The late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader-Ginsburg was loved by many for her sharp mind, quick wit, and dedication to progressive ideals. There's no doubt her work in American jurisprudence will have a lasting legacy, and her death was understandably mourned by many on the left and the right.
But how do you explain this woman's reaction to the death of a Supreme Court justice?
Extremely high-energy lib freakout over RBG's death https://t.co/A4eeiwvWCM pic.twitter.com/CtiBZxPBhw
— Not the Bee (@Not_the_Bee) September 19, 2020
Or what about these tweets from Hollywood types Yvette Nicole Brown and Tanya Saracho? (Language warning)
Dear God....
— yvette nicole brown (@YNB) September 18, 2020
NO! Fuck no no no no!
— Tanya Saracho (@TanyaSaracho) September 18, 2020
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Dies At 87 : NPR https://t.co/lL9hdjQt6h
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez went so far as to say that Bader-Ginsburg's death represents a threat to democracy itself.
‘It is not hyperbole. The actual balance of our democracy rests in the actions that we choose to make’ — @AOC responds to RBG’s death and explains what the SCOTUS vacancy means for our future pic.twitter.com/984OS4cFyL
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) September 22, 2020
The freakouts aren't limited to individuals. Yahoo News ran a headline about Amy Coney Barrett, the frontrunner for Trump's replacement for Bader-Ginsburg. It read, "This Is Amy Coney Barrett, The Potential RBG Replacement Who Hates Your Uterus."
They're not alone. Anyone on social media has seen the over-the-top reactions to Bader-Ginsburg's death from public figures and private individuals alike.
Why the violent emotional response? Why do these people seem to believe that their lives are in danger after the death of a single, 87-year-old Supreme Court justice who had been battling cancer for at least a decade?
In one sense, their reactions are unhinged and illogical. In another sense, they're completely rationale.
For decades, the Supreme Court has handed down decisions that dictate policy for all 50 states. These decisions have the force of law, and they impinge on Congress' constitutional obligation to be the only branch of government that creates law.
Even more troubling, these decisions effectively re-write the Constitution. Every time the Supreme Court hands down a ruling, nine non-elected individuals have usurped the people's right to have a say in what the Constitution says.
The result is that, rather than simply ignoring the Constitution, the federal government follows the Constitution-as-interpreted rather than the Constitution-as-written.
From gay marriage to healthcare to immigration, the Supreme Court has amended the Constitution to override the will of the people and the states without any oversight or accountability.
That's an unbelievable amount of power. In light of that power, over-the-top reactions to Bader-Ginsburg's death begin to make more sense. These people understand that the Court has the power to radically transform American life, and they're worried about a solidly conservative majority doing just that.
Our current situation is a 180 degree turn from the Founders' vision for our country. They imagined a limited federal government with narrow powers to control a very small portion of American life. They certainly didn't anticipate a Supreme Court with the power to legislate from the bench, and they would be horrified at the national reaction to Bader-Ginsburg's passing.
Fortunately, they also predicted this might happen. They left us a way in Article V of the Constitution to both override bad Supreme Court decisions from the past and put the federal government back in its (real) constitutional box.
Article V allows the people and the states to call a Convention of States to propose constitutional amendments. These amendments can overturn court decisions that have expanded federal power and return that power where it belongs: with the people and the states.
Over 4 million Americans have voiced their support, and over 1.7 million Americans have signed the Convention of States Petition. If you want to be a part of the movement to restore sanity and balance to our divided country, consider joining your fellow patriots and signing the petition below!
