Jordan Rhodes is a senior english major who writes "Shepard’s Corner" for The Daily News. His views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper. Write to Jordan at jbrhodes@bsu.edu
Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh will officially sit on the Supreme Court as confirmed in the 50-48 vote by the United States Senate.
In the midst of potentially the most divisive event in America since the election and inauguration of the current president of the United States, we are delivered a final middle finger from the Republican-majority Congress, that of which could potentially be unseated in a matter of days.
Republicans were adamant about streamlining Kavanaugh through the process as fast as possible and, to give the Democrats some credit, they did everything they could to stonewall that progression. Unfortunately, it did end up putting Dr. Christine Blasey Ford in the crossfire and possibly affecting her life for the foreseeable future.
For Democrats, this is a catastrophic failure for issues such as women’s rights and social justice in general. However, it could prove to be a spark to a fire that may ignite a colossal Democrat and independent turnout in a few weeks for elections.
For Republicans, this was a victory for due process, constitutionalism and conservative values, but it could prove fatal for Republican prospects to hold the House. It also may have put the Senate in jeopardy of flipping Democratic, even more than it had before this debacle.
For me, this is a disgrace to the United States Supreme Court for generations.
I had no problem with Trump’s previous nominee, Neil Gorsuch. As an LGBT community member, he had a questionable record and as a professed liberal social-democratic independent, he certainly didn’t match up with my ideology. However, he was appointed fairly, went through the deliberation process and then got confirmed by an elected body. There were no questions to his integrity and there still is no question that he is a legitimate and respectable Supreme Court Justice.
Brett Kavanaugh has one of the most questionable records I’ve ever seen from a Supreme Court Justice nominee. I firmly believe he will serve the interests of big corporations, he will undermine Roe v. Wade and he will ultimately degrade the integrity of the most powerful, influential and respected court in the history of Western democracy.
All of this is true even without the allegations of sexual assault from his past. According to Associated Press, multiple women on multiple accounts throughout his life accused him of sexual assault. It seems like political division and partisan ambitions clouded a body that is supposed to be fair and reasonable in its advice and counsel.
I ordinarily hold disdain for both Republicans and Democrats, but what the Republicans showed the world was shameful. And, for once, the Democrats handled themselves with integrity and some class despite potentially using real allegations of abuse and sexual misconduct as political fire.
But what this whole fiasco showed us is how deep and how far the political divide really is in the United States. While it mostly shows itself in the older generations, it was quite clear on Facebook, Twitter and just about any social media site that even simply believing sexual harassment and attempted sexual assault testimonies is almost entirely partisan. And instead of engaging in debate, it was merely a slugfest of insults.
All of this is telling and totally indicative of the pure divisiveness of our politics today.
All of this is a lot to juggle.
A lot has happened in a relatively brief time and once again we have to come to terms with the fact that Trump won.
This time he did so by staying out of the arena and letting Congress and the general public duke it out. Now he has a man on the Court that will likely exonerate him if the upcoming Mueller investigation doesn’t go in his favor and he tries to pardon himself or jump through hoops to keep himself out of legal trouble.
We’re at a crossroads now. The stakes for this upcoming election have just increased. We’re betting all in and everyone’s chips are in the pot. Now we have to play our hand and help to decide the future of this country for generations to come. Who controls Congress will be a referendum on Congress, the president, and the Republican and Democratic Parties.
If you’re dissatisfied with the decision, vote.
If you’re thrilled with the decision, vote.
However at this point, despite our attempts for or against, we will have to deal with Justice Brett Kavanaugh for decades to come. I fear for the state of our democratic experiment if precedents such as this are set. If we want to prevent these standards from becoming norm, it all happens in the ballot box.
Once again, the future of our nation rests in the hands of our most diligent of citizens and continued faith in the system, even when it seems most hopeless.
Read More
CCIM to hold Preview Day Friday
By Evan Shotts / 7 hours agoVisitors to Ball State will be shown all programs through the CCIM.
Matt Gaetz withdraws as Trump’s pick for attorney general
By Staff Reports / 8 hours agoMatt Gaetz has withdrawn as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general following scrutiny over a federal sex trafficking investigation, according to the Associated Press.
Snow showers fading overnight
By Elia Stowers / 9 hours agoWeather Forecaster Elia Stowers is tracking a wintry mix overnight.
