Off the Editor’s Desk 8-2-23

The Supreme Court—your feelings?

The United States Supreme Court has been at the front of many news stories recently over their controversial rulings. Over time I had wondered how many of the citizens of our great country have been concerned about the performance of the Supreme Court.

Every time it seems that the court makes a ruling that the Democratic Party does not like, the party members of Congress are in front of some national television news show demanding that the court be “packed” with more liberal members. I suppose that over the many years that this country has been in existence, Republican members of Congress also have pushed to change the number of seats on the high court. 

I picked-up a piece that was published on July 26th in the Capitol Guardian about recent polls about the court’s decisions, here is what they published.

“A new Harvard-Harris poll shows startling consistency in the public’s support for recent ‘controversial’ Supreme Court rulings, with in agreement 67 percent to 33 percent with the Court’s ruling that found race-based admissions policies violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution.

“Americans agree 62 Percent to 38 percent with the Court’s finding that President Biden does not have the authority to cancel $400 billion dollars in student debt without Congressional approval.

“Americans agree 73 percent to 23 percent with the Court’s June 29th ruling that sided with a Christian delivery man who observes the Sabbath on Sunday and did not want to deliver packages that day.

“Furthermore, Americans agree 60 percent to 40 percent with the Court’s ruling that American graphic artists have the right to refuse to design websites for gay individuals if doing so violates their religious beliefs.

“Lastly, Americans agree 56 percent to 44 percent with the Court’s June 2022 decision to overturn Roe. V. Wade and return abortion decisions to the states.”

According to the same poll, we are fed up with Congress continuing to tax and spend into oblivion while driving up our deficit and weakening the dollar. The public says 80 percent to 20 percent they’d support an amendment to the Constitution demanding Congress balance the budget within ten years.”

The Constitution does not state the number of justices that serve at any time on the high court. At present there are nine justices on the Supreme Court, a number that has been constant since 1869. The original court of 1789 had six members and that was changed to five in 1800. In 1807 the court was packed to seven members and in 1837, as the country grew, membership was increased to nine and then in 1863, ten members served on the court.

 Thanks for reading!     ~Carlton