We will turn to the courts, the final bastion against oppression,
to avert the debasement of our democracy.
Ann: Justice Ginsburg?*
Justice Ginsburg: Yes, Ann. As you can see, storm clouds are gathering. Yet this is not a time to give into our fears. We are all of us walking together in the parade that has been called life but which is in fact a very small part of that magnificent procession.
As the human experiment rolls on, it will become increasingly clear who is speaking the truth and who is not. Although it is alarming to see weakness, lies, and corruption seemingly gaining the upper hand, those who would debase our democracy are now finding that there is no place to hide. Whether they can take this country in a frontal assault on democracy is now the question.
At first blush, it may seem that that lies and propaganda are gaining ground, but look more closely. What you are seeing is the unmasking of that which has always been a part of our society and our laws - from the first slave ship that arrived on our shores to the Emancipation Proclamation, to the retrenchment of evil in the Jim Crow south, and then to the Civil Rights movement now under assault.
The regressive forces in this country are now trying to make a comeback. But this time they no longer operate under cover of darkness with white sheets to hide their identities. They are going out in the light of day and creating gerrymandered legislatures in order to pass laws which breach our constitutional safeguards and undermine our electoral processes.
This will not stand unchallenged. They will be met by laws counter purposed to this endeavor, and we will all be forced to take a stand yay or nay. I do not say that we will win every battle, for it is only over the bodies of our slain compatriots that the full measure of those who seek to return us to the days of white supremacy will be exposed.
This time we will need stalwart citizens and leaders brave enough to counteract the returning tide of fear and hatred. We will need courts and judges willing to stand up to a mob mentality in order to enforce equality under the law. It will not be easy. Those who have promulgated this moral and legal regression are fighting for their prestige, their power, their financial dominance, and in some cases, as they see it, their very lives.
It is then to the courts, the last bastion of democracy, that we will turn to fight their last ditch efforts. With God’s grace and our unrelenting efforts, that institution will stand firm. Even though a dedicated segment of our population has endeavored to corrupt the system – and, it must be said, have succeeded in some regard – if we are resolute, these efforts will not succeed. Though judicial temperaments may currently lean in a rightward direction, I have faith that even conservative justices will balk at the wholesale destruction of the essential fabric of democracy.
There will be those on both sides who will surprise you one way or the other, but by and large the center will hold if we do not turn away from this fight. With vigilance and adherence to the rule of law and principles set out in our Constitution, we shall win the day. It will take perseverance and focus, and some battles will be lost, but this nation will be held in line by the rules of evidence and the principles stated, though sometimes ignored, in a Constitution that was better than its drafters.
If we do not look away, we shall live to see that Constitution live up to its promise in this generation. If we keep our focus on equal protection under the law, those laws will stand. If we do not falter when success does not come quickly, those so long oppressed will finally be able to take their place as full and equal partners in a living democracy.
June 3, 2021
*Referred by Anita Sacco. See "Recommended Channelers" under "Resources" tab. Anita can be contacted for purchase of obtaining the recipe for her protection spray or readings at https://www.etsy.com/shop/FairyTaleEnd.