I was fortunate enough Tuesday, on the second day of Judge Neil Gorsuch’s confirmation hearings (otherwise known as the grilling), to be near a radio for a couple of hours. I had previously considered him the best pick of the three that President Trump put forward in the final winnowing of his selection process. After all, anyone that likes fishing, hiking, raising chickens, goats, and horses must have some grounding in everyday life and problems. Other than his other excellent qualifications, this most assuredly helped make him my personal favorite.
It may seem odd to some that I consider Senate and Congress races more important than Presidential races. I also think Supreme Court appointments are more important than any of the political races. Politicians come and go, but a Supreme Court Justice is appointed for life. The Supreme Court is the third part of our checks and balances system that keeps the Executive and Legislative branches of our government from running roughshod over our Representative form of Government and the Constitution of our United States. A nominee that is selected at the age of Justice Gorsuch may well sit on the bench for 30 or more years. The Supreme Court, in its role, is what protects us from tyranny, injustice, and violation of the Constitution, which is our road map to continuing to be the best country in the world.
I marveled at the deft way Justice Gorsuch handled the constant battery of the same questions over and over from Democrat Senators. His answers were consistent and eloquent. He always refused to be led into providing responses that would be in violation of judicial ethics and in commenting on cases pending. He also, properly, did not discuss prior cases other judges had decided. Those Senators that tried to get him to violate the most basic principles of any judge in second-guessing another judge’s determination on a case made them look petty, silly, and unimaginative.
Judge Neil Gorsuch is a constitutional originalist. This means he believes that the Constitution should be interpreted according to the meaning of words and phrases as they were understood in the times they were written. I believe the founding fathers were a smart bunch of people. I believe they understood human nature and created a document that could and has withstood the test of time.
If left to the whims of those with pet agendas, over time, we would have a document that would have no resemblance to the Constitution we now have. I believe the only way to continue to survive as a nation is to keep in place the basic principles as laid down over two centuries ago. If any change is needed, there is a process in place to amend the Constitution without changing the most basic language of the document.
Thankfully, Judge Neil Gorsuch is not a justice who intends to throw out the baby with the bathwater. My man!!