... [I]n the case of equal opportunity for women versus a religious doctrine held by the plurality of the members of the Supreme Court, the religious doctrine just won, even as they say in the same breath that no precedent should be considered established by their decision.
In short, the Supreme Court has decided that, far from interpreting the law consistently, it will get to be the ultimate arbiter, on an ad-hoc basis, of which religious claimants get exemptions from what governmental requirements. Evidence so far suggests they'll use it for the particular doctrines that suit them. With their decision in Hobby Lobby, the Court has basically given itself the right to establish preference for particular religions over others. And while the Obama administration may be able to fix the damage this ruling does to women's health, the lasting damage to religious pluralism may be a much more difficult consideration.Let's be frank here. It's no secret that the five white male Republican justices who decided in favor of the right of a corporation to claim a religious exemption from a contraception coverage mandate are all Roman Catholics (as, incidentally, the Hackwhackers were raised). The Church's self-serving, medieval views on contraception are well-known. The five Republican Catholic justices simply crafted a decision that followed their Church's teachings (as well as their own corporatist, right-wing political biases), as opposed to rendering a decision that one would otherwise expect in a secular democracy. That the decision also underscored the Court's view of a "closely-held" corporation as capable of protection under a claim of religious freedom continues the obscenity contained in their Citizens United decision, where they decided for the first time in American history that corporations are people and money is speech.
"Socialized male speech dominance is a significant issue, not just in school, but everywhere. If you doubt me, sit quietly and keep track of speech dynamics at your own dinner table, workplace, classroom. In the school bus, the sidelines of fields, in places of worship. It's significant and consequential."Chemaly says women can fight back beginning at an early age by learning ten words:
"Stop interrupting me,"Good advice for girls, and something the boys would do well to take heed of.
"I just said that," and
"No explanation needed."
It was a revealing convergence Monday when the five-member conservative Supreme Court majority delivered the Hobby Lobby contraception decision even as President Obama announced that House Republicans had officially shelved immigration reform.
Both disputes reaffirmed the GOP's identity as the champion of the forces most resistant to the profound demographic and cultural dynamics reshaping American life—and Democrats as the voice of those who most welcome these changes.
And both clashes captured a parallel shift: While Republicans took the offense on most cultural arguments through the late 20th century, now Democrats from Obama on down are mostly pressing these issues, confident that they represent an expanding majority of public opinion.Beyond the Hobby Lobby decision and Republicans' scuttling of immigration reform, Democrats must do a better job of engaging public opinion on other issues where the majority is in agreement with them, such as gun control, marriage equality, equal pay, and climate change. The "rear guard" right-wing victories being won in the Supreme Court and in some benighted red states are just that - victories by a philosophy in denial and in retreat. As we've said many, many times before, Democrats need to be confident and forceful in their appeal to voters, because not only is adopting a defensive crouch self-defeating, but more importantly because a growing majority of voters agree with them on the issues.
"But our success is only possible because we have never treated those self-evident truths as self-executing. Generations of Americans have marched, organized, petitioned, fought and even died to extend those rights to others; to widen the circle of opportunity for others; and to perfect this union we love so much." (emphasis added).Words worth remembering as a relentless assault is made by reactionary forces to trim or eliminate those rights altogether.
"So while it is true that he is not a 'career politician,' that might have something to do with the fact that people who vote cooperated and kept him that way by giving him a helping hand.Ah, we love the smell of desperation in the morning….
With one finger extended.
So, yeah, he’s your guy. His record speaks for itself and he’s totally due so you guys should do this thing.
After the last two elections, we expect nothing less." (emphasis added)
