The Supreme Court and The United States

The Supreme Court in Washington D.C

 As a society, how much do we really know about the Supreme Court? Through research that I have conducted for class, I know that it is very rare to become a Supreme Court Justice. To even be considered for the position two things must occur. One of the 9 acting judges has to die and the current President has to nominate you. 

This video provided me with a ton of new information. Information that I believe every person should be aware of, before having conversations involving the court.  I was shocked to learn that in the course of 200 and something years, the Supreme Court has only had 112 Justices. This fact only can show you just how prestigious and highly regarded this position is. It is not to be taken lightly, and individuals shouldn't just assume that it's like any other judgeship. I was also surprised to learn that nearly 7,000 cases are considered within the Supreme Court, but the justices only accept 100. 100 out of 7,000 that is remarkable, I can't even imagine what the screening process would look like for that. How does one even decide which case will go through and which will not? 

A big misconception that was debunked during this video, can shed some light on which cases get picked. We all assume that the Supreme Court takes on cases and resolves issues as they see fit. But that is far from the truth. The Supreme Court takes on issues that have been brought to their or society's attention.  Abortion is the biggest case that the Court has had to deal with, it was an issue before Roe v Wade and it's still an issue now that it's overturned. But it's not an issue that stemmed from the Court, it stemmed from the American people. The judges are just now the ones who have the power to deal with it and resolve it. 

The current 9 Supreme Court justices 

Watching the videos opened up a new perspective for me when I look at the Supreme Court judges. I see them as people, who work incredibly hard daily. Sandra Day O'Connor said that being a Supreme Court Justice was remarkable. She said that the justices look at every single case that is given to them.  They look at every single case with the same consideration and opportunity. That must take a lot out of a person and just because these people are held to the highest regard, does not mean that we should treat them like God. They are humans doing a job just like everyone else, only the outcomes of their jobs have the power to change the country and our legal system.  

If I am going to take anything away from this video, it's the unspoken relationship between the American people and the Supreme Court. When the Supreme Court makes a ruling or speaks on a certain issue, the American people listen. If we the people stopped listening, or if the Court stopped defending the Constitution, then the very freedom that we have will cease to exist. There is no freedom, without the Constitution, and that is why we have Supreme Court judges to protect the document that gives us the freedom that we have. It's a two-way street and some don't understand that, we can't get angry at the Court for protecting our rights. If we stop listening, then we are essentially saying that the Court and its decisions don't matter, so therefore our freedom doesn't matter, the rights that we have don't matter, and the Constitution doesn't matter. So then what are we left with, what happens if we get to that point?