Amy Coney Barrett: Trump’s nominee

By Gabriel Lorenzo

On September 18, the United States heard the unexpected announcement of the death of the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Many people surrounded the Supreme Court building giving their last respects. To fill the vacant seat, President Donald Trump announced on September 26 a new candidate, Judge Amy Coney Barrett.

Barrett received her education at St. Mary’s Dominican High School in Louisiana, Rhodes College in Tennessee and Notre Dame Law School in Indiana. According to the University of Notre Dame, she received a bachelor’s degree in English literature and was awarded with many honors at Rhodes College. She also received a doctoral degree in law and a few awards at Notre Dame. After getting her degrees, she clerked for Laurence H. Silberman, a judge in the U.S. Court of Appeals and for the Supreme Court late Justice Antonin Scalia. In 2002, Barrett became a professor of law at the University of Notre Dame.

Today, the world is full of many points of view on every argument. There are many big topics that can affect the future of American lifestyles. Barrett, like Trump, believes that allowing abortion is immoral, which goes against the 1973 case Roe v. Wade.

“[Choosing a nominee] will happen automatically, in my opinion, because I am putting pro-life justices on the court,” Trump said to NPR.

According to The Atlantic, she gave a lecture supporting pro-life at the University of Notre Dame. After the lecture, she decided to join an anti-abortion-rights faculty group by signing her name to a letter in the South Bend Tribune.

The Supreme Court will soon make a decision over the future of healthcare, reports the New York Times. Barrett will very likely be part of this conversation and is unsure of what she stands on.

Gun rights has been a controversy since the Constitution was adopted. According to the New York Times, Barrett wrote that the Second Amendment has a limit. The people do have the right to “bear arms,” but the government can also take away guns if necessary.

Republicans praised Trump for choosing Barrett as a nominee. Republicans would also agree with nominating Barrett for her values.

“Judge Barrett is just as brilliant and impressive as advertised,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell tweeted on October 13. “She is clearly qualified. She’s committed to fairness and impartiality. And she clearly understands the job of a judge under the Constitution is to apply the law and not impose personal policy views.”

Democrats disagree with having Barrett as a nominee or even choosing her before the 2020 presidential elections since there is limited time for voters to decide the next president.

“I clerked for Justice Scalia more than 20 years ago, but the lessons I learned still resonate,” Barrett said in an acceptance speech.

Barrett wants to continue the legacy of Scalia in the Supreme Court.

*Photo Courtesy of South Florida Sun Sentinel

Biden or Trump? It’s up to you.

By Emily Krupicka

As Americans face growing political polarization, candidates continure debating important issues on the campaign trail; however, with the general election rapidly approaching, many first-time voters are unsure who they’re voting for.

Although anticipation has revolved around deciding who the next president will be, voters will also be choosing people to fill vacancies in federal, state, county and municipal offices and will be able to vote on proposed legislation.

“Elections are important, said Senior Damon Bennett. “They ensure that the promise of a government — for the people and by the people — is kept true.”

This year, both sides of the political spectrum have signified 2020 as the most important election year in modern-day history with many important issues at stake.

“Politics and who’s in office greatly affects the lives and livelihood of marginalized groups,” said a Northwest student. “It’s important to think of those whose voices are limited or not taken as seriously in this country.”

Presidential candidates have championed for people to vote in this election and make their voices heard, each one taking different approaches.

“No matter what, voting allows for the voices of the people to create change,” added Bennett. “That’s why it’s important.”

President Donald Trump’s appeal to the white working class voters in the Midwest and perennial swing states guaranteed his victory in the 2016 election. Continuing with this trend, Trump has spent much of his focus campaigning in these areas solidifying his support from Republicans and conserverative-leaning Independents.

Former Vice President Joe Biden, although also campaigning in the swing states, has hoped to defeat the incumbent by encouraging a higher youth turnout at the polls. Over the past few weeks, Biden has released social media posts that conform to the humor of the internet, hoping to draw in younger voters who, historically, have an unreliable record of actually showing up to vote.

In national polls, Biden has held a consistent lead over Trump in a popular vote; however, this alone does not insinuate a Democratic win.

The electoral college, composed of state electors, are in charge of casting electoral votes, which decide the presidency. In all but two states — Nebraska and Maine — a winner-takes-all approach is used. The outliers, however, use the congressional district method, allowing the electoral vote to be split.

This means that the results of the 2020 election are still up to voters. Despite the outcome, however, whoever wins this election will pave the way for the next four years of democracy.