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SCOTUS Jackson Nomination

Notes by Sharon Jarrett

Prior to the meeting, Dick Myers posted 4 lines of inquiry on the group blog. These related to the confirmation process for Kentaji Brown Jackson. The lines included: the process, the demeanor of the Senators, the demeanor of the candidate and follow up. Since the blog was posted, the Till Anti Lynching Bill was signed and the California Commission on Reparations released an initial report.

The participants felt that the confirmation process was very politicized, however, they did not feel this was unique to this particular confirmation hearing. The unique feature noted was the hyper negativity. Overall, the participants noted that they saw value in the Supreme Court looking like the nation as a whole. The group felt many of the Senators conducted themselves in a manner that was petty and unlearned. Some felt microaggressions were evident and several noted that the hearings were painful to watch. It was noted that several Senators used the hearing for grandstanding and playing to social media.

When considering what individuals might do to improve the process, advocacy by writing e mails and letters were cited as a positive mechanism. The importance of voting was noted as well as voter advocacy.

The group next discussed the Supreme Court as an entity. It was generally felt the ethical standards required by the lower courts should explicitly be applied to the Supreme Court.

In discussing the Till Anti Lynching Bill, the general feeling was it was too little, too late. The focus should have been on voting rights.

The group next discussed reparations. It was generally agreed there was more than a monetary solution. Some ideas expressed included: assuring your rights as a citizen, examining how a family lineage was harmed by actions of discrimination, determining how to restore individual dignity.

The next meeting will be April 15th at 12:00 PST.

A special guest speaker. Joe Swafford, will tell us about a program that he is active in, First Tee. This is a national mentorship program for helping underprivileged youth by introducing them to golf. Joe will tell us about the organization and the program and his personal experiences with the program in Housing, TX. Joe is a retired cardiologist who has been in practice in the Houston Medical Center and is the husband of Melba Swafford, one of our prior speakers and a regular participant in our group. We look forward to hearing from Joe and learning about this very beneficial program.