IMMORAL, OR JUST POLITICS AS USUAL?

Gleeful hypocrisy is one way to describe the Congressional Republicans as they celebrate the addition of Judge Barrett to the Supreme Court. Another description might use the term "immoral" because of all the lies and breaking of long-held processes and "gentleman" agreements. One side celebrates their tawdry victory while the other licks their wounds and vacillates between thoughts of revenge and how to regain power. 

I personally think the actions of the Congressional Republicans are immoral - "not conforming to the patterns of conduct usually accepted or established as consistent with principles of personal and social ethics." But, on the other hand, we're talking about politics. 

The politics of governance has always been a push and pull between different views and philosophies. In the United States, politics has always been rough and tumble, and perhaps what we are experiencing today is not very different from other periods in our history. So while we might conclude that this is simply politics as usual, that doesn't make it right. 

Should politics operate on moral principles? If yes, whose morals? Should we have rules that politicians must always take the high road? In the present case of Supreme Court nominations, should the Republicans have stayed with their previous position - the one they invented in 2016 - that nominations to the Supreme Court should not be made in an election year? If we say yes, then they would have had to give up a rare opportunity to create a solid conservative majority on the court. 

What would the Democrats do in the same situation? I'm certain they would do the same thing the Republicans just did, and find ways to justify it. It's politics.

And what about the moral obligation of the nominee? Should Amy Coney Barrett have declined the nomination to the court based on moral grounds? She is, after all, a very devout, and supposedly moral person of faith. How does a nominee justify participation in a process that is so obviously cynical, hypocritical and tainted? This should be a tough decision between the once-in-a-lifetime career opportunity and the willing participation in a corrupt political game. The fact that we saw absolutely no hesitation by Barrett should truly give us pause about her character. 

The dice are cast, the Supreme Court is now solidly right-wing, and Americans will live with the consequences for generations. This is not the first time the court has been this conservative, and it won't be the last. Meanwhile, there is an election a week from today, and there is already fighting in the streets of America between the Trumpsters and the anti-Trumpsters. America is at another major crossroad in our history where ideologies clash, social issues motivate mass civic unrest and action, and violence erupts across the country. Our future is uncertain, and there is no easy resolution of the issues that divide us. We don't seem to be the "united" states at this point, and our elected representatives seem incapable, or unwilling, to find a peaceful path forward. 

Can politics be moral? The answer seems to be no. 

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