We at Gray Panthers work to “create a humane society” and eliminate injustice and discrimination wherever they exist.
The United States Supreme Court decisions of the past two days on affirmative action, LGBTQ+ rights, and student loans could not be further from these goals.
Compromising affirmative action does not eliminate discrimination. To the contrary, “Ignoring race will not equalize a society that is racially unequal.”[1] Ignoring race will only further highlight inequalities that have lasted for generations and will last for generations more if our society joins the Supreme Court’s majority in taking a “colorblind” stance on racial injustice.
Compromising LGBTQ+ protections in Colorado works to legalize and perpetrate injustice and discrimination, not eliminate them. It is also hard to ignore the irony that this regressive decision on LGBTQ+ rights came on the last day of June, which is Pride Month. One must wonder if the six justices who compromised protections were oblivious to that irony or not.
And there is nothing humane about cancelling a program that would reduce or eliminate student loan debt for so many Americans. Coming at a time when many Americans are grappling with high inflation; ending the cancellation of the student loan forgiveness program adds insult to financial injury. We also applaud the Biden Administration for pledging to keep fighting for student loan borrowers. We look forward to seeing where the President goes in this fight.
These three decisions are unjust, inhumane, and a stain on the Court. If you hope that the current Supreme Court will be an ally for those on the margins of American society, your hope is sadly misplaced.
[1] From Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s dissent.
Comments