Unethical Behavior or Politics as Usual?

The world had the chance to watch our Republic’s process for the selection of an Associate Justice to the Supreme Court of the United States.  Our judicial system is one of the most revered of any country in the world.  Under our Republic form of governance; the judicial branch is one of three and the only branch not elected by the people for two reasons; to keep judges free from political encumbrances and so that they are not enticed to decide cases in the manner desired by the voting population. 

Still, with centuries of experience with these processes, this week proved to be a case study in unethical and politically biased behavior.  With an opening made available due to the death of one of the nine Justices, the sitting President of the United States (the Executive Branch), by Constitutional decree, has the right to appoint a qualified replacement to the bench.  Once appointed, it is the Senate (the Legislative Branch) who is granted the authority to confirm the candidate as qualified.  This system of checks and balances is guided by the people because it is us who elect the President and the members of the Senate.

What made this conferment process unethical and grossly political was the manner in which the minority party of the judicial committee treated the nominee.  Most of these Senators hold a seat on this committee because they are experienced attorneys.  Meaning they understand juris prudence and the kind of question a qualified nominee can and should answer while maintaining an ethical decorum of the courts.  Yet, each and every minority member pursued questions which, if answered in the manner they conceivably wanted her too, would have immediately deemed her incompetent to hold any judicial position. Yet, when she, without delay, answered them appropriately, they “acted” offended and verbally belittled her character.  So, one has to ask, “Had she handled herself in an unethical and illegal manner, answering their questions to their liking, would that have been enough to vote her nomination forward unanimously?”  Instead, because she gave the perfect answer to every single question; making their tactics look extreme bad; the Senators from the minority party voted unanimously against her appointment. 

As to the political abuse, these same Senators, with full knowledge that any qualified judge would rule on every case based on the sole merits of that case as to whether that law is just or Constitutional; instead spent their time pandering to a television audience using what they know to be lies to create ungrounded fears.  If this nominee was of the character to vote the way they laid out to the public, and that knowledge would have shifted their vote to approve, it would have revealed the entire minority guilty of malfeasance.  Instead, they were allowed to lie to the uninformed populace that this highly respected, morally grounded, unblemished judge was not the type of person suited to be placed in this virtuous position. The only conclusion that one can come to, that makes any sense, is that these Senators, as a united whole, believe the citizens of this Country to be idiots.

I am saddened by what my old party has become and I am made hopeful by the character of my new party.  As a Country, we must remain grounded in ethics and use every opportunity to educate the citizens as to of what is right. The desire of winning an election should never influence a political servant, but when that servant believes they are the master, the citizen is no longer important and they will do anything they can to retain their status.  

If this is my last post, I want all to know there was only one purpose for all that I have written; to have made a positive difference in the lives of others.

Anthony “Tony” Boquet, the author of “The Bloodline of Wisdom, The Awakening of a Modern Solutionary”