The Honorable Ketanji Brown Jackson, a judge in the Court of Appeals in the District of Columbia, is the Supreme Court nominee and came before the Senate Judiciary Committee this week (March 21st) for questioning. This is a lifetime appointment, and the Court’s decisions affect the trajectory of the country. The judge’s credentials are impeccable. If elected, she would be the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court. Judge Jackson expected the questions to be penetratingly complex.
Many questions were incendiary—seven times hotter that they should have been and too often irrelevant to the work of a Supreme Court Judge. Inquiries were prefaced by lengthy and convoluted material; however, Judge Jackson focused and listened intently. Her responses always opened with a courteous noting of the title, “Senator.” That simple courtesy gave respect to the senator and gave her a second of preparation for her response. One senator presented a poster that seemingly presented negative statements she had made. Another inquirer’s position was acknowledged, and Judge Jackson shared that the material presented had been a question (not a statement) that she had posed. Another senator, harshly stormed that she had not answered the question posed. She quietly repeated her initial response. She would not be bullied. Still another senator shared a quote and noted the source as the Constitution. The quote was from the Declaration of Independence. Calmly the judge gave respect to the senator’s position, answered the inquiry without condescension in reference to the gross error made by a United States senator. Frequently, the questioners abruptly cut off the judge as she responded and moved on to the next question. At each interruption, the judge simply stopped speaking and went into listening mode. When the first words for the next question were posed, she was prepared to receive them. Mere seconds of stillness prepared her for the next incendiary probe. The chamber was filled with verbal violence. The position of Supreme Court Justice required that the questions to the nominee have probing complexity, but these questions were posed to break and destroy. There were senators who were astute in their questioning, gave the nominee professional courtesy and represented their office and the nation well. The last senator to speak gave a passionate soliloquy of encouragement to and on behalf of Judge Jackson. While the senator spoke, the judge listened intently. With a tissue, she blotted a single tear that had slipped from her right eye; her dignity was not impaled. The chair concluded the assembly.
Persons with hidden agendas thought they had put The Honorable Ketanji Brown Jackson in a fiery furnace. During the Senate Judiciary Hearings, they saw two persons—the judge and the Wonderful Counselor. When she came out of the roaring flames, her grace, her values, her patience, her peace, her faithfulness, her self-control were not even singed.
Reflections
Informal Biography of The Honorable Ketanji Brown Jackson:
https://theshahab.com/blog/2022/03/24/ketanji-brown-jackson-net-worth-everything-you-need-to-know-today/
Judge Jackson responding to questions:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzRrcmwts_Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhVUefb-ZcI
The honorable Senator Cooper – A soliloquy of encouragement to Judge Jackson
https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5007679/senator-booker-moves-judge-ketanji-brown-jackson-tears-tribute
Scriptural References:
Daniel 10
Galatians 5:22
Dorothy Watson Tatem, D.Min., ACC
Senior Associate
Next Step Associates, LLC
Cassandra W. Jones, Ed.D.
CEO & President
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