Justice Kavanaugh in The Supreme Court

Introduction

At the end of June, Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement from the Supreme Court, giving President Donald Trump the duty to select a nominee for the Supreme Court. The person who best fit Donald Trump's criteria was Brett Kavanaugh. On July 9, 2018, many citizens were agitated by the newly announced Supreme Court Justice, and here is the reason why. Kavanaugh is a Republican, religious, and conservative person, and because of this, people conclude that he will make the “wrong” decision on key issues such as abortion, immigration, and the Second Amendment.

Public Perception and Concerns

People tend to have very little positivity and jump to conclusions without first being informed, often just following the opinion of others due to a lack of information. Now, Justice Kavanaugh cannot just be judged without first actually knowing where he stands regarding key issues affecting the country. People have different opinions regarding the new Justice. According to some members of the Democratic Party, the new Supreme Court Justice will overturn legal abortion, reinforce gun rights, and slow down the rights of the LGBTQ community. However, there are others who are more optimistic and believe that he will do his best to interpret the law constitutionally. The right to bear arms is something Justice Kavanaugh has nothing against, but that does not necessarily mean that he wants the gun issues in America to get out of control. In fact, Kavanaugh has mentioned his intentions of banning automatic machine guns.

The issue most discussed lately is abortion. Where does he stand on abortion? Well, it is true that he is a very conservative and religious man, but that will not influence him to make unconstitutional decisions; therefore, he will not overturn something that has been previously affirmed. After discussing the topics above, one might question if everyone has forgotten to ask about where the Justice stands on the issue of immigration. It is undeniable that immigration is a major issue that deserves focus, as cases regarding unlawful immigration will soon reach the Supreme Court. At the moment, it is not clear where he stands on this issue, but it is certain that this man will follow the law to make the best decisions for all those who live in this country.

Media Coverage and Public Information

Sites such as CNN, The New York Times, and Time are keeping the public informed with great articles regarding the government, more specifically the new Justice. Since the announcement of the new nominee, numerous articles have been published, but some that stood out the most are "How Brett Kavanaugh Could Change the Supreme Court—and America" (Bennett, 2018), "Dear Senate: Don't forget to ask Kavanaugh about immigration" (Smith, 2018), "Brett Kavanaugh on the Issues: Abortion, Guns, Climate and More" (Jones, 2018), and "Where Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh stands on key issues" (Brown, 2018). The authors of these articles ensure they have a clear and factual point without being biased on the topic. The articles back up their arguments with past information. For example, Time presents information from his past confirmation hearing in 2006 when he spoke about abortion and said, “it’s been decided” (Bennett, 2006), which clearly means that he respects and agrees with the decision others in authority have made on the subject. The article about immigration backed up their argument by providing previous immigration cases such as Sessions v. Dimaya, Plyer v. Doe, and other relevant cases that have had an impact on immigration.

The arguments made in each of the articles were presented with the evidence necessary to create a logical and believable argument. The articles are not based on the opinion of the author but rather focused on previous information that can help conclude what Justice Kavanaugh will decide in the near future when cases such as Roe v. Wade make it into the Supreme Court for a final decision. Websites such as CNN, The New York Times, and Time are sources that the public can rely on for factual information because if they do not provide the public with the proper information, other competitors can point out their lack of reliability and cause them great harm by losing their audience. The authors of each article make arguments that are agreeable and calming, and there is no reason why the public should be worried because, at the end of the day, the only one with power is the people and the Constitution. Justice Kavanaugh is not the bad guy to blame here, and it is certain that he is capable of making the correct decisions. Otherwise, he would not have been selected.

Kavanaugh's Judicial Philosophy

“Kavanaugh himself said during his 2006 confirmation hearings for the lower court that Roe was already decided, although Supreme Court Justices can chart a new direction in ways lower courts cannot. But there is little question that his conservative jurisprudence would have a major impact, given Kavanaugh’s intellect, work ethic, and reputation for clarity in his opinions” (Bennett, 2018). This part of the article definitely makes the reader stop and analyze it because it takes you back to the day when Kavanaugh was announced as the new nominee by President Trump. That day he said that his only job was to interpret the law as fairly as possible, not to make the law. This tells you that even if this person is conservative, that does not mean his decisions will disregard what many liberals have fought for. Yes, it is true that perhaps his conservative side will influence him a little, but it is important to remember that numerous individuals also think the same way he does. The government cannot only respect the beliefs of liberals but also those of conservatives.

Conclusion

In conclusion, being Republican or Democrat does not define you as a person. Not all Republicans want guns everywhere; they also care about the safety of the people. Not all Republicans want to abolish abortion; they also respect the rights women have over their bodies. Not all Republicans hate immigrants; they also understand that immigrants contribute greatly to the economy and that this country was founded by immigrants. Once again, as he said on the day of his announcement as a nominee, his job is not to make the law but to follow it. Needless to say, it is important to stay informed before creating assumptions without first informing yourself. Have some faith in Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

References

Bennett, J. (2018). How Brett Kavanaugh Could Change the Supreme Court—and America. Time.

Bennett, J. (2006). Confirmation hearing. Time.

Smith, A. (2018). Dear Senate: Don't forget to ask Kavanaugh about immigration. The New York Times.

Jones, B. (2018). Brett Kavanaugh on the Issues: Abortion, Guns, Climate and More. CNN.

Brown, C. (2018). Where Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh stands on key issues. Time.