Liberal Hypocrisy Regarding Amy C. Barrett & Clarence Thomas

 Why is it not misogyny to disagree with Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court on the basis of her judicial philosophies  but it would be misogyny to oppose the nominations of RBG, Elena Kagan, and Sonia Sotomayor? Why is is not racist to oppose Clarence Thomas merely because he is a conservative but it would be racist to oppose Thurgood Marshall? It is either misogyny to oppose any woman on the basis of sex or political philosophy or it is not. It is either racist to oppose all people of color no matter one’s political affiliation  or it is not.

The political machinations regarding what constitutes misogyny or racism dumbfounds me. If citizens chose to vote against Hillary Clinton they were labeled anti woman. Democrats who refused to consider the brilliant legal career of Amy C. Barrett, however, are not anti woman. Instead they purport to be principled leaders saving the country from conservative legal theory. 

I find it remarkably convenient that labels are unimportant when  a person, politician or jurist with conservative ideology is vilified by the press and other politicians. However, any offensive act by a liberal is swept under the rug for political expediency.

If conservative politicians and special interest groups had tried to derail the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor, it would have been racism and misogyny. However, it was perfectly fine for liberal to besmirch Clarence Thomas because he doesn’t follow the script for his race. This is appalling.

And it is time to stop the litmus test for Supreme Court nominees. Advice & consent based on qualifications is the basis....not political ideology. 

 Nobody can accurately predict how a jurist will decide any case. And that is what we want for our republic. Each case must be decided on its merits based upon the Constitution as it was written and based on precedent. But precedent should not always be followed. Consider Dredd Scott v Sanford and Plessy v Ferguson. 

If liberals truly believe in equality and equal opportunity for all citizens there should be a celebration each time an exceptional individual who is a woman or person of color is considered for a position of authority without regard to ideology. But, liberals denigrate those who do not agree with them and call them names. That is flat out hypocrisy that offends open minded individuals. 

A Reminder That Addiction is a Family Disease

 

There has been quite a bit of recent news reporting and social media commentary about Hunter Biden's addiction with attempts to exploit the family tragedy for political purposes. While it is perfectly reasonable to question the Burisma affiliation, I personally believe it is improper to blame Joe Biden for trying to protect his son.

Addiction affects far more families than many Americans would like to believe. Those of us who have experienced the pain, insanity, devastation, humiliation, heartache, financial losses, and emotional effects of loving an addict or a family member who has  suffered from a family member's addiction appreciate the former Vice President's conundrum. Many friends and family members of addicts stay on the merry-go-round of denial throughout life, hoping and praying for a miracle. 

My mother was the adult child and sister of alcoholics. It affected her personal relationships and approach to life. While she was able to accept that her sister suffered from alcoholism, she was never able accept that her father was an alcoholic.  It took years for me to realize my first husband was an alcoholic. Once I found my way to Al-Anon, I attended meetings for years before I was able to accept the first step. Al Anon follows the same 12 Steps that AA uses to find recovery. The first step requires us to admit that we have no power over alcohol, other people places and things, and that our lives had become unmanageable. It only took me 10 years to accept that truth. Fortunately, I found a community in Al Anon that helped me find my own recovery, peace and serenity, so that I could learn the tools to embrace a healthy relationship and life. https://al-anon.org/

Joe Biden is not the first and will certainly not be the last politician that has a family member that suffers from addiction. I recall that George McGovern's daughter, Terry, died of addiction, alone in a cold alley. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/teresa-mcgovern-a-death-in-the-cold/2012/10/21/42ad26ca-1bde-11e2-ba31-3083ca97c314_story.html    While I  would never consider supporting the politics of Mr. McGovern, reading the story of his daughter's sad death brought tears to my eyes. This was  a family tragedy for McGovern just as Hunter Biden's addiction is a family tragedy for Joe Biden. None of us know what is within the hearts or lives behind closed doors of another. One of the most valuable lessons I learned during my years in Al Anon is that most people do the best they can with the tools they have at any point in time. Joe Biden has experienced significant losses in his life. I cannot judge him for wanting to protect his son.

We Americans have lost a lot of civility. Everyday I am dumbfounded by the crass, obtuse, rude, offensive, obnoxious partisanship that has filled our lives.  No matter your political affiliation, consider being kind and resist exploiting what is clearly a devastating family tragedy for Mr. Biden.