Health & Fitness
Rule of Law
Can we pick and choose which laws to enforce and SCOTUS decisions to accept in a politically polarized era?
A lot of talk about "The Rule of Law" ensued following the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) decision yesterday. We don't know the long-term impact of health care changes in the US, but in Massachusetts we have a better idea than most. More citizens are covered by insurance and health care reform didn't kill jobs.
As broad an issue as the implementation of "Obamacare" is our attitude toward controversial SCOTUS decisions. In an ever-increasingly polarized polical atmosphere, it seems that some have decided they can ignore decisions they/we don't like.
As a country did we reject Marbury v. Madison because we denied judicial authority? Was Brown v. Board of Education ignored because rejection of 'separate but equal' was unpopular? Was President George Bush not inaugurated after Bush v. Gore? And do corporations not donate hundreds of millions of dollars to political campaigns after Citizens United?
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We live in a society where political polarization has become the norm. A variety of theories have emerged for this. But regardless of our individual beliefs, do we have the authority to pick and choose laws and SCOTUS decisions that we do not like. Once again, we are entitled to our own opinions but not to our own facts.
