When the road to the highest court in the land is littered with the lowest levels of behavior and respect …
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: The first black woman to be nominated as a Supreme Court justice is historic and should symbolize what America stands for, but watching the interviewing process concerns both of us, albeit for very different reasons.
As a lover of history, Red can’t help but focus on the past, when the U.S. Senate would put aside partisanship thoughts, look at the candidate’s experience, qualifications, and integrity, remembering that justices sit at the top of an independent branch of government. They voted on the person, not the party. (For example, out of 100 available votes, Antonin Scalia was confirmed in 1986 with 98, Anthony Kennedy in 1988 with 97, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 1993 with 96.)
It distresses her that the Republican members of the committee, instead of focusing on whether Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson (KBJ) is qualified, seem more interested in trying to trip her up, using what Red see as “cheap tricks” (such as selectively discussing parts of a court case rather than providing the full context), all to make “points” for their side. Not to mention ignoring basic standards of decency, civility, and old-fashioned good manners. Things she instilled in her kids when they were still children,
I never thought I’d equate anything to do with the Supreme Court to being a mom, but if you wouldn’t let your five-year-old get away with that kind of behavior, should we let senators vetting a Supreme Court justice nominee act that way?!
Black, on the other hand, recognizes that mathematically KBJ has the appointment unless a Democrat votes “No” (which is highly unlikely). So, instead of grandstanding with an aggressively hostile (borderline toxic) partisan focus on mid-term election culture-war issues (not to mention “payback” for prior Republican nominee hearings and the blatant “I may run for higher office” campaign “speeches”), this was a wasted opportunity for a “reset” as the Senate could have created a historic bipartisan moment -- having a highly-qualified nominee become the first Black woman appointed to the highest court in the land.
And while Black believes that KBJ’s professional credentials, combined with her experience, which is different from the other justices, would bring a new and highly valuable perspective and insight to the Supreme Court (although it wouldn’t “overrule” the current dominance of conservative ideology), she also knows the value of the “soft skills” KBJ’s developed to deal with the challenges she’s faced her entire life,
Watching KBJ refusing to be drawn into a political fight and facing the harassment (from, dare I say it, white men) with poise and dignity made perfect sense because, as a Black woman, she has had to deal with that type of **it her entire life.
When the news is challenging or life’s stressful, there’s something comforting about Girl Scout cookies. Always has been, which is why we’re rerunning this post from several years ago.
Girl Scouts, though, are about so much more than cookies, as year-round girls learn important life skills, gain confidence, and discover leadership skills. But buying cookies is such a sweet way (sorry, we couldn’t resist) to support the organization. Red’s favorite is the classic shortbread (now known as Trefoils), and Black buys a large assortment and gives them all away.
But hurry! Cookie season ends on March 23.
P.S. - If S’mores and Toast-Yay! are your favorites … make sure you stock up as this is the last year they’ll be available.
Let's play word association. If we say, "Girl Scouts," what's the first word that comes to mind? Ok, what's the second word?
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: When Juliette "Daisy" Gordon Low organized the first Girl Scout meeting – hoping to create an organization that redefined what was possible for girls everywhere – there was no way for her to know the difference it would make in the lives of millions of girls and their communities.
Many people's first (and sometimes only) image of Girl Scouts is as cookie salespeople – either selling door-to-door or at a make-shift table at a grocery or other store (or having their parents hand you an order form). But if you've been a Girl Scout (both of us have) or know someone who has, you know that Girl Scouts are about so much more.
So, as we celebrate the Girls Scouts being around for over 100 years, we should celebrate the years of fun and friendships, and for helping girls learn important qualities such as responsibility, courage, strength, and independence. Qualities that are as important in 2021 as they were in 1912.
And what better way to celebrate than to buy some Girl Scout cookies? Guilt-free as you're helping a good cause.
Today’s turbulent times for Jews may overshadow the celebration of the Jewish New Year, one of the holiest of the Jewish holidays. Yet, ironically, we feel it should strengthen its significance, as the holiday is a time for reflection on the past and hope for the future.
If you think today’s politics are ugly … let’s talk about a man who named himself “dictator for life” of the Roman empire, and is then assassinated by a group of senators, including his best friend. (However, there’s a “pretty” part – Cleopatra was his mistress.) Food trivia and leadership lessons aside, the fact July is named after him is the perfect excuse to rerun one of Red’s favorite Banter Bites …
Quick! If someone says "Julius Caesar," what comes to mind?
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Almost everyone has heard of Julius Caesar, but how many of us really know much about him, or at least that's what Red starts to wonder when she receives the usual flippant, but still accurate, reply from her sister, after feeling very proud that she knew that July was named after the famous Roman.
Which is what got Red to realize, much to her surprise (shock, if truth be told), that even as a straight-A student with a love of history, that when it came to Julius Caesar, a famous historical figure and possibly one of the greatest generals and statesmen of all time, she couldn't tell you dates or battles or anything "historical" associated with him.
Even as a theater major in college, she never read Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," although she knew just enough about the play to know that it was where the fortune teller warned Caesar to "Beware the Ides of March." Instead, her knowledge of Caesar came from her love of movies.
My first, and probably my most enduring, memory is of a brilliant general who not only commanded armies as he conquered lands far from home but was a great statesman who was also involved with one of the world's most beautiful women. And while he was Julius Caesar and the woman was Cleopatra, to me, they'll always be Rex Harrison and Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra, a movie almost as controversial as the general himself.
And Black? Besides knowing that Caesar Salad was invented by a different Caesar, she appreciates Julius Caesar's leadership skills and way with words,
There is much we can learn about leadership from Julius Caesar, whether on the battlefield, in politics, or in business (start small, take risks, communicate well), including what ultimately led to his death (always consider worst-case scenarios, never get complacent or arrogant). Many of his quotes speak (pun intended) to his powerful way with words, and the ability to not only deliver a message but to inspire (and story tell), with my favorite being, "I came, I saw, I conquered."