I’ve been distracted lately….
Have you been watching the confirmation hearings?
If not, why not? I know it’s terribly time consuming. I watched the second day of hearings, (I’d like to make time to watch the first day), and it took me three days to get through it all – it was an eleven-hour YouTube video after all. And I know it’s terribly boring for a lot of people out there – all of questions, exaggerations, speeches, pleas, disappointment and most of all, legalese that most people don’t understand – myself included.
And yet, I couldn’t look away. I was transfixed to the hearings. It was utterly fascinating to me. And when I asked myself why I thought it was so interesting, I think it came down to a few things: 1. I’ve always been interested in the law – I think my ideal career would have been a law clerk or a paralegal. I love research, I love language and I love to write. So listening to Judge Amy Barrett speak with precision, confidence and watching her exude utter confidence was fascinating to me. 2. Watching and listening to the various senators ask questions or opine on their hot button topics was eye opening. Watching the two sides alternate speaking and confronting Judge Barrett was an excellent example of how the two sides think and approach their beliefs.
The right was methodical, kind and understanding that the Judge could not offer a hypothetical opinion on a “what if” scenario. It would have violated an oath that active judges must take when they occupy a bench. They focused more on the laws and asked her to explain the laws, in layman terms, so that the rest of us poor saps could attempt to follow along. They highlighted what a judge’s responsibilities are and the steps she would take to dissect and opine on a case. They wanted to show viewers that the role of judges is not to make or break policies, but to interpret and enforce laws that Congress make. If we want laws changed, then we must appeal to our elected officials – yet another reason it’s important for people to be engaged in politics and/or at least be aware of what is happening with our country.
The challenge, of course, is to wade through the rhetoric and the muck in order to FIND the core of the issue being debated.
The left tried, repeatedly, to trick the judge into being inconsistent with her answers and they were terribly frustrated because she wouldn’t commit to being pro-life/choice, to expressing an interest in overturning the American Care Act (Obamacare), or repeal same-sex marriage. They kept emphasizing, “but laws effect people and people are important. Don’t you care that this gay couple could lose their marital benefits? Or what about a woman’s right to do as she wishes with her body? Or what about the MILLIONS of Americans that will lose their health insurance if you take the ACA away? [They won’t, by the way] Don’t you CARE what happens to these individuals? Don’t you CARE about these posters we have presented to you in an attempt to evoke empathy and appeal to your pathos? Are you that cold blooded that you would make these poor people suffer?”
Though I understand where the left is coming from, the laws do affect millions of people, in all walks of life, and when the laws are made, they should absolutely be considered and helped in any way they can, people should also be allowed to live their life however they choose to live it, God granted us free will after all, but, that is NOT the role of a supreme court justice. The role of a supreme court justice is to UPHOLD THE LAW. And let’s not forget, CONGRESS makes those laws. So if CONGRESS wants to change those laws, then CONGRESS will have to make those changes.
The supreme court justice simply dissects those laws and makes rulings on the expressed meaning of those laws in cases of a dispute. Either the left doesn’t understand that concept and/or, more likely, they understand they just don’t care enough to follow those guidelines and instead, used their uninterrupted time to make an impassioned speech to the American people to try and further push their own agendas.
It’s not really about the law with the left, it’s about ensuring their agendas are massaged and allowed to grow allowing them the opportunity to control large groups of people to make sure they vote for them the next go around so they can push more agendas and continue manipulating even more groups of people who have neither taken the time, nor have been educated enough, to see through their lies.
I’m not saying there are not people on the right who do the same thing, but it’s the exception, not the rule, with the right.
Senators on the committee were allowed thirty minutes to either grandstand their agendas (i.e. the left – because when you watch the Liberal senator sessions they didn’t actually ask Judge Barrett very many questions but spent most of their time quoting the nasty Republicans and putting up posters of gay people), or ask questions. Senator Ted Cruz had one of the more impressive speeches of the bunch.
Granted, he is not asking Judge Barrett very many questions here, he spends most of his time responding to the idiocy of the Democrat Senators’ claims, and that was par for the course throughout most of the hearings. One senator would make his/her speech, and then the senator on the other side of the aisle would dispute and or “fact check” what previous senators claimed. It was interesting to see them debate THROUGH the hearings.
At any rate, I was moved by his speech and thought I would share it.
As far as Judge Barrett herself. I can not imagine the patience and control it must have taken to endure these hearings. She remained completely poised and steadfast in her beliefs and answers. She was impressive to watch. She is clearly highly intelligent and intimately knows the law. She was clearly an excellent law professor as she was very thorough in her explanations of what the law is and how it’s intended to be applied.
I think Judge Barrett should be what little girls aspire to be when they grow up as opposed to wanting to be Beyonce or Kim K. THIS is an example of feminism at it’s best.
Write From Karen 