U.S. Supreme Court photographed in a secured building
No further comment is required from me beyond my headline above on today’s U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing the manufacture of bump stocks that led directly to the massacre of 60 folks on October 1, 2017. That tragedy was along the Las Vegas Strip, seven miles from the New To Las Vegas world headquarters.
Chuck, one sad thing to me is that the current conservative SCOTUS majority is essentially saying that almost everything taught in law schools over the last 70 years is a gigantic fraud and that law students paying big tuitions have been played for fools. Concepts like stare decisis, respect for precedent and the rule of law–not to mention the notion of conflict-of-interest-free judging–frequently have gone out the door when needed to achieve a desired result. The court doesn’t even make a serious effort in many cases to distinguish inconvenient precedents on the basis of different facts. Using constitutional originalism as a basis–selectively–for judicial decisions-making is absurd when that harkens back to a constitution that countenanced slavery, and disenfranchisement of women and their property. It’s a crutch, and a shaky one of that. Given the fact that a number of the current justices likely lied to the Senate Judiciary Committee during their confirmation hearings, it’s not hard to see why respect for the court is at an all-time low.
The Supreme Court has become a joke and an embarrassment. Clarence Thomas was never qualified to serve. He has now demonstrated his poor character and lack of integrity. His wife is a disgrace. He should be removed. Alito is not far behind. He is smart enough, just too biased and unethical. This Court used to be held in high esteem around the world. Now they embarrass us, and make us less safe and free, daily.
Anonymous, it’s a little complicated blaming Trump for this one. While he appointed the three Supreme Court justices who tipped the case, it was a Trump Administration regulation banning bump stocks that the court overturned.
This is an abomination. I hope it costs Trump the election.
That is an apt and brilliant commentary, Bill!