World of Suck

America has laws. We have rules. We also have interpretations. However, no matter who you are, or where in the US you live - the arbiter of our rules is our judiciary. More simply, 'we' as a society, define who is right and who is wrong by the judges and juries that decide for us.

It's an interesting paradigm. In many cases the outcomes go against popular wisdom and instincts - yes many people knew O.J. would walk. Yet more often than not the results of our courts do support popular opinion in the end - yes he walked, but he lost the civil trial and technically owes everything to the families of the people he hurt.

In very recent days the conservative minority - emboldened by their political successes, have made moves to muzzle or manipulate the judiciary when things don't go their way: Gay Marriage, Terri Schivano. The very idea that judges could rule according to law and NOT popular morality sends them into a hair-ripping frenzy. Remember the comments from our Congress in the aftermath of the Schivano case - where controlling lawmakers essentially threatened the judges for ruling according to our law... "they must be brought back in line".

Even more recently these conservatives are lashing out against the politicians that have helped push their agenda because they decided to 'compromise' on the president's judicial choices. Instead of drawing our government to a halt and creating a cavernous rift - these lawmakers ..yes there's that word again.. compromised.

Lets be clear, states have the ability to provide a local constitution that suits the residents of that area. Gun laws are a great example, Massachusetts requires gun licenses that you must have training to acquire, 1 state north you only need a drivers license. The local courts rule according to these local laws. The idea that conservatives want to muzzle our judiciary at the highest level - handing down punishments to judges who rule according to law but NOT according to conservative morals, and loading the benches with judges who they feel would be more friendly to their agenda -should- strike fear in the hearts of the larger majority of the far less extreme.

Last I read America was not 'Jesusland', at least not yet. Separation of Church and State is STILL in effect. I can only hope that the politicians that have now been threatened with revenge by the miffed conservatives who saw political compromise as a denial of their wants, get support from those they truly served by enabling our government to continue to function as it was designed. By the people and for the people, all people who care to vote and not just a subset who believe themselves to be superior.