During three days in June 2022, U.S. supreme court rulings on reproductive rights, gun safety laws, and environmental protection gutted social norms. They stripped individuals of protections and sent lawmakers back to the drawing board with tied hands. How did we get here? Michael Waldman’s The Supermajority How the Supreme Court Divided America offers a sobering view, but leaves some room for redemption. He serves up today’s court as a product of long term strategic conservative placements and backlash against societal changes accelerated by the Warren Court. A deep dive into the history of our court reveals a body not always revered and often politicized. The good news- the June 2022 rulings ran counter to public bi-partisan opinion!
Now what? If we agree on nothing else, let’s agree that political issues are complicated. When you hear people reduce an issue to a headline, invite a deeper look. Fun phrases such as “this is an important issue for a lot of people” or “I wonder what [insert affected person or group] think,” do wonders for humanity. That’s us.
Now back to the Supreme Court – a group of nine unelected life time appointees brought to us by political grandstanding and mortality colliding with the anti-retirement movement, and what we have are mouthpieces of division. Look closer. Let’s take abortion- a topic where most Americans find consensus when it comes to keeping it legal in some circumstances. Taking away federal protection for abortion allows states to ban the procedure even in cases of rape, or when indicated to save the life of the person carrying the fetus. People with means can still afford to travel for abortion, people without cannot. And we may see abortion ban states experience decreased access to ob/gyn care, since health care providers may not feel safe practicing where they might get arrested.
Why do we care?
A divided America is a place where nobody wins. It’s a place without nuance or empathy. I choose to believe that most of us had no intention of denying lifesaving healthcare to women or contributing to regional health disparities due to decreased access to care. But here we are- stuck with rulings many of us feared, many of us believed would never happen, and many of us weren’t paying attention to.
Now “We the people” need to decide how much power to give our increasingly powerful state governments. This means voting- in every election, including the local ones and especially the ones without our celebrity headliners- you know the people running for president that we’re encouraged to consider with the same seriousness we give contestants on American Idol. NOT voting increases political corruption in all parties. Yes, your vote DOES matter.
What can we do?
Voting is revolutionary. But maybe you feel inspired to do more. Some suggestions:
- Pick an organization fighting for a right targeted by the supreme court rulings. Donate, monthly if you can, or volunteer.
- Find an election guide and pass it on to a friend. Check out Philly’s handy guide for the May 2023 primary. And look for the latest edition in the next election!
- Join local efforts to stop gerrymandering!
- Submit an editorial to your local paper.
- Wrap presents with informative news articles 🙂
- Make art. Create something that makes people laugh and think.
