Chunk 23: Does the end justify the meanness?

“There’s a higher justice, which is justice according to morality. And that is really not for judges. That is for our legislators and for ourselves, to enact our principles of morality into law, which the judges should respect and apply.”

The quote above comes from a gentleman named Robert Bork. In 1987, Ronald Reagan nominated him to be a justice on the US Supreme Court, their highest court, but his nomination was defeated.

I’m referencing this quote for two reasons:

One, because this week, all the political talk in America has been about the late Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who, by all reports, was a thoroughly decent and moral person.

And two, because in just under six weeks, America will have to decide whether to reelect their current president, Donald Trump, who, by all reports, is as indecent and immoral a person as you will find.

I’m imagining this leaves some Trump voters in a wee bit of a pickle.

In a previous chunk, I’d mentioned that Trump was overwhelmingly supported in 2016 by evangelical christians. Part of securing their vote was his promise to nominate judges with a conservative skew, which is something he has done. Replacing RBG would be the icing on the cake. That would give him more justices on the supreme court than any president since Nixon.

But how do you vote for a man with the power to influence the issues you care about the most, but whose personal behaviour so regularly betrays them? Is this deal with the devil worth the trade off?

Does having conservative interpretations of laws on matters like abortion, gun control, school prayer and LGBTQIA issues make up for a president who lies, cheats, ignores facts and enjoys belittling people?

These Trump voters are soon going to have to choose which they believe will ultimately leave their country in a better position.

Do you decide that Trump has done enough? Judges on the US Supreme Sourt serve for life, and federal judges (one step down) “hold their offices during good behaviour”, which is pretty much the same thing. So barring some major overhaul of the judicial system by the Democrats, you’re pretty much set for the foreseeable future.

Or, do you suck it up, convince yourself there are no perfect messengers and reward Trump with four more years? See what else he can get done?

But man, you’d be nervous wouldn’t you?