Opening day for the Supreme Court’s new term provides opportunity for progressives to get the word out on what’s at risk in terms of the Court and the November 7th election
MONDAY, OCTOBER 2nd, marked the opening session of the U.S. Supreme Court, a wonderful opportunity for progressive activists to raise awareness of the Court’s impact on our constitutional freedoms. People For the American Way and Voters For Choice seized the moment by sponsoring a rally and press conference near the Court with national civil rights leaders and members of Congress.
Our Message: Fundamental rights could be abolished or curtailed if the next president appoints just one or two more far-right justices to the Court.
The Solution: Consider what the presidential candidates have said about their models for the Supreme Court when you go to the polls on November 7.
PFAW President Ralph Neas, Gloria Steinem, Eleanor Smeal, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) and others emphasized these points to a crowd of hundreds and a dozen television cameras and reporters. Speakers compared the judicial role models of Gov. George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore, warning that Bush’s models – current Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas – would eagerly undo or halt progress on civil rights, the environment, gun control, religious liberty, campaign finance reform, reproductive rights, gay rights, disability rights, privacy and workers’ rights. Al Gore’s role models, past Justices William Brennan and Thurgood Marshall, helped create the majority opinions that defined and expanded civil liberties in many of these areas.
Other speakers included: Gerald McEntee – Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy – Hilary Shelton – Debbie Sease – Amy Isaacs – Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton – Rep. Nancy Pelosi – Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones – Nat LaCour
Other sponsors were: Human Rights Campaign – Handgun Control – Justice For All – National Association for the Advancement of Colored People – National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League – National Education Association – National Gay and Lesbian Task Force – Planned Parenthood Federation of America – Sierra Club – American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees – American Federation of Teachers – Americans for Democratic Action – United States Student Association – National Association of Postal and Federal Employees – Feminist Majority – Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Please visit People For the American Way’s SupremeCourtVote.org, a site dedicated to making the Court an issue in this year’s election.