Opinion: The Supreme Court Is Back In DC And Controversy Is Sure To Follow
The Supreme Court justices are back in Washington, D.C., and after the stunt Chief Justice John Roberts pulled three months ago, I would prefer it was Diana Ross, Florence Ballard, and Mary Wilson coming into town instead. But, of course, those Supremes are no more. It’s the now-infamous-among-conservatives Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justices Anonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Samuel Alito, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan who are back in the nation’s capital to make decisions which all Americans are to live with regardless of what the majority of Americans feel is best.
Many had no problem with such an arrangement in which the United States Supreme Court settled disputes and dictated the laws of the land until, of course, Chief Justice John Roberts single-handedly made Obamacare the law of the land. When one man can dictate such a controversially unpopular decision among so many Americans, it makes one wonder if the judicial branch of our governmental system works as well as it should. How did Robert’s decision protect the United States Constitution? After all, it is the Supreme Court’s job to protect the Constitution and to see that it is adhered to. Were those who said Justice John Roberts simply wanted to make a “legacy” for himself correct?
Was the issue ever resolved over whether Obama’s Affordable Care Act is a tax – as Justice Roberts reasoned it is when he sustained Obamacare’s life? Or isn’t “Obamacare” a tax – as President Barack Obama insisted all along? At this point in time, does it even matter? Thanks to John Roberts, we’ve got it whether it is a tax or not.
And the “killer” is that Roberts has got the job for life – which is obviously another fallacy with the arrangement.
Anyway, as of Monday, the Supreme Court justices are back at work after their break, and they have a full-plate which includes a host of emotionally-stirring social issues that already have the political analysts braced for controversy and debate, as well as having Americans braced for more dictates from the high court.
First up, “the Supremes” are to consider the hot topic of discrimination and civil rights – again. Next week, the case of “Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin” in which “the Supremes” are to interpret the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment regarding undergraduate admissions at the Texas educational institution.
Also on deck in this session of the high court, they will be working on current hot-topic cases that address same-sex marriage and voting rights.
It is imperative that all Supreme Court cases from this session-on are strictly guided by the justices’ duty of simply keeping the laws of the land “honest” in regard to the United States Constitution. All of the Supreme Court’s decisions must keep the Constitution adhered to. Hopefully, there will be no more decisions produced from this lawmaking body that is ever as unconvincingly dubious a dictate as the one handed down to Americans regarding Obamacare.
About Scott Paulson
Scott Paulson writes political commentary for Examiner.com and teaches English at a community college in the Chicago area. The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of CBS Local.