since he took office just over 100 days ago. But nothing, not Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Israel, North Korea, the banking industry, the automotive industry, health care, the swine flu, nothing, will have more of an impact on our lives than picking the next Supreme Court Justice. All of the mentioned subjects do greatly affect our lives. And to those that are suffering directly from the recession (job loss, house foreclosure); you have my most sincere sympathy. But picking a new Supreme Court Justice will not just affect our lives, but perhaps those of future generations, as well.

The Supreme Court is our last line of defense. It is the entity of government that protects the individual or individuals from unconstitutional actions. The current Supreme Court is finely balance between right wing radicals that are against keeping abortion legal and do not agree with the first amendment (Scalia and Thomas, for example) and those that do believe in a woman’s right to choose and also in the first amendment establishment clause (Ginsburg and Stevens, for example). Justice David Souter will be stepping down at the end of the current session. Souter has historically been more liberal and has consistently supported separation of church and state even though he was hired by a conservative republican (Bush Sr.). We further have to consider that Justice Stevens is eighty nine years old and most assuredly will be retiring during Obama’s administration too. Ginsburg is seventy-six.

Back before the presidential election I urged voters to keep the Supreme Court in mind when considering candidates. Our freedom of and from religion was literally at stake. It would make sense for Obama to hire a woman – we only have one presently serving. When Sandra Day O’Conner retired, George Bush Jr. took the opportunity to replace her with a conservative white male. Personally I do not care about race, sex, heritage, etc. I care about someone opposing Scalia, Thomas and the theocratic hegemony they are trying to create. I have yet to meet a single African American who agrees with even one decision that Thomas (an African American) has made. He speaks only for the the white male extreme religious right. And Scalia has argued that Christianity should be taught in public schools. Both of them, along with the conservative Bush appointees Alito and Roberts are a serious threat to our first amendment rights. If another right-wing radical is appointed, we are all screwed! I personally feel Obama will hire a woman to fill the next vacancy. Based on Obama’s actions during his first 100 days, she will most likely be a moderate rather than a liberal. Coming from a legal background Obama must realize what is at stake. I just hope he does not reach too far across the isle and tip the scales in the wrong direction.

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