Life goes on

Life goes on
Government is not a place but a process

Oct. 30, 2001

On Monday, the Supreme Court met in a borrowed federal courtroom. For the first time since 1935, the Court was not able to occupy the beautiful marble building that symbolizes justice and the rule of law. There were no marble columns and no heavy red-velvet drapes to shield the justices from the public eye until they emerged to take their seats. The pomp was punctured, the circumstances diminished.

And none of that matters.

What does matter, very much, is that the Court conducted its business as usual, despite the fact that its home, and perhaps its employees, had been contaminated with anthrax. Tests are being conducted on both the building and staffers, who are taking a short course of antibiotics while waiting to learn whether longer doses are warranted.

The goal of terrorism is paralysis, and by using anthrax, bioterrorists have managed to achieve considerable results while so far causing the deaths of only three people. The best defense against that is to take common-sense precautions and then ignore the efforts of those who are trying to disrupt the day-to-day activities of the United States government.

Most of us learned in elementary school, or at least in high-school civics class, about the system of checks and balances that protects citizens of the United States. The checks aren’t instant, but the balance depends on the operation of all three branches of the federal government — the executive branch headed by the president, the legislative process of the Congress, and the judicial system of which the U.S. Supreme Court is the pinnacle. Knocking any one of those legs out from under us for a few days won’t cripple our government, but those who hate us may not understand that yet.

The decision of the justices of the Supreme Court to decide to meet elsewhere, abandoning a 66-year tradition, is an important message to Americans and our enemies: We will not falter. We will keep putting one foot in front of the other, no matter who tries to trip us, and we will keep moving forward. The example set by nine legal scholars who are by no means young is one of determination. The times when life is difficult are the times when resolve is most necessary.

This is also a time when perspective is essential. Three people have died from anthrax — three, not 300,000 or even 300. That may be three too many to give up to an enemy who has yet to own up to the fight, but it’s not a number that should paralyze us with fear.

The Supreme Court, like the United States of America, is an ideal rather than a place. The only way to defeat this country is to prevent the free exercise of that ideal, and we’re a long, long way from losing that privilege.