Attorney, writer and political commentator Elie Mystal joins Laverne to talk about the radically conservative United States Supreme Court, the constitutional amendments through history and his eye-opening book, Allow Me To Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution). He explains how the judges’ own personal tastes make the largest impact on decisions and how the right’s unification has reaped a pipeline of conservative judges the left cannot replicate. They also talk about options like stacking the court and term limits to make change, but when it comes down to it, guess what, it’s up to us.
Elie is a frequent media contributor and the justice correspondent at The Nation.
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The U.S. Constitution Amendments) mentioned:
1st Amendment = freedom of religion, speech, the press, assembly, and the right to petition the Government for a redress of grievances
2nd Amendment = the right to bear arms
4th Amendment = the right to be protected against unreasonable search and seizure
13th Amendment (1865) = abolition of slavery
14th Amendment (1868) = US citizenship rights and equal protection of the laws
15th Amendment (1870) = Black men can vote
Links of Interest:
Elie Mystal on The Mehdi Hassan Show) (MSNBC via YouTube, 6/29/23)
Here’s What Happened When Affirmative Action Ended in California Public Colleges) (NPR, 6/30/23)
The Current Supreme Court Justices)
News and analysis of the US Supreme Court)
Reconstruction Amendments) (Video, PBS)
Progressive Mobilization:
American Constitution Society) (ACS)
Cases mentioned:
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka)
US vs. Rahimi) (opinion)
Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia)
Previous Episodes Mentioned:
Residential Segregation & Structural Racism w/ Richard Rothstein)
CREDITS:
Executive Producers: Sandie Bailey, Alex Alcheh, Lauren Hohman, Tyler Klang & Gabrielle Collins
Producer & Editor: Brooke Peterson-Bell
Editing Support: Nikolas Harter
Associate Producer: Akiya McKnight
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