Blog Post #2 - Supreme Court

 A Reflection on the Supreme Court

As someone who does not frequently keep up to date with the government or politics, I admit that I do not know much about the Supreme Court, especially before watching Part I and Part II of this video. Until now, I have not realized the importance of this court regarding the protection of American rights in the Constitution. From what I have learned, this is a topic that should be talked about more by people my age. 

 First, some of the most basic facts that I learned surprised me. For example, the Supreme Court has nine justices, one being chief justice. Originally, I thought this court had more justices, and I find it impressive that these nine people can sort through the large number of petitions they receive yearly. Additionally, I did not fully realize that they have the power to tell the government that actions they took are unconstitutional; however, this idea makes sense to me because I knew Americans had the right to petition against the wrong actions of the government. As a Generation Z, who is constantly hearing stories of the wrongdoings of my government and its officials, this information gives me more hope.

I think an important takeaway from this video is every day these justices come to work to protect the American people. They set their political biases aside using the Constitution and the decisions of the previous justices to make the right decisions. I find it comforting to know that this court exists to keep our amendments and our freedoms safe. They also carry a high responsibility to not discriminate against their people and to keep a just and ethical system.

The most surprising information I learned is just how hard it is to be a justice of the Supreme Court. I cannot imagine the amount of pressure and scrutiny they must face when making their decisions about a case. They are constantly in the eye of the news as their debates are public. Once their decisions are made usually in June, reporters spread the verdicts throughout the country within just a few hours. More importantly, they make decisions that affect lives which I can imagine is daunting at the least. 

This video has changed the way I view the Supreme Court drastically. I certainly have more respect for the justices now that I understand their positions and the great responsibilities they possess. This knowledge has also given me more belief in our system in a time of uncertainty and unrest in our country. I also now understand the magnitude of their power. They not only make decisions that can become precedents for hundreds of years, but they also have the power to determine if an action by the government, including the House of Representatives, the Senate, or the President, is unconstitutional.