Judge could have impact on teens

Though most teens rarely take notice of the members of the Supreme Court, these justices have the ability to affect their lives for decades or more. Just think of the world we would live in had it not been for the Brown v. Board of Education decision. Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito has the potential to affect the lives of every American if confirmed by the Senate this month after his hearings, which began Monday.

After the retirement of Sandra Day O'Connor, considered a swing vote by many, the court will be left vulnerable to a strong shift in ideology with Judge Alito's ascent to the bench. For this reason, the rights of teens are in a sort of limbo given the court's uncertain future. Judge Alito's paper trail has shown a lack of respect for the rights of minority groups.

Judge Alito has proved to be pro-business during his stint on the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction over Delaware, New Jersey and most of Pennsylvania. Many of these decisions have placed undue power into large corporate entities that have then used their influence to abuse the rights of the worker, and subsequently the worker's children.

Poor teens in this country deserve to be aided, not undermined and ostracized.

Judge Alito's record is ambiguous regarding gays. In Saxe v. State College Area School District, he ruled that a school district's addition of sexual orientation to its anti-discrimination policy was unconstitutional because it was too broad.

In essence, Judge Alito ruled that sexual orientation should receive no protection because the policy's wording was overly complex. Therefore, children who need protection against bullying do not receive it because of a semantic technicality.

Another area where Judge Alito has shown dangerous views is abortion. Regardless of one's views on the issue, in a Senate questionnaire, the judge's proclamation that he advocated undermining the settled law during the Reagan administration in memos, which he authored simply because he wanted a job promotion, brings both his judicial independence and character into question.

Any man who bases his legal decisions upon his career aspirations needs a course in ethics (much like the one congressional Republicans were just required to attend).

Given his record, teens have to see Mr. Alito's nomination as more than pop-quiz material. The lives of teens and their families depend on the manner in which this man rules. Are their lives to be trusted to a man who puts his life before those of others?

If confirmed, Judge Alito likely will preside over the judicial monastery, as it is called, for the better part of 30 years. Many generations of teenagers will pass during his reign. Will these teens be treated with respect and dignity, or will they be negated by a man with a political agenda?

Only time will tell whether Judge Alito is the independent, unbiased thinker absent of an agenda, which he claims to be, or simply a man worthy of his nickname, "Scalito" (implying mockery of his comrades in some circles and mockery of the legal code in others).

Alex Thurmond, 18, is a senior at Evans High School.