The alarm isn’t about her credentials. She’s checked every box of excellence — law review, appellate-court clerkship, Supreme Court clerkship (with Justice Scalia), elite law-firm experience, law professor at an elite law school, and now experience as a federal judge on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. She’s a young, brilliant woman at the apex of her profession.
So, beyond her obvious originalist judicial philosophy (shared to varying degrees by every person on Trump’s list of potential nominees), what’s the problem with Judge Barrett. Why do some progressives single her out for particular scorn?
It turns out that she’s a faithful Christian who lives a Christian life very similar to the lives of millions upon millions of her fellow American believers.
No, really, that’s the objection.
Of course there was the infamous moment during Judge Barrett’s 2017 confirmation hearing for the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals when Senator Dianne Feinstein imposed an obvious religious test on her nomination. “When you read your speeches,” Feinstein said, “the conclusion one draws is that the dogma lives loudly within you. And that’s of concern when you come to big issues that large numbers of people have fought for, for years in this country.”
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Isn't there a law about discrimination based on religion for Americans?
ReplyDeleteI say American because our bill of rights and constitution are for Americans not illegals, or visitors to our country.
If she can rule on the law impartially, and is qualified then there is not an issue.
ReplyDeleteIf it can be demonstrated that her religiosity will skew her ability to rule on the law impartially then it's a problem and I think it would be every Americans concern.
When it comes time to rule on the law and it's precedents, or to become an activist judge and rule the way her religious group tells her to, which way is she going to choose?
I don't really like that as a concern. Any sort of religious extremism needs to be viewed with caution.
Just because Christians hold the majority today, doesn't mean they will always. Bad legislation/rulings on legislation to widen the scope of religions power in the public arena could open access to less than savory religions. Were she to rule in her religions favor instead of America's interests is certainly a concern.
I took a minute to read up on People of Praise, their tenants and beliefs... and if it doesn't make you concerned about her being fit to be a Supreme Court Judge, then I don't know how to help you. A "handmaiden" justice. Wow.
Feinstein did not have a problem with Sotomayor and Gingsberg along with other liberal Judges ruling by their beliefs and making laws from the bench ignoring the Constitution
ReplyDelete1107-You realize the term "handmaid" was taken straight from the bible, right? And this group existed way before the book/tv series, right? And one, really has nothing to do with the other. It's almost as if you've no idea who the Honorable Judge Amy Coney Barrett is. Clerked for the late Justice Scalia, taught law at Notre Dame for over a decade, and who personally has led a life that all people should be proud of her, not just Catholics.
ReplyDeleteA supremely successful woman, who has a large and diverse family, and the left is attempting to tear her down. This will come back to bite the Democrats if it's the road they choose to go down. Catholics, Christians, and pro-lifers represent a huge portion of the Democrat base. Remember that in the mid terms and in 2020.