Perspectives 2 Do we need the Supreme Court?

Anyone who’s watched the news in the last few months has probably seen the Supreme Court pop up more than once.

Ever since the controversial decision to overturn Roe V Wade in June 2022, the mostly conservative court has been under the watchful eye of personal opinion, with every case they take seemingly more disastrous than the last. Because of such intense scrutiny, a simple question emerges: do we really need the Supreme Court anymore?

This question isn’t new, in fact, it’s probably a debate as old as if the filibuster should remain in Congress. Unlike the filibuster and its time-wasting, the court dictates law, legislation and how we act on such ideas.

This ability is without a doubt one of the most impactful in the country, many people learned with the overturning and the immediate nationwide outrage, as well as the state legislation that followed soon after either banning or protecting abortion. Not only does the court have immense sway over the way the country is run, but they don’t answer to anyone.

The Supreme Court, written in the constitution, is meant to be the highest court in the country. However, that’s about all the constitution has to say about the court, and most of what we know about the court has been established since.

This court is constitutional and with a clear purpose, but the biggest stipulation is if it has maintained such a purpose in contemporary times.

The answer, as always, is hard to pin down, as the mere act of the Supreme Court being dissolved is one that would have immediate and widespread repercussions. It would require current cases to be pushed down to lower courts or simply be dismissed altogether and would remove the top position of an entire branch of government.

These are worthwhile repercussions, in my opinion, now let me explain.The Supreme Court justices are appointed by the President and are then reviewed and voted on by the Senate. The justices, if confirmed, serve for life with no way of removal besides retirement, impeachment or death.

If it isn’t apparent what the problem is, allow me to spell it out: the Supreme Court does not answer to the people of the United States. In fact, the people decided by law have no control over them whatsoever.

This issue is one that has been brought up very recently, with legislators pushing for an 18-year-term limit to be implemented. However, this is merely an idea, and the paperwork behind it is both new and unestablished.

Meanwhile, the court continues to take on more and more substantial cases, such as whether social media companies should be held liable for everything posted on their sites to whether or not student debt relief is something the President can constitutionally introduce.

Regardless of how you view the court, the simple fact remains: they’re the least democratic force in the country with the highest degree of power, and they show no sign of slowing down anytime soon. The morality of a body in government isn’t necessarily the issue either, a judicial body will always be necessary, but the implementation of such a body matters.

When the judicial branch ends in a court that answers to no one but its own ideology, it becomes an immediate breeding ground for abuse of power, with the question arising of the will.

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Paywalls frustrate students

By LIZ COLBURN Guest Columnist

Since going online and learning how to create revenue from simply being online newspapers and academic sources, have not let up about subscriptions.

If I try to read an article a friend linked to me on the New York Times website, Apple News or other media outlets like them, I’m bombarded with pop ups saying to sign in, create an account and subscribe to the website. If I don’t, another comes up, saying I can’t read the article without paying for it, or in the best case, that I only have 2 out of 3 articles left to read for free and beyond that I’m out of luck.

Unless, of course, I’d like to buy a subscription to each and every newspaper an article that interests me belongs to. I understand that most of the newspapers’ revenue comes from subscriptions, but when online, their ad spaces surely must make up for the lack of subscriptions.

The pop ups on the top, side and bottom parts of the screen obscure the text so that even when trying to read an article that I actually have access to, I need to turn on an adblocker just to see the screen.

Students in almost every level of school are at some point asked to write an academic paper and to cite their sources. Now this isn’t

Editor-in-Chief ................... JUAN CEBREIROS

Managing Editor ........... MOHAMMAD NAJIMi

Perspectives Editor ........... ALIYAH RAMIREZ

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