“The most violent element in society is ignorance” – Emma Goldman
I’ve been biting my tongue for so many weeks now – hell almost two years – but after reading through Heather’s comments on this post I just have to point out something that oh so many people either do not understand or have never taken a politics course in their (puny, ignorant) lives:
While the President himself may not write a law outlawing something (the legislative branch does that) and though he cannot rule something constitutional or unconstitutional (the judicial branch does that) he does, in fact, appoint the people on the Supreme Court who can then make the decision to override Roe vs. Wade to prove that it goes against the constitution. And I’m using that as my example because that is what Heather’s post is about. So when you write and say such things like “I try not to vote for presidents based on abortion beliefs. Mostly because abortion will probably NEVER come in front of the President. It’ll be a judicial issue or something that won’t even make it through congress” you look like a dumbshit because it is the PRESIDENT who appoints those on the Supreme Court and the President can appoint a conservative right wing nut job who goes thinks that Plessy vs. Ferguson is unconstitutional. In this case, the next president will most like be appointing one-three(!!!) new judges and if he wants them to be full of conservative ideology then so be it. Also, keep in mind, that there are no term limits for Supreme Court judges. John Roberts? The strapping young man that he is? He will be there FOREVER.
So please, I beg of you, if you’re going to spout of whatever the rhetoric of your choosing; try thinking and reading before you speak.
</rant>
29 Comments
Oh, Heather. How dare you attempt to explain something like this to people. It’ll make their brains hurt.
Why don’t you try and explain the commerce clause next? Because HAHAHA the bastardization.
And of course the lovely checks/balances our legislative branch brings with it – so such doozies as Scalia and Kennedy can slide right on through their confirmation hearings.
Will you please xerox that and slap it on every lightpoll in America? I’d do it here, but surprisingly enough, Canadians already seem to have that information.
HOLY MOTHERFUCKING SHIT.
From the comments:
78. Tanya said:
1. It’s probably a good thing he’s running for President, and not Supreme Court Justice then, right? (Hint: The President can’t overturn Roe v Wade.)
2. Even if enough liberal Justices died/retired and were replaced with conservative judges (With a Democrat-majority congress to fight the nominations? Impossible.) who wanted to overturn Roe v Wade, that doesn’t mean abortion becomes illegal. It just means that it stops being federally mandated. The decision on abortion would go back to the individual states.
So relax. Jeez. Hysteria isn’t going to help anyone.
I HATE PEOPLE.
I’m SO GLAD you posted this, because I was seriously looking at those comments with my hands covering my face in blatant fear and disbelief at what was surely going to come next, much the way I do whenever I decide that watching a particularly horrible horror movie was a great idea.
“How did these people not have to take a single course in U.S. Government?” I kept asking myself over and over. And then I had to close my browser because an aneurysm was surely nigh.
Mandatory reading for everyone of voting age?
Well OK then. I guess I’ll get back to my puny and ignorant life. You could not have paid me enough money or beer to take a politics class in college.
Even if you couldn’t be paid enough to take a course on politics, I still stand by my assertion that if one is going to go on about whatever the de rigueur topic is in politics, then one should have at least a rudimentary grasp on how US government works. Read before you speak.
WORD
A-to-the-men.
The comments were absolutely infuriating. Funny how those seriously lacking information have so much to say.
Obama ’08!
I purposefully didn’t read through the comments on that post. I, for one, never took a class specifically on politics. *However,* I do remember that little tid bit being taught a few times in ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. So, yeah. No excuse.
I don’t know how she manifests the willpower to write any more political posts. The comments that I’ve read on her previous ones are enough to make *me* want to stfu. And that’s pretty rare.
Happy Early Birthday!
As a law school dropout, I often find myself asking folks about possible judicial appointments at presidential election time. I have stopped being surprised by how many folks don’t even think of it. Or that the process has to be explained to them. *sigh*
You make my heart bigger.
I have to say, I’ll be so glad when this election is over. I’m so tired of uninformed people talking about these things. You are allowed to have your opinions, but please know the facts behind them.
This is just as bad as the people who aren’t going to vote. AARRGGHHH!
I am a lurker but today’s post has prompted me to respond because my boyfriend is tired of being the only one listening to me rant and rage about those comments. So, lucky you, I decided to come out of hiding and share with you! I don’t normally read Dooce but so many people were in an uproar over the comments that I had to take a look. Then I had to look away. I was disgusted by the ignorance and privilege exemplified in the comments. You already addressed the “The President doesn’t make abortion law” ignorance that was rampant.
What also got my goat were the people who boiled down complex and nuanced issues to their own holier than thou point of view. Things like women should always choose the life of their unborn child/cells before their own, women who do not want children should not have sex. Stupid comments like that made me scream at the screen. What if that mother has children she would leave motherless if she died? How about the fact that in 2008, most women still don’t have access to adequate sex ed, birth control, etc? The ignorance displayed was astounding and I wanted to bang my head in frustration that such uninformed and ignorant people are allowed to vote. And please, don’t get me started about the “socialist” comments.
