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'How can a democracy function if we can't talk to one another?' U.S. justices ask

Published 04/14/2021, 05:04 PM
Updated 04/14/2021, 05:21 PM
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Associate Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor arrives for the swearing in ceremony of Judge Neil Gorsuch as an Associate Supreme Court Justice in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Associate Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor arrives for the swearing in ceremony of Judge Neil Gorsuch as an Associate Supreme Court Justice in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington

By Lawrence Hurley

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two U.S. Supreme Court justices from opposite ends of the ideological spectrum are calling on Americans to learn to talk civilly to each other or risk lasting damage to the nation's democratic system.

Speaking in a pre-recorded discussion released on Wednesday, liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor and conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch both bemoaned the current state of public discourse, which they said was abetted by the spread of disinformation on social media.

The United States in the past year has endured a contentious presidential campaign, former President Donald Trump's false claims of a stolen election, an attack on the U.S. Capitol by a pro-Trump mob and police incidents that triggered protests against racial injustice.

"We have a ... very heated debate going on. And that's not necessarily a bad thing, but it can turn into an awful thing, into something that destroys the fabric of our community, if we don't learn to talk to each other," Sotomayor said.

The event - focusing on how a lack of civics education can harm national security - was co-hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank and the National Security Institute at George Mason University's law school.

Sotomayor, appointed by Democratic former President Barack Obama, said she was heartened by the high turnout in last year's election but lamented that "at the same time we see some of the cracks in our system."

Gorsuch, appointed by Trump, said people could learn from the court, where the justices tout their ability to remain cordial despite their differences.

"How can a democracy function if we can't talk to one another and if we can't disagree kindly, with respect for one another's differences and different points of view?" Gorsuch asked.

Gorsuch noted that some surveys have shown that only a third of Americans think living in a democracy is important.

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Associate Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor arrives for the swearing in ceremony of Judge Neil Gorsuch as an Associate Supreme Court Justice in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington

"It's no surprise that a lot of the false information spread on social media is deliberately spread by our enemies to sow disagreement internally in the country," Gorsuch said. "If we allow them to destroy our sense of 'we the people' - our sense of community, our sense of our shared liberties that we love and treasure - that's hard to come back from."

Latest comments

They should use their ideals to punish the worst offenders: ted cruz, nunes, mcconnell, graham.
They allowed a fraud election and would not hear evidence, they are the problem.
Fake News and Conspiracy Theory.
You want free speech? Don't allow anyone or any organization to have the ability to have their words heard louder or more often than the poorest individual all the time, ever.
You claim to write an article highlighting the need to have civil discourse, but you begin by framing it as a problem caused by conservatives, it's narrow minded liberals like you who are the sum total of the problem
Mark, did you even read the article? If so, I think you need to improve your reading comprehension skills. It is not the author making the claims, it's 2 Justices from the Supreme Court being quoted. And nowhere does it frame the problem as being "caused by conservatives".  Why do you feel the need to play the victim, and point the finger? I thought the article was fairly balanced with equal quotes and opinions from both a Liberal and a Conservative who know how to have civil discourse with each other.
our "liberties" are all gone , being "infringed" on all sides. what "civil" discussion can we have? We were promised that 9/11 would not change the counrty. They lied. Grandma is being strip searched in airports and our kids are being forced vaccinated in our schools. And Chuck Schumer, who defended the burning of women and children in Waco, is Senate Majority leader. This is no longer the USA i grew up in.
 I have high regards for the WW2 heroes and I'm also a Christian. But I don't see why you think the government declare those morals and values "bigotry". Hollywood is still making WW2 movies and veterans in the country are well respected. My cousin once served in Iran and she now enjoys a lot of privilege. Just because the government also tells other side of story of other races, doesn't mean your story is forgotten. In fact, as a Christian, I always refer to bible for truth. That's why I don't expect a government in this world will be perfect. I vote for the smarter person to make less mess. Most importantly, I as a human cannot judge like God,  I don't see the whole truth like him. Matthew 7 :: NIV. "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
When the government calls "evil good and good evil", Judgment is about to happen. A Christian county clerk in Kentucky was upholding a State law forbidding same sex "marriages". A federal judge threw her in prision for not following "Federal law", which was not a law at all. But a "ruling" by the Supremem Court. How does a Supreme Court ruling throw out State Laws that were overwhelmingly voted for by the people of the State of Kentucky? That violates the 10th Ammendment of the Constitution. If you do not discern and judge, you will fall for anything.
Medica martial law/l lockdowns/ quarantines, for a pandemic that no one died from...IS Fascism/ Nazism. Dr. Josef Mengele would be PROUD !
we tried talking but we are silenced, banned and labelled as extremists.
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