We depend on five unelected and pragmatically unimpeachable people for too many of our rights. The right to privacy, the right to citizenship by birth, the right to having a say in your medical care if you're a woman... All of these rights could disappear tomorrow if the whim struck five or more Justices.
That's a problem.
Right now there's an enthusiasm gap between the right and the left. Those of us on the left are upset that the only party that ever listens to us isn't doing everything we want them to do. The right has wanted the GOP to outlaw abortion since at least 1980. Thirty years later it's still mostly legal. They want the GOP to end affirmative action, get rid of welfare, deport all "illegals," etc. None of that has been done. They've chipped away but the major goals have not been accomplished.
But they still have more enthusiasm; more of them will make it to the polls.
The Democrats in the past one and a half years have made huge strides on issues those of us on the left hold dear. Have they reached the finish line? Well no, but then this isn't an hour long Wednesday night drama on TV. Governing a country involves incremental steps - and yes, the occasional slide backwards. The dream of a just, equitable and fair society will not happen in 1.5 years or 15 years. The 13th and 14th amendments were enacted 145 years ago and their promise has yet to be fully delivered. But in 1.5 years under very trying circumstances President Obama, Speaker Pelosi and yes even Majority Leader Reid have taken major steps forward.
How do we reward that? We stay home on election day and make the job harder still for the three of them and the rest of the Democrats in Congress. Does the expression, "cutting off your nose to spite your face," spring to mind?
Maybe life just doesn't suck enough for those on the left yet. Maybe we're not feeling enough pain. Maybe we're leaning too much on the decisions of five or more justices instead of fighting for them at the ballot box and getting them enacted as legislation and/or amendments.
Maybe we need to start working without the net those five Justices have provided.
Just a thought.
PS As an aside, what has been accomplished this past 1.5 years is amazing. As a white guy who has rarely had to deal with discrimination I have at times been dubious about comments from some women and blacks that they have to work much harder to get anywhere close to the same amount of credit. I was clearly wrong to doubt. Hearing the New START treaty announced as an after thought in the week HCR got passed was bizarre. I remember all the news when Reagan, Bush, Clinton and Bush Jr. signed similar treaties in their terms. And now? It was a passing news blip.