Skip to main content

History & Workings of the U.S. Supreme Court



After viewing the class video on the Supreme Court, I was able to gain an understanding of the ways in which our judicial system runs and operates in the United States. I now can appreciate the basics of our judicial system and recognize the particular way that justices must go about doing their jobs. 

A portion of the video that caught my attention was several Chief Justices and law professor A.E. Dick Howard, discussing the way that the Constitution of the United States is neither a clear advantage nor a disadvantage to them when making decisions within the court. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy describes the idea as having an advantage that past justices did not. "We have 200 years of history, of detachment, in which we can see the folly of some ideas, the wisdom of others. So, the fact that we're interpreting a document that is 200 years old is not just a disadvantage. In a way, also an advantage". I agree with Justice Kennedy, because we can use previous cases and challenges in history, as guidelines of what to do and what not to do. 
On the other hand, Justice Antonin Scalia disagrees, stating that "I don't think the Constitution has become anymore clear or means anything different from what it originally meant".

I think that it will always be crucial to take past events into account when coming up with new decisions. It is crucial because it allows us to steer away from repeating mistakes or from creating a problem. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Technology Time Warp

For the past year or so, I have grown more resistant and less eager to scroll through the laundry list of different apps that haunt my phone. I am definitely more aware and conservative with my screen time. Whether I am feeling bored, looking for something to do, or trying to pass the time, my brain immediately thinks it would be a good idea to unlock my phone and fall into the rabbit hole of information. In general, it seems impossible to unlock your phone without becoming distracted by the numerous notifications that take over your home and lock screen. Screen time has become such a normal activity, that we do not even realize the daily toll it takes on our psychological well-being. In a research article published by the US National Library of Medicine , the association between screen time and lower psychological well-being among children and young adults was examined. After collecting information from the parents of 44,734 children, researchers concluded that children who are high...
Post a Comment
Read more

New Snapchat Rival

New Snapchat Rival 'Octi' Wants You To Use Your iPhone To Scan Faces Since the birth of Snapchat in 2012, the way in which our world communicates has been changed forever. Snapchat has normalized and reinforced the idea that communication is nothing but a casual game, where you have the ability to hide behind your screen. If you’re feeling like you have had enough with all the filters and posts, don’t look now, but there is a new social media platform in town. The social media startup ‘Octi’ joined the app store just last week and already has phone faces going crazy. The Octi app prides itself on being the first people-powered social argumented reality platform. What separates Octi from other social media platforms, is there focus on wanting to give users control of their own digital profile. Currently, the company is concerned with creating a buzz about the new app and adding more users to the network. Eventually, Octi will work with third-party app developers who can b...
Post a Comment
Read more

Divergent Thinking

As we enter May, the current pandemic that we are fighting has started to become even more bizarre and surreal. Colleges and universities are closed and conducting online classes, curfews and lockdowns have been put into place and our favorite restaurants and stores are no longer safe. While we sit comfortable and safe at home, healthcare workers are continuing to battle this invisible opponent every day, on the front lines of the medical field. Although, this time is marked by closures and isolation, many stores and restaurants in local communities are finding ways to scaffold support for our nation’s essential workers. Through the use of technology, creativity, and kindness these supports are thriving. In my small town of Harleysville, Pennsylvania, folks in the community have been busy thinking outside the box on how we can be most helpful to essential workers. A local restaurant , "The Rising Sun Inn", has decided to give back to our essential workers and families in nee...
Post a Comment
Read more