Supreme Court to tackle affirmative action, gay marriage and voting rights

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
10/1/2012
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Court may not even consider whether to hear the gay marriage issue until November

The Supreme Court is gearing up for a new term that will hear a host of highly important cases that will drastically impact American life. Among the cases to be decided will be major rulings about affirmative action, gay marriage and voting rights.

A separate appeal is asking the justices to sustain California's Proposition 8, the amendment to the state constitution that upheld marriage as between one man and one woman and refused to redefine it

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LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - After upholding President Obama's health care overhaul, the same court lineup of justices' returns to the bench this week.

Chief Justice John Roberts has joined the court's liberals in sustaining the health care law. The big cases this time around seem likely to have Roberts in his more accustomed role of voting with his fellow conservatives.

A battle over the University of Texas' affirmative action program is the first major case on the court's calendar, with argument scheduled for October 10. Texas uses multiple factors, including community service, work experience, extracurricular activities, awards and race, to help fill the last 20 to 25 percent of the spots in its freshman classes. The court's decision could further limit -- or end the use of racial preferences in college admissions.

This highly contentious matter of gay marriage will be addressed by the court. Several cases seek to guarantee federal benefits for legally married same-sex couples. A provision of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act deprives same-sex couples of a range of federal benefits available to heterosexual couples.

Some federal courts held that that the provision of the law is unconstitutional. It's a given among most court watchers that the Supreme Court will step up to the plate on the issue.

A separate appeal is asking the justices to sustain California's Proposition 8, the amendment to the state constitution that upheld marriage as between one man and one woman and refuded to alter the definition in the nation's largest state. It must be noted that justices may not even consider whether to hear the gay marriage issue until November.

The future of a cornerstone law of the civil rights movement is also a hot button topic of discussion between the justices.

Congress overwhelmingly approved in 2006, with President George W. Bush's signature, legislation extending for 25 more years a critical piece of the Voting Rights Act. The act requires states and local governments with a history of racial and ethnic discrimination, chiefly the southern states, to get advance approval either from the Justice Department or the federal court in Washington before making any changes that affect elections.

Cases from Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas could prompt the court to deal head on with the issue of advance approval. The South Carolina and Texas cases involve voter identification laws; a similar Indiana law was previously upheld by the court.

Arguments in these issues will not take place until next year.

� 2012, Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

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Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
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Keywords: Supreme Court, gay marriage, civil rights, racial equality

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1 - 3 of 3 Comments

John Mainhart
8 months ago
I agree. I believe both parties have been seduced by two of the four forces of evil, power and money. They want to be elected so they can control our behavior to the benefit of the America they wish to make. They have both taken positions that undermine the belief system our Framers of the Constitution envisioned, and they have both thrown natural law aside to obtain what they think is to their advantage. Their is no question that the Democratic leadership is forging ahead of the republican leadership to make every sin legal and teachable in our public schools but I do not believe for a minute that the Republicans would resist this corruption if they felt it was beneficial to their advancement. I also do not believe that Roberts kept his true beliefs to himself because the Republicans have too often seated constitutional challeging judges in the Federal system to make me believe they too are surprised.
My hope is that we become people of Faith and challenge the political system for souls so God's grace can build up His kingdom at the expense of this secularist kingdom we keep trying to change.
vance
8 months ago
We can be sure that the Supreme Court will rule against the church. Roberts showed us his cards when he ruled in favor of Obamacare. He knows well that it tramples on the Const6itution but he is a Statist. Expect the worst.
DLL
8 months ago
For all of those that think science and research is the end all for determining the ultimate truth to any given matter. It is not,especially if it is a matter the politic of a politically correct doctrine of political dogmatic thinking. Governor Brown of California has decreed that Psychology is a quack science and that it's teachings based on the problems of homosexual behaviour should be banned as quackery. So GBLT people are perfectly normal and it is hateful to think otherwise. My question is that who is the government of California,to denounce Psychology basically as a quack science to be condemned? Also,if it is now the job of government to determine what is morally acceptable,than where is the separation of Church and State,especially when the Churches and the social sciences,helped to define what was healthy and productive human behaviour traditionally. The courts do not determine morality as fundamental social,moral,religious or ethnic teaching. The courts exists to see that the common law as it is currently understood,is fundamentally instituted and executed,fairly and equally. Government is setting itself to be Church and State. Government has no business to denounce scientific endeavours as quackery. Today's government is a busy body and a divisive force. It also takes too much money to elect a president. The love of Money and fame,is THE most corruptive force in our political and judicial system today. There is plenty of it for any politician who would seek to ultimately change the moral values of our culture,our religious institutions and now even scientific research,that does not conform to what is deemed to be politically correct,dogmatically correct thought,action and indoctrination. The outrage is always when teachings of the Catholic Church seem to be in a challenge to the separation of church and state,but never when,the government tries to become both church and state.

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