Letters: No place for politicalization of the judiciary; Pledge your allegiance carefully

No place for politicalization of the judiciary

As a member of a legislative body, when an issue comes up for a vote it’s totally reasonable for you to vote according to your personal preference on the matter. This is how democracy works.

But “vote your personal preference,” appropriate in a legislature, is not appropriate in the judiciary, especially in Supreme Court decisions. Unelected SCOTUS justices are not to be politicians; they are to vote according to the law and precedent, regardless of their personal preferences on the issue, and have generally done so.

But apparently no longer.

According to a leaked draft of an upcoming SCOTUS decision, at least five justices will vote to overturn Roe v. Wade, not by following law and precedent but rather because they simply don’t approve of abortion due to their personal ethical or religious beliefs.

An attempt to insert evidence of scholarship and legitimate judicial reasoning by asserting that Roe was “wrongfully decided” or “poorly reasoned” falls flat. Justices who vote purely on personal preference can always try to hide that fact by making the “wrongfully decided” claim. But the reason they find the precedent case to have been “wrongfully decided” is because it conflicts with their personal preferences. It comes back to the same thing.

This letter takes no position on abortion, on either side; it merely laments the process by which the decision was reached.

Politicalization of the judiciary is never a good thing. If you cherish our democracy, you should be concerned and outraged about this new trend.

Pledge your allegiance carefully

As a candidate, Donald Trump disrespected Senator John McCain’s courage as a POW when he said, “I like people that weren’t captured.” Presumably this disrespect extends to the prisoners on the Bataan Death March, the airmen shot down over Germany, the marines that were ordered to surrender at Wake Island, and all the others who became POWs through no fault of their own. Then, as president of the United States, Trump refused to visit an American military cemetery outside Paris, allegedly calling American war dead “suckers” and “losers.” (I guess not every draft-age young man can manage to have a bone spur in his heel.)

Some of his followers, in their ignorance, saw the storming of the Capitol as an act of war, and a righteous one. That would mean that those who are, or will be, in jail as a result can now be called POWs. You can imagine what Trump, who recruited them, actually thinks of them now.

I am a WWII combat veteran who knows what it really means to serve my country. In my perspective, Trump is an insult to everyone who has ever served, and to the country as a whole. He may have gathered some followers who pledge their allegiance to him, but remember that the real Pledge of Allegiance is to the Republic — not to a power-seeking “wannabe” dictator.

Honoring our everyday heroes

Who are our front-line heroes? They’re the people who respond to the scenes of dangerous accidents and incidents. They’re the ones who are always ready to put their lives at risk for someone else. The brave group closest to my own heart are our emergency medical services (EMS) professionals, who answer the call to support those who are most vulnerable at their time of greatest need.

Being a first responder is not an easy task. It requires a lot of training, focus, strength and many long hours. Whether they’re paramedics, dispatchers, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), firefighters, police officers or another type of first responder, these workers all share something special: a genuine interest in what they do and a big heart.

This year’s national theme of EMS Week, May 15 through May 21, is “EMS: Rising to the Challenge.” We invite you to join Geisinger in honoring and recognizing our selfless emergency medicine team members, both locally and nationally, who go above and beyond to care for our communities. It’s a meaningful reminder that although we may not have been in an emergency before where we needed them, they are still helping others every day who are. We are so grateful for their dedication and commitment — and we’re proud that they deliver on our promise of making better health easier for everyone.