Most, if not all, of America is paying attention to the confirmation hearing of the Honorable Amy Coney Barrett. As expected we are witnessing the politics, election, and partisan divide play out on our screens.
My social media pages are full of conversations about the hearing. With the wide variety of people in my life I’m inundated thoughts and feels from all sides.
I’m still coming around to being comfortable with the fact that as of the writing of this post it’s pretty much a guaranteed confirmation.
But I have thoughts and in processing them, want to write them out.
A few thoughts on Amy Coney Barrett:
- I don’t agree with her approach of originalism (I believe that is the word being used to describe her approach)
- I don’t think Amy Coney Barrett is an incompetent judge. Listening to her during the hearing and reading about her decisions, she’s clearly an intelligent individual
- I think that her appointment is dangerous to the future for most of those in my communities
- I believe that her approach will open the ability for conservative and organized religious perspectives to challenge precedent and take us backward in our social issues
But it’s not only the Honorable Barrett I’m thinking about in this process. Of course I’m thinking about President Trump. And it has been brought up in conversations about how he’s been the most outwardly supportive of the LGBTQ+ community and that he has no role in confirming the Justice.
A few thoughts:
- First, it is absolutely correct that President Trump has the legal authority to nominate a candidate for confirmation to the Bench
- As a true reality star, Trump has outwardly “supported” the LGBTQ Community. But each of his policies and leadership positions counteracts his “support” and targets the community.
- In this situation, he is absolutely responsible for the appointment and the confirmation. He is the one who identifies the nominee to put forth. And doing so knowing that he has the partisan votes.
- Trump is also a very intelligent person. He knows what he is doing with this nominee. He knows how to play to his base.
- Because he makes his decisions on what gets him the most clout rather than whats best for the country, there is no way to determine his true feelings towards the community because of his flip flop with what he says and how he acts and how he leads
In conversations I’ve read through, the question as to why are people so concerned about this confirmation continues to pop up. It got me thinking about why am I so concerned. Some are related to the court’s power, others to larger issues in our nation.
A few thoughts:
- I worry because my identity is once again at play, words being parsed out, taking us back to when it was a ‘preference’
- The idea that my marriage is based on a decision by the court and not by respecting the humanity of other humans
- I have concern when conservative organized religion drives so many decisions in regards to the equity of the LBGTQ+ existence regardless of the separation of church and state
- How is it ok for people to be able and allowed to legislate into or away the existence of individuals
- Listening in on the hearings has confirmed the inequities and systemic problems or our nation
- I don’t hate my country. What I don’t like is that we don’t try to correct issues to make us better
Just layers of thoughts and ponderings I’m working through as I listen in on the Amy Coney Barrett Hearing to replace the late Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Thanks for muddling through with me!
Until next time
Peace, Love and Pandas!
Hello World, Its Me, Brian 