Supreme Court Reflection Post

    I had little background knowledge on the Supreme Court prior to my time in this class; this is in part due to my Canadian background, but it’s also due to my lack of pursuit to indulge in this material. The Supreme Court, and government in general is a daunting topic to tackle, so I'm glad to be finally applying myself to it. 

• What did you learn about the Supreme Court that you didn't already know? 

 

    I learned the sheer amount of cases presented to the Supreme Court Justices; it is no small task for these 9 Supreme Court Justices to be handed around 100 arguments weekly. I used to be confused about why so many cases would be let go and ignored by the judges, but since every case is meticulously worked and drafted over and over, I can appreciate the importance of Certiorari. Certiorari is a new, important term I also learned; it is extremely important for the efficiency of the court. I find it incredible that there has only been a few over 100 justices in American history. These men and women are unbelievably powerful, and highly respected in society; therefore, only a handful of people get the honour of being hand-selected by the President, to become a Supreme Court Justice. 

 

• What is the most important take-away point about the Supreme Court? 

 

    My key take-away is the quote “Their legitimacy is in the constitution, but their power rests on public faith.” It stuck with me because it puts into perspective how important the American Constitution is to law and order in the whole country. The constitution dictates how the most powerful individuals make their decisions, and that is truly important. The “public faith” aspect is significant because without trust of the population, the court would be deemed as less valid. This would promote uprising and unrest, and we have seen examples of this. A memorable instance was when Roe v. Wade was overturned. I remember members of the Supreme Court had their addresses leaked by angry social media users; this was a time where the Supreme Court was widely frowned upon. For the most part, though, the court is regarded as the “most powerful judicial body on earth,” and is respected in society. 

 

• What was the most surprising thing you learned? 

 

    The most surprising thing I learned was how there was once a time when the Supreme Court, under Chief Justice Roger B. Taney, ruled that “blacks could never be citizens.” This was in the mid 1800’s; however, it is still hard to grasp how the most noble men in the nation governed with such racist ideologies and were able to convince other powerful leaders to believe the same.  

 

• How did the video change the way you thought of the Supreme Court? 

  
  

    The videos wholeheartedly changed the way I view and think of the Supreme Court. I have a newfound appreciation for the work these people do. I initially viewed the Justices as untouchable, closed-minded people; however, seeing how they thoughtfully deal with each case handed to them one-by-one, I see how truly complex their work is. I have the utmost respect for it.