SCOTUS Has Spoken. Now what?

Thoughts On The Paths Ahead

On July 1, 2024, the Supreme Court granted Trump increased immunity from criminal prosecution. An effect of that ruling is that every future president, regardless of character or criminal record, will also be granted that same privilege, until such time as a future Court might reverse that decision. Supreme Court decisions generally do not get revisited or overturned quickly.

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

To extend that kind of power to any president is at best questionable. But to extend it to a convicted felon, who has repeatedly exhibited his disrespect for civility and the law, is treacherous. The ruling may stand beyond the lifetimes of some of us. But in the short term, there is a lot that we can do.

We can elect to the presidency, and to other public offices, candidates who have not committed crimes in order to get themselves elected to power. We can vote in every election that comes along, supporting candidates who believe that some ideals are more important than themselves. We can rid ourselves of the cynical attitude that all politicians are equally evil. They are not.

We can encourage like-minded citizens who are not registered to vote to get registered. We can encourage like-minded voters to participate in this election, and any election that offers the opportunity to place in office those candidates who are better people than Donald Trump (that is a modest goal). We can take action today via The Union Action Center.

Any student of history can attest that most civilizations and empires, even mighty ones, eventually crumble. But we need to do all we can to ensure that our democracy does not crumble on our watch.

Post submitted by Julia Cochran, a volunteer with The Union - Julia Cochran is a volunteer with The Union and a licensed counselor in private practice in Georgia.

Note: The views and opinions expressed by volunteer contributors are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the positions of The Union, a single-issue organization that welcomes all and is dedicated to protecting democracy.

If you’d like to help defend democracy in the US, we invite you to join The Union.