What Has the Supreme Court Done for Conservatives?

On June 20, 2018June 23, 2018 By Robert W. PeckIn Articles, Blog, Political1 Comment

A review of the Masterpiece Cakeshop case and the performance of the Republican majority court.

I’m not a negative nitpicker determined to find fault, but I am committed to putting things in proper perspective, comparing them to fixed, objective standards and timeless truths. That includes giving an honest assessment of the Masterpiece Cakeshop case recently decided by the U. S. Supreme Court, and of the performance of the court in general.

Though the court found in favor of the side that the Christian right had hoped for, it did so in a manner that was not actually a victory for religious liberty and freedom of conscience. In fact, the decision actually serves to cement the idea that homosexuals have a “right” to be served by individuals and businesses, even when providing those services violates the personal convictions of the service provider. Continue reading “What Has the Supreme Court Done for Conservatives?” →

The Three Unequal Branches of Government

On April 2, 2016April 10, 2016 By Robert W. PeckIn Articles, Blog, Political6 Comments

The Three Unequal Branches 295p I expect we’ve all heard the phrase, “three coequal branches” used to describe the composition of our federal system of government. In fact, we’ve probably heard it so many times that we don’t even pay attention, we just accept it as fact and move on. But, is it true? Are the three branches of our federal government really “coequal?”

When that phrase popped up in an article that I was reading a few nights ago, something rose up inside of me and said “no, the three branches are not coequal.” When I found the phrase being used in another article the next day, I started to ponder just how unequal the branches of our federal government really are.

The three branches of our federal system of government are legislative (Congress), executive (President) and judicial (supreme Court ¹). This is the order in which they appear in the U.S. Constitution, and it is also their ranking in the power structure. Continue reading “The Three Unequal Branches of Government” →

Does the Supreme Court Make Law?

On May 1, 2015 By Robert W. PeckIn Blog, Political5 Comments

Today I heard a Christian radio program talking about the case currently before the U.S. Supreme Court dealing with same sex “mock” marriage (there is no such thing as same sex marriage, only an imitating of marriage by members of the same sex). It grieved me to hear the host state numerous times that through this case the Court might make same sex marriage “national law.”

While our current public office holders may be sufficiently duped and cowed so as to treat the Court’s decisions as law, the fact is that the Supreme Court cannot make law and its decisions are not law, they are merely “opinions” applicable only to the parties to the case at hand. It’s bad enough that the courts think they have the power to make law, but we don’t need Christian radio hosts reinforcing that falsehood in people’s minds. No offense to the commentator, I’m just asking all of us to stop, think and understand how our system of government is actually designed to work under the supreme law of the land, the U.S. Constitution.

Attorney and Constitutional scholar, Dr. Herb Titus, gives a good explanation of the matter in an article addressing Roe v. Wade and stating why “Abortion is NOT Legal.”