Is the Supreme Court fair? Or is it too political?
July 10, 2020
Happy Friday!
The Supreme Court of the United States (“SCOTUS”) has decided a number of important cases over the last few weeks. Today, informed by a user-suggested question, we’re talking about your views on the SCOTUS — and whether they’ve changed recently. We’ve also got an interesting hypothetical USQ about judges and juries. After a fun USQ about hot wings, we’ll end the week, as we always do, with a quick check-in to see how you’re all doing. Click on the Let’s Talk button to get started.
Thank you for another great week, everyone. Stay safe, stay well and we’ll talk more next week.
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Results from July 9, 2020
Question 1: Have you gotten a haircut in a salon or barber shop since the start of the coronavirus pandemic?
A little over one-third of the Tinaverse has gotten a haircut in a salon or barber shop since the start of the quarantine, and *only one person* didn’t feel comfortable enough to go back.
For the haircut question, my hairdresser runs her own shop, no longer rents the second booth to another hairdresser, and only has one client in at a time with a 15-20min buffet between so she can clean between clients. This is the only way I feel safe getting my hair done- since it isn’t a necessity, my threshold for safety requirements is much higher.
If you’re feeling like this…
I would kill to get a haircut. I used to go once a month and now it’s been 4 months. It’s going to be glorious when I can finally go to the salon again!
Perhaps this will entice you.
I just got my hair cut and colored today! First time since February. So happy to have a little bit of normalcy for a few hours today.
And, of course:
Re: haircuts, I "chose" baldness since last summer so that handful of Tinaverse might prop up the No's a touch
Question 2: Have you attended a religious service in person since the start of the coronavirus?
I watched the Pope’s Easter mass in quarantine, so I guess I am still a ChrEaster in a pandemic. I have my first hair appointment since February scheduled for July 25 and I honestly would not miss it for anything.
Everyone who has attended an in person religious service felt comfortable enough to go again.
Question 3: Do you consider yourself more or less politically engaged than you were before the coronavirus pandemic?
More like politically enraged than politically engaged. The POTUS continues to provide examples of how not to lead and is very frustrating to watch, hear and read every single day.
I think members of our state and federal legislative bodies should be proactive in getting their constituents opinions on how we feel about what they are voting on. I think it should be their job to let us know about what bills are being brought to the floor and for us to be able to have a voice in their Yay or Nay. They work for us.
I would just like to share something i've noticed regarding political engagement in the recent years and now in the covid-era. I've been made aware of people in the 22-30 age range who were completely unaware and unengaged in politics- both by happenstance and by choice- before 2016 but were forced to pay attention when Donald Trump took office. I assume they held a similar opinion on political engagement before 2016 as John Mulaney expresses in his stand-up special Kid Gorgeous: "I thought the last guy was pretty smart, and he seemed good at his job, and I'm lazy by nature, too. So I don't check up on people who seem okay at their job".
For 3+ years, theres a not so smart, not so good at his job guy in office and they have had to pay attention. But add in a global pandemic, the fear and anxiety, how it has been completely politicized, and how it has dominated the new cycle day after day and now they have stopped paying attention again. I understand them. I understand the fatigue and the overwhelm. But I wish it were different. Now is the time to engage more than ever, because it's the broken system that is overwhelming them and it can't be fixed without them. So, if anyone is reading this..... if you're going to do nothing at all on a day to day basis, I do not judge you. But please PLEASE just VOTE.
Question 4: On a scale of 1 (not polarized at all) to 5 (extremely polarized), how politically polarized would you say the United States is?
That’s an average of 4.4. Many of you want to put aside partisan polarization and focus on the issues where many of us already agree.
Re: how polarized are we, I think that there are actually a lot most Americans agree on. Even on “hot button” issues like Climate Change, at least 3/4 of us want to see the government doing more and even 2/3 is ok with taxes to do it. That’s huge. We see extremes in the media and in government positions because they’re sensational. But even anti-mask conspiracy theorists are in the far minority, but looking around on social media you’d think it was at least half the population. And I’m gonna go back to the fact that if we had ranked-choice voting we wouldn’t have as many sensational reality show nut jobs in government 🤷♀️
I hope that we have moderates in abundance. I think we do, but their voices are often overwhelmed by the extremes. In general, I hope we make it more about policies vs blanket statements about the moral superiority of a party. Support of white supremacy? Absolute abhorrent. The freedom of a business owner to choose who they serve? I see your point. Americans, even poor ones, should have access to healthcare? I see that point too.
Question 5: On a scale of 1 (not proud) to 5 (extremely proud), how proud are you to be an American?
That’s an average of 3.3. For some, that pride has waned of late.
I used to be proud to be an American, but having learned so much more about systemic racism lately, I question that patriotism now more than ever. Moving to another country has been on my mind for the first time ever. The hate being spewed by our current president and his most emboldened followers makes me wonder if there is any hope for this country.
For others, that lack of pride is a negative — and it can be frustrating to see.
Friendly reminder to those who are not proud to be American: You are allowed to leave and go find a country you're more proud of since our country is free and allows you that choice. Nobody is stopping you, so if you're still here, your words can deny it all day, but clearly you're privileged to be an American and taking full opportunity of it and your behaviors, including staying, show what a hypocrite you are.
But for others still, criticizing America comes from a place of love and, echoing the words of James Baldwin, a hope for it to be better.
When it comes to "American" pride. No, I can't say that my country of origin inspires pride. I am the first generation born in this country and perhaps it is because of this that I have always felt that we should love everyone regardless of their birthplace. I joke with my family that they should have immigrated just a little more north and given me a nice peaceful life in Canada with healthcare. I actually associate the over-the-top "patriotism" with far-right extremism. The people who are truly patriotic are the ones showing up and supporting their fellow man. They are the ones pushing for legislation to support vets when they come home and protect dreamers…
If you love this country, you fight to make it better. It is similar to good parenting - when your kid is messing up, you don't turn a blind eye and scream about how great they are to everyone who notices their mistakes, you let them know you are there to support and guide them and you help them to become better.
Question 6: Finally, what are your thoughts about ketchup on hot dogs?
Though ketchup on a hot dog won, the ketchup haters came out in full force in the comments, including:
Ketchup is gross, and doesn’t belong on anything. Period.
No ketchup on sandwiches. But is a hot dog a sandwich?
Oh, no, no, no. We’ve had that argument before, and we ended up with dictionary definitions and references to The Sandwich Alignment Chart. Don’t put that curse on me, Ricky Bobby.
Make it all the way through but forget to answer today’s questions?
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