Bending toward Justice?
Jun. 26th, 2015 04:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
emgrassoThe Supreme Court has done excellent work this last while, not just in the decisions they have made, but in the writing of them.
Judicial
Elena Kagan's decision that quoted Spiderman's Uncle Ben and referred to the lyrics of the old Spiderman theme song while resolving the Marvel patent case were delightful.
I agree with those who predict Justice Kennedy's words about marriage will be quoted in many wedding ceremonies, straight as well as gay.
The decisions on Obamacare and the Fair Housing Act were more sensible than many had feared (or others had hoped) as was the decision that arbitrarily extending sentences is unconstitutional
As for Antonin Scalia: I would say: may the universe deal with him justly, and in the same spirit of kindness and compassion he shows for others, but I wonder if that is not already taking place. His filters seem to be failing over time -- to a point that makes him a target of mockery -- and a seminar on brain structure I attended listed that as an early symptom of dementia.
Executive
President Obama's eulogy for Clementa Pinckney appears to be one of the great speeches of his career. It saddens me because it reminds me of the day we approached his first inauguration with such hope, but he has said things that needed to be said, and said them well.
For all I regret the half measures and incomplete promises, considering virulent opposition he has faced, I think Obama has done a fair job.
Legislative
Congress, by contrast, showed itself to be the captive of the corporations in passing the fast track for the (potentially treasonous, but who can say while it is secret) TransPacific Pact.
There was a time when Daily Kos published a daily summary of activity in the House and Senate, even though sometimes it was just a list of busywork like renaming post offices. They have not bothered for the past few years. I miss the summary. Even more, I miss having a legislature that occasionally did something worth summarizing instead of frittering away their time with gridlock and symbolic votes.
I have been getting many begging emails because this is the end of the quarter and important in FEC rules about political donations. I made another small donation to Bernie Sanders. I have been replying to emails about funds that would benefit Jared Polis and Michael Bennet with emails explaining exactly why I am not donating money to them at this time, and expressing my wish that they would be primaried on the left.
I sent similar thoughts to the Sanders campaign: as much as he needs money, Bernie needs a party, or at least a faction, that will support his ideas.
General
Mass murderers sometimes hope that their example will start an uprising of the like-minded. There is something very satisfying in the fact that Roof's crime seems to have had exactly the opposite effect. I will not miss the rebel flag, but I am about as distant as I can be from the demographic that finds it meaningful.
The interesting thing is that I think he catalyzed a transition that was already in progress. There is a recent commercial for something automotive that features 2 young men in an orange stock car, being chased. I think they even address each other as Bo and Luke (or my mind is interpolating that due to the power of suggestion). The car in the commercial does NOT have the Rebel Flag on its hood. (And I don't think it was just to avoid trademarks.) The first time I saw the commercial, it got to the end before I figured out what was missing.
Edit to fix ref: Roberts wrote the decision on Obamacare, Kennedy wrote the Same Sex Marriage decision.
Judicial
Elena Kagan's decision that quoted Spiderman's Uncle Ben and referred to the lyrics of the old Spiderman theme song while resolving the Marvel patent case were delightful.
I agree with those who predict Justice Kennedy's words about marriage will be quoted in many wedding ceremonies, straight as well as gay.
The decisions on Obamacare and the Fair Housing Act were more sensible than many had feared (or others had hoped) as was the decision that arbitrarily extending sentences is unconstitutional
As for Antonin Scalia: I would say: may the universe deal with him justly, and in the same spirit of kindness and compassion he shows for others, but I wonder if that is not already taking place. His filters seem to be failing over time -- to a point that makes him a target of mockery -- and a seminar on brain structure I attended listed that as an early symptom of dementia.
Executive
President Obama's eulogy for Clementa Pinckney appears to be one of the great speeches of his career. It saddens me because it reminds me of the day we approached his first inauguration with such hope, but he has said things that needed to be said, and said them well.
For all I regret the half measures and incomplete promises, considering virulent opposition he has faced, I think Obama has done a fair job.
Legislative
Congress, by contrast, showed itself to be the captive of the corporations in passing the fast track for the (potentially treasonous, but who can say while it is secret) TransPacific Pact.
There was a time when Daily Kos published a daily summary of activity in the House and Senate, even though sometimes it was just a list of busywork like renaming post offices. They have not bothered for the past few years. I miss the summary. Even more, I miss having a legislature that occasionally did something worth summarizing instead of frittering away their time with gridlock and symbolic votes.
I have been getting many begging emails because this is the end of the quarter and important in FEC rules about political donations. I made another small donation to Bernie Sanders. I have been replying to emails about funds that would benefit Jared Polis and Michael Bennet with emails explaining exactly why I am not donating money to them at this time, and expressing my wish that they would be primaried on the left.
I sent similar thoughts to the Sanders campaign: as much as he needs money, Bernie needs a party, or at least a faction, that will support his ideas.
General
Mass murderers sometimes hope that their example will start an uprising of the like-minded. There is something very satisfying in the fact that Roof's crime seems to have had exactly the opposite effect. I will not miss the rebel flag, but I am about as distant as I can be from the demographic that finds it meaningful.
The interesting thing is that I think he catalyzed a transition that was already in progress. There is a recent commercial for something automotive that features 2 young men in an orange stock car, being chased. I think they even address each other as Bo and Luke (or my mind is interpolating that due to the power of suggestion). The car in the commercial does NOT have the Rebel Flag on its hood. (And I don't think it was just to avoid trademarks.) The first time I saw the commercial, it got to the end before I figured out what was missing.
Edit to fix ref: Roberts wrote the decision on Obamacare, Kennedy wrote the Same Sex Marriage decision.
