The oath of office for Justices of the Supreme Court and those who hold federal elective and appointed office is quite clear.
"I, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God."
And yet one could ask why so many currently working inside the D.C. Beltway seem so confused about their constitutional responsibilities so clearly framed by the Founding Fathers.
It will not go unnoticed by historians that Chief Justice John Roberts declined the task of presiding over former President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial. Nor will it go unreported by history that the high court ducked even considering the myriad number of lawsuits brought over allegations of voter fraud during the 2020 presidential election.
Was it a conscious abdication of authority? The influence of ideology? Personal antipathy towards the complainants? Posterity may have to unravel the puzzle, for today's Supreme Court offers no answers.
What is clear is that insightful, cogent and articulate conservative voices on the court are being deliberately marginalized or even silenced. The most revealing case of censorship is revealed following Amazon's decision to pull a documentary on Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas from their video streaming service.
During Black History Month, Amazon removed, without explanation "Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in His Own Words." Edited from hours of interviews with the Justice, the film recounts his journey from poverty in Jim Crow to Yale Law School and, eventually, his role as Supreme Court Justice. It is an insightful and compelling documentary that allows Justice Thomas to comment on race, religion, politics and the role of the courts.
Except Amazon cancelled it.
Good news for liberals however. The video documentary about the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is still available there.
Equally revealing is how Justice Thomas has been excoriated by media when, in an 11-page document, he strongly dissents from his Supreme Court colleagues who refused to even consider the issue of possible voter theft.
He writes, "We are fortunate that many of the cases we have seen alleged only improper rule changes, not fraud. But that observation provides only small comfort … an election free from strong evidence of systemic fraud is not alone sufficient for election confidence."
He cautions that the court's refusal to review the issue leaves the nation's democracy subject to future threat. It is right to fear that his warning has gone unheard or unheeded by fellow Justices Kavanaugh, Barrett and Roberts.
There is little doubt that America has much soul searching to do. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote, "O Ship of State! Sail on, O Union, strong and great! With all the hopes of future years, Is hanging breathless on thy fate…"
We need to ensure that we do not become a ship of fools flying a foreign flag.
Lawrence Kadish is a nation wide developer and investor in commercial and industrial real estate. In the arena of foreign policy Mr. Kadish is on the Board of Governors of Gatestone Institute, has served as a senior advisor to Americans for Victory Over Terrorism (AVOT), and is a founding chairman of the Committee for Security and Peace in the Middle East. Mr. Kadish has also been a sponsor of strategic analysis of terrorism that cautioned on the eve of September 11th that radical Islamic fundamentalism was threatening our nation. He has served as a prior delegate to National Republican Conventions. He is founder and president of the Museum of American Armor, recognized as a dynamic tribute to our American veterans and a compelling education center. Read Lawrence Kadish's Reports — More Here.