Thursday, January 10, 2008

Something ELSE to think about!

Taking a break from reflecting on The Baptism of Our Lord for Sunday's sermon, I checked my email and found the following information, forwarded to me by a parishioner from something called "TakeBackTheCourt.org":

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Election results in New Hampshire tell us that the primaries for both parties are far from over. On one very important issue, however, all the major Republican candidates have one thing in common: they will continue, in President Bush's footsteps, to push the Supreme Court dramatically to the right.

Here they are in their own words:

McCain:
"I'm proud that we have Justice Alito and Roberts on the United States Supreme Court." ... [And when asked whether he admires any Supreme Court justice in particular] "Of course, Antonin Scalia."

Huckabee:
"My own personal hero on the court is Scalia."

Romney:
"I think the justices that President Bush has appointed are exactly spot-on. I think Justice Roberts and Justice Alito are exactly the kind of justices America needs."

Giuliani:
"I will nominate strict constructionist judges with respect for the rule of law and a proven fidelity to the Constitution -- judges in the mold of Justices Scalia, Thomas and Alito, and Chief Justice Roberts."

This country can ill afford more "judges in the mold of Justices Scalia, Thomas and Alito, and Chief Justice Roberts."

The big story of the past week has been about Americans crying out for "change." We cannot change the direction of the country unless we change the direction of the Court.

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Amen.

7 comments:

Fred said...

Forget "likable" ... we need a strong leader who will secure the independence of the Supreme Court and NOT turn the clock back!

Caminante said...

Yup and the SCoUSA was the issue in 2004 and 2000 and people just didn't pay attention and look what we ended up with.

Unknown said...

Uhm, yes, some of us were paying attention and we got what we wanted.

I'm amazed that we are divided on so many issues, in so many venues, in so many ways.

SUSAN RUSSELL said...

Really???? I find it a rather reassuring consistency that those who are proof-text the Bible to reinforce their bias do the same thing with the Constitution ... and that those who live, as Henri Nouwen described it, in the house of fear, bring the same narrow, fear-based exclusivity with them whether they're marking a ballot or commenting on a blog. The Good News of this campaign 2008 is the vision of optimism, hope and the building of bridges across divides in order to solve the problems that face us all as Americans.

RonF said...

It seems to me that the justices that President Bush have appointed are doing just what the courts should do; interpret the Constitution and other laws as closely to the intent of the writers as possible. It's the job of the legislature to change the laws, not the judiciary. That's why the judiciary is appointed and the legislature is elected. If people want the laws changed, let them elect representatives who will do so.

Susan, tell me; what decisions do you find the Supreme Court has made that might be described as basd on narrow fear-based exclusivity?

cp said...

what decisions do you find the Supreme Court has made that might be described as basd on narrow fear-based exclusivity?

Where does one start? Habeas corpus, the right of privacy, Bush V Gore where the Federal government was awarded power to intervene in a a state matter 'cuz we don't want that much freedom in the States.

Fully seventy percent of Americans want us out of Iraq, wants the government to leave people alone, want nationalized health insurance.

Some of us were not paying attention and let a powerful, priveliged minority get what it wanted. The actions of the current Court are doing nothing but buttressing up this power grab.

Unknown said...

CP said: "Some of us were not paying attention and let a powerful, privileged minority get what it wanted."

Oh, the irony! Isn't that what the conservative group in the Episcopal church is lamenting?