Posted by
peripheral on Thursday, July 02, 2009 7:02:05 AM
From My
Perspective - - -
At a time
when the world is barraged with data and a variety of information, it seems as
though few are able to comprehend and/or absorb all that is being communicated.
This may be a reason why many in Congress do not bother to read the mammoth
amount of legislative proposals for which they vote. It has a way of producing
those who can be categorized as (a) Mindless, or (b) Brain Dead. The Mindless
Person is: “Not endued with mind or intellectual powers; stupid; unthinking;
inattentive; heedless; careless.” It is a mental indifference based upon either
gullibility or lack of concern. To designate one as being “Brain Dead” is both
cynical and caustic. Such a one is viewed with: “complete cessation of brain
function as evidenced by absence of brain-wave
activity…”
In terms of the “Mindless”, Thomas Sowell
- Syndicated Columnist, under the byline: “Equality On Trial” wrote on July 1,
2009 the following thoughts: “For the fourth time in six cases, the Supreme
Court of the United States has reversed a decision for which Judge Sonia
Sotomayor voted on the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals. If this nominee were a
white male, would this not raise questions about whether he should be elevated
to a court that has found his previous decisions wrong two-thirds of the times
when those decisions have been reviewed? Is no one supposed to ask questions
about qualifications, simply because this nominee is Hispanic and a woman? Have
we become that mindless? Qualifications are not simply a question of how long
you have been doing something, but how well you have done it. Judge Sotomayor
has certainly been on the federal bench long enough, but is being reversed four
out of six times a sign of a job well done? Would longevity be equated with
qualifications anywhere else? Some sergeants have been in the army longer than
some generals -- but nobody thinks that is a reason to make those sergeants
generals. Performance matters. And Judge Sotomayor's performance provides no
reason for putting her on the Supreme Court. Although the case of the
Connecticut firefighters is the latest and best-known of Judge Sotomayor's
reversals by the Supreme Court, an even more revealing case was Didden v.
Village of Port Chester, where the Supreme Court openly rebuked the unanimous
three-judge panel that included Judge Sotomayor for "an evident denial of the
most elementary forms of procedural due
process…"
His point suggests the absence of thought
and sound judgment in terms of the pending appointment, approval, and elevation
to the highest court in the nation. To suggest either racial or gender
discrimination only magnifies how easily such choices and decisions can fall
into the “Mindless” category. A person should be measured by his or her
Constitutional interpretation and adherence in terms of the Law, as well as
rationality, equity and fairness in the administration and application of the
Constitution free from anything external – racial, gender, social engineering
issues. It is good to have a Statue Lady Justice – and her blindfold that
suggests and represents equal justice under the law. An interesting statement is
made in Wikipedia: “Blind Justice is the theory that law should be viewed
objectively with the determination of innocence or guilt made without bias or
prejudice. It is the idea behind the United States Supreme Court motto - Equal
Justice Under Law - and is symbolized by the blindfolded statue of Lady Justice
which is the symbol of the judiciary…Lady Justice is well-known for her clear
sightedness. She typically holds a sword in one hand and scales in the other.
The scales that she holds represent the impartiality with which justice is
served and the sword signifies the power that is held by those making the
decision…”
A Christian Worldview embraces that the
follower of Christ should be neither mindless or brain-dead. Two significant
thoughts in this regard: (1) Philippians 2:5-8, “Let this mind be in you which
was also in Christ Jesus…He made Himself of no reputation…He humbled Himself…”,
and (b) Romans 8:5-7, “… those who live according to the flesh set their minds
on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the
things of the Spirit…” The one who is neither mindless or brain-dead is the one
who is Christ Centered, and Spirit Conscious. While some would mock and ridicule
these truths, they cannot disapprove or disavow them. As a nation, we’ve tried!
We are long past due to return to the Lord! Consider these things with
me!