As I am sure everyone is aware, the Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg passed away recently. This has left a vacancy in the Supreme Court, that Trump has vowed to put a woman in. However, when the American people heard that another woman would fill the seat, it is unlikely that they imagined the woman to be someone like Amy Coney Barrett.
Amy Coney Barrett is currently a justice on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th circuit, which operates in Chicago, Illinois. She is known for her extremely conservative viewpoints: pro-life, pro-gun, anti Affordable Care Act, etc. Backing up her conservative viewpoints is her faith, of which she is a Catholic, and a member of the church People of Praise. People of Praise themselves have been in the spotlight before due to their views over marriage power dynamics. The leadership of People of Praise has stated that a man in his marriage should be in charge of the household, which is not uncommon in Christian society, but that has faced some backlash as of late. In 2017 when Barrett was nominated to the Court of Appeals, a Senator questioned whether she would be able to separate her job from her religion; of which she assured Congress that she could. However, as she is now nominated for an even higher position within the judicial branch, we must once ask again: Can she?
Amy Coney Barrett and her faith aside, the real question we need to be asking here is do we need another conservative justice on the Supreme Court? Where it stands now with the passing of RBG is 5 conservative and 3 liberal leaning, of which a 4th liberal leaning justice would compliment a more balanced court. However, if Barrett were to be confirmed, the Supreme Court would then be 6 conservative to 3 liberal leaning. Not only would this not be good for the current political climate the United States is in currently, but it also spells trouble for the future of decisions made by the Supreme Court for the next few decades. Lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court means that these justices, of whom 3 would have been appointed by Trump with Barrett’s confirmation, tell of a problematic future for the US, especially for women and people of color.
While Amy Coney Barrett may be a woman, we must ask the question: Is she a fit replacement for Ruth Bader Ginsburg?