U.S. Supreme Court

Pragmaticism

The two recent decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court show a dramatic change is taking place. The highest court is exercising reason and acknowledging reality rather than buying the abstract arguments offering “solutions” for non-existent problems that burden basic civil rights.

The abortion decision voids the unnecessary burdens and restrictions on clinics and doctors providing legal abortion services contained in the Texas law and copied in other states. Similarly, the court revisited the University of Texas at Austin case that affirmed that the limited application of affirmative action for the purpose of promoting diversity in university admissions was a reasonable and justifiable objective. We can hope this pragmatic reasoning will continue to find constitutional solutions to blunt the ideology inspired overreach of legislation restricting our civil rights and promoting partisan advantage.

I foresee the courts taking action using supreme reason in other egregious partisan legislation promoted by conservative think tanks offering off-the-shelf legislative proposals that weaken our democracy, such as restrictions on voters’ rights, voter ID, gerrymandering, restrictions on government to protect our environment and the unrestricted and unconscionable influence of Big Money by special interests. M. E. “Skip” Belt, Missouri City