Okay, I’m starting to get worked up about this all over again. While I have never been so impassioned about an election before, I will be so glad when this is over and President Obama is getting this country back on track. Sorry Canada, but if all the people who say they are going to leave the country for your borders if he wins actually do, I will do everything in my power to help them. It might help our national IQ to raise a few points.
See, this is why I gave up reading comments. Too many to read. Too much crap to drudge through.
I meant to post reading comments on Dooce…
Dammit!
i worked my way through some 700 of the comments on Dooce’s post and couldn’t believe how many stupid people there are out there. i fear for the US.
i’m with slynnro. i hate people.
heh.
This post should be the minimum mandatory reading for this topic. Thanks for posting it! Comment #78 “running for Supreme Court Justice” made me vomit in my mouth a little bit.
Delurking here. I think the other important part of the post was that it was not really about abortion, it was about the way McCain summarily dismissed the “health” of women. That was insulting, demeaning, disrespectful and so unbelievably presumptuous that you can’t help but feel that he thinks very little of the fairer sex. That is what is concerning to me. Multilply that by Palin’s rigid fundamentalism and you’ve got a scary combo for the future of women’s rights in general.
THANK YOU. This is something that riles me up too. THANK YOU.
I voted today in PA! WOOOHOOO!
saw your tweet – i can’t dm you cuz you don’t follow me. dude, i’ve made more awful financial decisions than you can shake 27 sticks at. email me – i’d be happy to share any of them with you.
p.s. i missed reading dooce for like 2 weeks and a shitstorm happened. go figure.
For the record this isn’t a political “Vote for Obama or else!” post. I don’t care who you are voting for as it is your prerogative and I’m not going to try to change your mind just as you probably won’t change my mind. My point is that so many people in Heather’s comments either didn’t think before commenting, read Alexa or Julie’s posts nor did they have a basic grasp on how government works. Which is what compelled me to write this post pointing out that the President will in fact impact how many court decisions will be made because he will be the one to appoint justices not just for the SCOTUS but also federal courts through out the country.
On that note: Heather’s post wasn’t even about whether or not abortion is wrong it was about how John McCain so nonchalantly referred to the ‘health of the mother’ as if it was just an after thought.
Yes, yes. And even if one didn’t take any college courses in politics, I seem to remember Government courses being mandatory in High School and Junior High. So really, there aren’t any excuses.
Also, on a side note, can I just bitch about the fact that someone stole my Obama ’08 yard sign right out of my front lawn? I mean, if you intend to put it up in your own front yard and you don’t have the means to purchase one yourself than by all means, please take it. But if you’re stifling my right to proclaim who I support by putting a sign in my front yard – MY front yard – then SCREW YOU. How dare you. And I swear if you rip the sticker off my car next, I will hunt you down.
Sorry, just a little upset about that. The sign was a lovely gift from a fellow Obama supporter, and I’m sad that it’s gone.
Anyway, yeah. Amen!
Hi Heather… I wanted to comment to say thank you for posting this and trying to keep it in the realms of talking about McCain’s dispassionate air quotes and not the heated abortion topic.
I’ve been watching The Daily Show not almost religiously now winding down to Election Day, and one phrase that Mr. Jon Stewart used in an interview with Ari Fleischer was that it seems the GOP has developed a ‘pride in ignorance’. I thought that was a great line.
Anyway, I’m a big fan of your writing. Thanks again for sharing it all!
Amen sister friend!
I am also glad you posted this. I am a McCain/Palin supporter and am pro-life (which is completely opposite to many of you, I know). However, I get frustrated over this very same thing. I get so tired of hearing people say ignorant things and they don’t even realize what they are saying. I wish everyone researched and educated themselves before forming their opinions. I have no problem with Democrats/Liberal that are informed and can speak intelligently. In fact, I greatly enjoy learning from them! So from the other side of the spectrum, I am also thanking you for posting this.
On a side note, about the sign being stolen. That infuriates me! I had a friend that had his car KEYED because he had a McCain sticker on his car. We are actually scared to put a sign on our front yard because of the ramifications we might have to face. It is really sad that no one can express who they want to vote for without worrying about the opposite side retaliating.
Thank you! Both for seeing this as a non-partisan issue but as a problem with people of both parties. Think and read before you speak. I’ll bet that people wouldn’t get their panties all in a bunch over political differences and would agree to disagree if they actually thought about what the other person was actually saying and then thought about thier response. I honestly don’t care if someone is pro-life just as someone who is pro-life probably really doesn’t care that I’m pro-choice. But if we’re both able to express our differences intelligently and thoughtfully then things don’t get so hostile.