It has been a while since we looked at topics beyond beginning of life issues. It isn’t that other marginalized groups aren’t terribly important at all, but more what remains top of mind. I wouldn’t ordinarily use this forum to plug in any way things I do in my professional life, but I had some technical involvement in something that has recently become some “must read” material for students, parents, teachers and really anyone who interacts with, well, other people on a semi regular basis in whatever environment you spend you days.
Recently, there have been headline stories of bullying cases. Tragic stories that really make you wonder about the state of our culture. So often in my own life, I’ve seen enormous good arise from staggeringly painful situations. Hopefully we’ll see more of something I’d like to share today. The group of folks I work with everyday (I’m an independent technology geek .. I do mainly the “hard” support of solving those goofy problems that make people scratch their heads .. I’m not very creative but I certainly am wired for problem solving….) launched a web site some time ago as an extension of the Verbal Judo Institute. Now, I don’t tend to pay a lot of attention to much of the content on these things I build and support, but the VJ stuff hits pretty close to home since I do so much work with young people. The site preceded the recent news, but is hugely relevant now in light of what seems to be an epidemic of just awful behavior.
Today, I happened to be doing some admin cleanup on a new site, managebullying.com, and got caught up in the lead story today. I knew there was some great material going onto this site, but, wow, this is practical, down to earth information and advice. Bullying is a vicious cycle and has the effect of marginalizing people of all ages. I encourage you to visit MANAGEBULLYING.COM today. This can be life changing .. and dare I say .. life “saving” information.
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Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life
US Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens has announced his retirement. The opening of a Supreme Court seat will again open the ongoing debate in our nation over abortion. Like it or not, a nominee’s stand on this issue will take center stage in the confirmation process.
If you take a tour of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, you eventually reach a relatively small room in the basement. It is the old Supreme Court. Prior to getting its own building across the street, the Supreme Court used to be housed under the building in which our federal lawmakers represent us. They pass laws; judges don’t. Judges simply judge whether an existing law has been violated in a particular case, by particular parties.
Or at least that’s what they’re supposed to do. We live in an age of judicial activism, or as some have called it, judicial tyranny. Judges are striking down laws and writing new ones left and right, without precedent and without reason. The most damaging instance of this in our nation’s history was the Roe vs. Wade decision, unleashing the holocaust of abortion.
So, in short, the judge’s position on the issues shouldn’t matter. Judges aren’t politicians. There shouldn’t be a tug of war between factions trying to get people confirmed because they take “their position” on particular issues, or because they are “moderate” in their views. Commenting on the concept of “moderate judges,” Justice Antonin Scalia once said, “What in the world is a moderate interpretation of a constitutional text? Halfway between what it says and what we’d like it to say?”
All this is fair enough. People on both sides of major issues say they are not in favor of “litmus tests.”
But if a judge had written an opinion in a law review about why women should not have the right to vote, wouldn’t that single issue be enough to most people to disqualify him from being confirmed? Or what if a nominee were known to belong to the Ku Klux Klan? Wouldn’t that single fact be enough to disqualify him from consideration?
The fact is that we use litmus tests all the time. There are certain lines that most people agree should not be crossed.
Supreme Court Justices are not supposed to shape public policy, and their nomination and confirmation should be based on their qualifications, not their views on specific issues.
But there are certain issues so central to the very nature and purpose of government that one’s position on those issues is tantamount to a qualification for the job. The very purpose of government is the protection of human rights, starting with life. No court can legitimize an act of violence, or take away human rights. Anyone who fails to affirm that does not belong in any public office, much less the US Supreme Court.
The United States Senate will have the responsibility to vote for or against the President’s nominee. Let’s start now letting our Senators know where we stand. And please help us rally support on Facebook as well at this link: http://ow.ly/1xixP.
This column can be found online at http://www.priestsforlife.org/
Comments on this column? Go to AskFrFrank.com
Fr. Frank’s columns are podcast. See PriestsForLife.org/Podcast
Priests For Life
PO Box 141172
Staten Island, NY 10314
Phone: 888-PFL-3448
718-980-4400
Fax: 718-980-6515
Email: mail@priestsforlife.org
www.PriestsForLife.org
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