Class Video: The Highest Court In The Land Remains Supreme

The Supreme Court of the United States of America has proven to be a vital part of the American government. Without it, there would be no official ruling branch on what is and isn't constitutional.

Every year, thousands of petitions flood the court in hopes of a fighting chance. With nearly 100 new cases a week, the court justices must decide which cases hold the most importance and are in need of individual consideration.

As demanding of a job serving on the Supreme Court is, most justices serve for an average of 16 years according to a video we viewed in class.  In total there have only been a little over 100 justices in the court's history. To serve in such an important position for that amount of time deserves a tremendous amount of respect from the American people.

Though we now see the Supreme Court as a major and necessary part of government, it wasn't always seen that way. Prior to chief justice John Marshall, the court was not taken as seriously and didn't even have its own building. With the help of his leadership, the court quickly gained more respect and consideration as a co-equal branch.

Even though Marshall changed the perception of the court in a good way, it does have many blackeyes in its history. One example of this was the Dred Scott decision in 1857.  The court determined that they "could not give blacks freedom" and that they would never be free citizens. Of course, the 14th amendment would change that ruling when passed in 1866.  

The late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg once said, "We the people was composed of a very small portion of those inhabiting these shores."  She went on to say that even though the court didn't embrace all people once before, they do today.

A common misconception of the Supreme Court is that its cases and discussions are kept very secretive.  However, justices want the American people to know this couldn't be further from the truth.  There is no type of inside story like other forms of government may have.

When the justices meet to discuss a case, they always start with shaking one another's hand.  This process reiterates the common purpose to make the best decision according to the constitution.  As an American citizen, this process makes me feel good because of how awful political agendas have become in other forms of government.  With this common purpose of protecting constitutional rights in mind, justices try to leave political opinions at the door.

Though we may not always agree with the decisions from the Supreme Court, we must always take into account how hard these men and women are working for the maintaining of our rights.