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  • The Hawkeye

Confirmation hearing for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson

By Lauren Young


The confirmation hearing for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first African American woman to be nominated to join the Supreme Court, replacing Stephen Breyer began on March 21, in Washington D.C. With the polarization between the Democratic and Republican parties, the historic moment in Supreme Court history steered away from Jackson’s qualification to join the Supreme Court to arguments between both parties.

A Harvard graduate, Brown Jackson, was asked questions about her qualifications along with her background history and opinions on controversial topics such as abortion, vaccines, etc. Jackson defended her title with her prior experience of serving as a public defender for almost nine years.

“I feel like she was interrogated with unnecessary questions that weren’t related to the hearing,” Newtown High School sophomore Morgan Harrison said.

Republican Senators proceeded to ask questions about her opinions on various topics such as religion and even a question about the curriculum for a school where she is on the board of.

“I believe there was a question where Jackson was asked about a school’s curriculum because she is a part of the board of the school. The school was teaching about critical race theory in an elementary school and was questioning if it was appropriate for the school. She handled it very well and stated that her role on the board has nothing to do with her background in law,” NHS sophomore Molly Zatlukal said.

No matter what questions either parties asked Brown Jackson was ready to answer; when asked about abortion, she stated her belief in women’s right to terminate a pregnecy and referred to Roe vs. Wade. In addition, Brown Jackson was asked to clarify her idea of, “judicial methodology,” which is a process she follows when interpreting the law. Many Republican Senators believed she did not answer the question on how she interprets the Constitution.

“The philosophy is methodology. It is a philosophy that I have developed from practice,” Brown Jackson stated.

Questions started to become irrelevant and the tension was directed not at Brown Jackson but rather at the two parties. Republican Senators were still arguing about her judicial philosophy and how liberal groups treated the judicial nominees of President Donald Trump.

The polarization between groups has been an ongoing issue for a long time. While Donald Trump was president, he had nominated Neil M. Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett; there were many speculations of treatment by the Democrat Senators. Political polarization has existed in the United States since the Gilded Age (1870 to 1900).

“I felt very happy to have our first African American woman to be nominated for the supreme court. It shows that our nation has been evolving and getting better day by day,” NHS sophomore Makai Coleman said.

Even though Brown Jackson’s hearing was another case of political polarization, this hearing confirmation was historic with the first nomination of an African American woman. This confirmation will remain seen as another step closer to equality.

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