The death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the Republican rush to seat a new justice causes great concern among some of us. Although they have the votes to do so, this action is wrong so close to the election. The responses of our two senators are disturbing. Sen. Lisa Murkowski initially stated she would not vote on an appointee before the election. Now she is saying she will consider an appointee. Sen. Dan Sullivan boldly says he agrees with Sen. Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump and gives spurious reasons why this is the right thing to do now, although he was opposed in the similar case in 2016.
The only hope I see for our democracy is such a groundswell of opposition that it forces the Republicans to back down. Unfortunately, that is unlikely to happen, because most Americans do not understand the importance of the court. If an extremely conservative, young justice is confirmed, the balance on the court will be affected for many years to come.
A 6-3 conservative majority could send social policy back 50 years or more. It is not just this election, but the future of our democracy that is at risk. I fear for that future. All we can do right now is everything within our power to force McConnell and the Republicans to change their minds; calls, petitions, emails, rallies, whatever is necessary to get through that the American people do not think forcing an appointment through is the right thing to do. Folks, this is not just politics as usual, it is the future of our country.
— Jamelia Saied
Anchorage
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