Abortion Ban... Now!

I think one of the things I like best about the Supreme Court is its complete suddenness. I think I heard a year ago (or something) that a partial-birth abortion case was being taken to the Supreme Court. I think the law was passed in 2003? I didn't pay attention. Nobody paid attention except abortion bores.

And now, today, all of a sudden, they swoop down with news. Did anybody see this coming? I suppose someone did. I'm sure there are people who pay attention to the courts, and even "anticipate" news like this, but not me pal. With Congress, you can track the passage of a bill, day by day, until the president signs it, but even with the articles that begin "The Supreme Court heard arguments today about," it's hard to keep track of what's on its schedule. And those articles are boring. Quick, name a case pending before the court!

It's not like this isn't important, either. Every year the Supreme Court makes two or three decisions that are change more than anything Congress does all year. Lawrence v. Texas, Raich v. Gonzales, and this new decision (apparently unnamed until the Supremes can decide on something catchy) way outstrip the Bankruptcy Bill in both interest and important-ness. And even I know how the Bankruptcy Bill went down.

In this way, Supreme Court cases have the satisfying feel of a celebrity death, or an unprovoked war. Usually, you read the news in the morning and it's the same old "Many Die in Baghdad," or rehashing a national tragedy* long after I have lost interest, or something boring about money. When power players make news, well, it is like a little gift from them to me.

*Fun Fact! The newspaper descriptions of the Virginia Tech killer's social interactions remind me of myself. Watch out.