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Quarter Lifer

Quarter Lifer: Mexican Hat Dance On My Soul

9/05/2005

Mexican Hat Dance On My Soul

My best friend actually called me from a bar at 1030p on Saturday to break the news: Chief Justice Rehnquist is dead at 80.

I was a political science major with a law studies emphasis. I also reside in Rehnquist's hometown Milwaukee, WI.

I'm obsessed with the Supreme Court. I find it to be the least corrupt & most noble of the three bodies of government. Although very few people realize it, the Court is also the most influential body. I often feel the members of the Court are more important than who is president. Any old Dubya or Reagan can achieve the glorious post of dumb figurehead. One actually has to be qualified to make the Supreme Court. Unfortunately the dumb figurehead gets to nominate the people who will eventually hold these positions.

Right on the heels of Sandra Day O'Conner's retirment we are slammed with this tragedy. Along with the war in Iraq, the devastation of New Orleans there are now two open positions on the court. My worst fears are being realized. This was the single most important issue to me when I voted in the last two presidential elections. I did not want Captain Doorknob selecting any of these lifetime positions. This is the only irreversible decision he will make. The ramifications of what happens next are massive & long lasting.

Dubya idolizes the Justices I most disagree with (Big shock). He would love a court full of little Scalia wannabes. I on the other hand actually would like to have some of my civil rights left when he leaves office.

Rehnquist was appointed as a conservative. That being said he ended up not being a wholly conservative Justice. One of the most respectable things about Rehnquist is that he didn't make his judicial decisions along an ideological line (Granted coming from Wisconsin at the time he did, Rehnquist was likely far more Socialist than anything else). He worked diligently to keep a 'balanced court'. That is what we are losing with O'conner's departure & Renhquist's death, balance. I am happy to let the conservatives have a voice on the Court, but I don't want them to be the only voice.

As a woman, the scariest part of this shifting court is the abortion issue. I don't necessarily want to kill babies, but I am a gownup & think I should be able to make those types of decisions for myself. The government can't get out of Iraq or clean up New Orleans, but they get to decided whether or not I should be a mother? Fuck that.

I honestly think the Rehnquist Court was one of the most successful in the history of the body. I am terrified at what the future now holds for us.

Rehnquist was an important & pivotal figure and he will be sorely missed.

6 Comments:

Captain Doorknob. LOL.

3:51 PM  

Sorry to once again bear the bad news, Dubya has decided to apoint Roberts as CHIEF JUSTICE and not just random Justice X. Can you believe this shit? Wouldn't you be pissed if you had been on the court for like 20 years and some new kid (literally) gets to be chief fucking justice? God I hate being the bearer of all your Supreme Court News.

8:36 AM  

Actually, there are some perks to the way things have played out:
1) Sandra isn't leaving until her replacement is named & confirmed.
2) We will not have a Scalia or a Thomas Court. Thank god!

I'm not thrilled with the idea of CJ Catholic, but at least we keep O'conner for the next term.

11:56 AM  

RIP Justice Rehnquist. *fingers crossed for the fate of the judiciary*

2:53 PM  

It will be interesting times indeed.

4:08 PM  

I don't necessarily want to kill babies, but I am a gownup & think I should be able to make those types of decisions for myself.

This sums up my feelings about adults. I don't necessarily want to kill them, but if they piss me off or are otherwise inconvenient, the government should leave the decision up to me. Damn it.

11:51 AM  

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