A Few Thoughts

This morning as I prepared for the day, I went onto CNN and read about Colin Powell's fight with the Republican Party. In this article, Rush Limbaugh is said to have accused Powell of being outdated and out of touch with Republicans, and a has been that was part of the losers of the party. 

Um, am I missing something? Limbaugh has been blowing his pompous, ignorant wind for the last 15 years, at least, and at a time during which his party was in control of Congress, and later went on to nominate W and continue to secure a Republican majority in Congress. Losers? Maybe within the past three years, when the nation was tired of people like Cheney and Limbaugh, but I find it amusing that he is actually forgetting his own history with the party over the past 15 years. Maybe it was all of the prescription drugs he's been addicted to. In any event, someone's memory needs to be checked. Also, outdated and tired? Kettle, you are black as coal.

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Today Obama nominated a female for the Supreme Court who is also Latina, and has more years of judicial experience than the other justices in the court at the time of nomination. While I read comments about her on the web, I found the following statement to be the most laughable: she's a judicial activist who believes that judges should made policy from the bench. Oh right, judicial activist=bad judge. 

But wait, here's a little secret:

Judges have, and always will, affect US policy. It's how our country works. If judges didn't take on this role, our world would be very different from where it is now. If they didn't, segregation would still exist. If they didn't, there are so many rights that could have been taken away long ago. 

I know many people believe the judicial system doesn't work. Maybe this is my semi-legal background talking, but I believe in the judicial system. Sure, some judges are wrong, but that's why there are so many jurisdictions and levels to move through, which is also why there are 9 judges on the court, and not just one. Thank God there are no juries at that level. Could you imagine a jury trying to decipher constitutional law? The thought frightens me. 

No, judges have a vital role in this country, and they have always been extremely important throughout our history. I want an activist judge because I want a judge who won't be afraid to say no to the president or anyone else. Their decisions should be based on law, and not personal opinions or favoritism. 

In recent years, my favorite case is the one in which the SC ruled that the Bush Administration could not  hold the Gitmo detainees indefinitely without a reason. I believe Scalia was the dissenting opinion (surprise surprise), but in this case, despite the terrible turn our country took, I saw, once again, the the court worked. In light of Bush v. Gore (which is the most laughable case), they redeemed themselves, in my eyes. 

So those are my thoughts for the day.