THE MAGA SUPREME COURT RIPS AMERICA APART

Take Action
Written By Barbara Isaacman

With shocking decrees, SCOTUS threatens our freedoms and its own legitimacy.

QUICK READ: The Supreme Court is now “more politically polarized than at any point in more than three decades of polling,” Pew research found. Its decisions now closely conform to the views of the average Republican, not the average American. But as the Court’s current term unfolds, it has only one asset to protect, and that is the public’s trust in the Court. This trust is already badly battered, but, if the Court continues to pursue its conservative agenda, that trust will evaporate.


CONTENTS:

BACKGROUND

The Supreme Court opened its fall term Monday with the lowest public approval ever .  The cases confronting the six extremist justices this term will further shatter the public’s faith in the Court’s legitimacy. The Supreme Court is now “more politically polarized than at any point in more than three decades of polling,” Pew research found.

The ultraconservative majority has shed its “orginalist” argument that it previously used, when in the minority, to challenge majority decisions. In the new Court, decisions now closely conform to the views of the average Republican, not the average American.

“This kind of partisan correlation, where you can plausibly portray the court as an arm of the Republican Party, which is what I think it is, you’ve never seen that before, and that’s obviously a very dangerous situation,” said Harvard Law School professor Michael J. Klarman.

Last spring, the Court stunned America with its conservative rulings on abortion and voting rights. This term, equally shocking outcomes are likely as the Court looks at cases – most of them long settled but revived by the Court’s conservatives – involving race, clean water, LGBTQ rights and even the fundamental structures of democracy.

As the current term unfolds, the only asset the Court has to protect is the public’s trust in the institution If the Court continues to pursue its ultraconservative agenda, that trust will evaporate.

ACTION One: Call the Senate.

Script for Oregon Senators

SEN. MERKLEY: Portland office: 503-326-3386 | D.C. office: 202-224-3753

My name is [--] and I'm a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

We can only ask that the Supreme Court follow the rule of law. If the Justices continue to diverge from that requirement, the institution – critical to American democracy – will lose its legitimacy and the public’s confidence that its decisions benefit us all.

SEN. WYDEN:

Portland office: 503-326-7525 | D.C. office: 202-224-5244

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

We can only ask that the Supreme Court follow the rule of law. If the Justices continue to diverge from that requirement, the institution – critical to American democracy – will lose its legitimacy and the public’s confidence that its decisions benefit us all.

Script for Republican Senators

D.C switchboard: 202-224-3121

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], [state], [zip code].

We can only ask that the Supreme Court follow the rule of law. If the Justices continue to diverge from that requirement, the institution – critical to American democracy – will lose its legitimacy and the public’s confidence that its decisions benefit us all.

ACTION TWO: Call the House.

Script for Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)

Oregon office: 503-469-6010 | DC office: 202-225-0855

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

We can only ask that the Supreme Court follow the rule of law. If the Justices continue to diverge from that requirement, the institution – critical to American democracy – will lose its legitimacy and the public’s confidence that its decisions benefit us all.

Script for Cliff Bentz (OR-02)

Medford office: 541-776-4646 | DC office: 202-225-6730

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

We can only ask that the Supreme Court follow the rule of law. If the Justices continue to diverge from that requirement, the institution – critical to American democracy – will lose its legitimacy and the public’s confidence that its decisions benefit us all.

Script for Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)

Oregon office: 503-231-2300 | DC office: 202-225-4811

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

We can only ask that the Supreme Court follow the rule of law. If the Justices continue to diverge from that requirement, the institution – critical to American democracy – will lose its legitimacy and the public’s confidence that its decisions benefit us all.

Script for Peter DeFazio (OR-04)

Eugene office: 541-465-6732 | DC office: 202-225-6416

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

We can only ask that the Supreme Court follow the rule of law. If the Justices continue to diverge from that requirement, the institution – critical to American democracy – will lose its legitimacy and the public’s confidence that its decisions benefit us all.

Script for Kurt Schrader (OR-05)

Salem office: 503-588-9100 | DC office: 202-225-5711

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

We can only ask that the Supreme Court follow the rule of law. If the Justices continue to diverge from that requirement, the institution – critical to American democracy – will lose its legitimacy and the public’s confidence that its decisions benefit us all.

ACTION THREE: Good Trouble.

GOOD TROUBLE: Below are opportunities to fight for our democracy. As John Lewis said, go make some “good trouble.” 

FURTHER READING

Barbara Isaacman
Previous

What We’ve Accomplished Is A Mere Drop In The Ocean
Next

HUNGRY CHILDREN AND EXTREME INCOME INEQUALITY ARE UNAMERICAN