Ruth Bader Ginsburg left big shoes to fill, even though, literally, her feet were tiny like the rest of her. While we are happy that another woman of experience could get a voice on the Supreme Court, we are worried that some of Amy Coney Barrett’s views could set back the progress women have achieved over the past 50 years, particularly with reproductive rights. It would be heartbreaking and darkly ironic if it was a woman who put the nail in the coffin of Roe v. Wade.
While we believe Barrett’s nomination is the most craven and hypocritical act by Republican senators (after denying Merritt Garland’s nomination in 2016) that we’ve witnessed in four years of profound cowardliness and hypocrisy, we do recognize that there’s a very good chance this 48-year-old will be sitting on the High Court very soon and shaping our country’s direction on immigration, health care, and much more. So we need to know more about her, and give her the personal respect any of us would want if we were thrust into the middle of a national political firestorm.
Read More: Ruth Bader Ginsburg On What She Belives is the Biggest Threat to Democracy
She is a Very Accomplished Woman
Barrett was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in November 2017 and was approved for her seat on a vote of 54 to 42.
After graduating with her law degree from Notre Dame, she clerked for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. From 1999 to 2002, she practiced at the law firm Miller, Cassidy, Larroca & Lewin in Washington D.C.
In 2002, she joined the faculty of the Notre Dame Law School, where she continues to teach seminars. Three times she has won the “Distinguished Professor of the Year” at Notre Dame, and all 49 fellow law professors at Notre Dame supported her nomination to the Court of Appeals.
She is a Charismatic Catholic
A lifelong Catholic raised in Louisiana, Barrett follows an interpretation of the religion known as charismatic Catholicism. This sub-movement in the Catholic Church is in line with evangelical Pentacostal beliefs and worship, with an emphasis on “Baptism by the Holy Spirit.”
Barrett and her family are now part of a tightly knit Christian community called People of Praise, where members live communally and support each other. “We admire the first Christians who were led by the Holy Spirit to form a community,” the People of Praise website states. “Those early believers put their lives and their possessions in common, and `there were no needy persons among them.'”
She is the Mother of Seven Children
The oldest of seven children, Barrett has a big family of her own. Barrett’s children range in age from eight to 19, two of them were adopted from Haiti, which is certainly admirable. Her youngest biological child is special needs. According to reports, Barrett’s youngest child was diagnosed with Down Syndrome during a prenatal screening and she chose to keep the baby.
“What greater thing can you do than raise children?” she told the audience in Washington. “That’s where you have your greatest impact on the world.”
Her Views on Women’s Reproductive Rights are Worrisome
Though Barrett has never ruled directly on abortion, she has weighed in on legislation related to parental notification and burial of fetal remains. In both cases, she took positions that would make abortion more difficult or more emotionally charged. She was quoted in Notre Dame Magazine as saying that Roe v. Wade created “through judicial fiat a framework of abortion on demand.”
In her Senate hearings for her seat on the Court of Appeals, she said she had “no interest in challenging precedent” established by Roe v. Wade. She has also stated that she didn’t expect Roe v. Wade to be overturned but hollowed out. “The fundamental element, that the woman has a right to choose abortion, will probably stand,” she said. “The controversy right now is about funding. It’s a question of whether abortions will be publicly or privately funded.”
It’s important to note that she made that statement before Trump was elected and before she could become the justice who changed the balance of power on the court.
We’re all for women’s advancement, but it’s hard to swallow when that advancement will hold other women back.
Read More: Why Am I So Angry? The Causes—and Surprising Benefits—of Female Rage
Gail Thomas says
Does NextTribe need to have a partisan voice? Believe me, older women are able to think for ourselves and and no one political party owns us. I was happy to find NextTribe and I really enjoy a lot of its content, but if this site becomes a wing of the Democratic Party, I’ll stop clicking.
Jeannie Ralston says
Thanks for your comment Gail. Our political leaning is pro-woman versus any particular political party, meaning we support policies that promote women’s advancement and autonomy. I’m sorry if you don’t agree with our stand on reproductive rights, but we welcome all women to the magazine (we don’t JUST write about politics after all) and always invite you to express your opinion. All best–Jeannie
Gail Thomas says
Hi Jeannie. I don’t believe I have shared my views on reproductive rights with you, though I find it interesting you have gone ahead and assigned a viewpoint to me. You don’t believe that women are one-issue voters, do you? I’m just an older woman and I’ve LIVED. I don’t really need anyone to tell me how to think. I commented because your article on Amy Coney Barrett was simply the latest in a series of articles advocating for Democrats and I wanted to point out that if NextTribe is a partisan website, it will likely lose some readers – like myself – and that’s a shame. But it’s your choice.
Jeannie Ralston says
The reason I assumed you didn’t agree with our stand on reproductive rights is that this was the only part of the article that was in any way critical of her. The rest of the article was a reporting of the facts (except for praise for Ruth Bader Ginsburg). Again, I tell you that our position is pro-woman, and if you read that as advocating for Democrats, that’s your choice. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.
Gail Thomas says
I’m sorry, Jeannie. I can see my point is entirely lost on you. You win — good bye!
ARALYN HUGHES says
AMY BARRETT is qualified to be on the Supreme Court. She is a shoe in, they have the votes. I do not agree with her stance on abortion, but I think we have to let this one go. I think the Democrats ought to not even show up at the hearing. We need to focus on this election, Just my two cents.
Jeannie Ralston says
Thanks Aralyn for sharing your views. Yes, we all need to focus on this election.