The passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg has set off an alarming amount of divided social media posts revolving around politics and whether or not President Donald Trump and his administration should “fill the seat” before the election.
Many notable figures on the Democratic side say not to, and how dare he, and have even threatened to riot or “burn it all down.”
Contrarily, those on the Republican side of politics look at it as their duty to fill a vacant seat, regardless of the fact that an upcoming election is just around the corner.
One thing to note, in a hypothetical situation, is that if the Democrats had the presidency and Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away, many believe the Democrats would certainly fill the seat before the election. After all, it was Joe Biden himself who said a while back that the American people deserve a court of nine.
So here we stand, as Americans, with eight Supreme Court Justices and some very big shoes to fill. No matter who is picked, they won’t live up to the reputation that Ruth Bader Ginsburg has, at least not for another 30+ years of putting in the work and effort. Regardless of how controversial her decisions may have been, Ginsburg still served and she certainly did this for way too long.
It’s my personal belief that politicians should have an age and term limit to prevent career politicians. And every position, including Supreme Court, should be limited. My preferred age for politicians is 35-65, nothing younger or older. I also want term limits for literally every single aspect of government. It’s my belief that government should be a task you join to serve your country and community, taking a break from your normal line of work. Politics should not be a lifelong career because it seems like once our politicians get in, they stay in, and if they don’t make changes that are better for the majority, then we’re sort of stuck with them at times and we hit a wall where change is hopeful, but not happening.
So the big question is this: should Trump’s administration fill the seat now, or wait until after the election and let whomever wins take control? The bigger question is this – what would the other party do if they were in the same situation? Politics is about power and taking control. We may think it was about helping Americans, but lately it’s a power-struggle between the Democrats and Republicans and it’s like we’re nothing more than fans in a stadium… except in 2020, we’re not in the stadiums, we’re in front of our smart devices, TV, or radio – witnessing the leaders of our country constantly argue, working harder for social media “likes” and less on policies and making big decisions that actually help us in a time of need. How many times has the government gone on “recess” when a big decision looms? Particularly the relief bills that they’ve been talking about.
You would think they stayed until they figured it out, then took recess. Of course, that’s what any admirable and outstanding politician would do. Instead, they went on a break and left we the people hanging in wait.
It’s been reported by NPR that when Ruth Bader Ginsburg supposedly made a wish to her granddaughter in the days before passing.
She reportedly told Clara Spera: “My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed.”
And there’s just one thing to ask about that: how does Ginsburg’s last wish stand against the Constitution?
Photo: Medill DC / CC