SCOTUS History

When watching the video about the Supreme Court I learned that they accept around 100 cases a year, which is an outstanding number when they receive over 100 cases a week. The most important part that I took away from the video is how every case is viewed. In my head, because there are 9 different justices I felt that each case was going to be viewed from a different perspective. However, in the video, they mentioned that every case gets the same view and one is not looked at as more significant than another. As a citizen of the US, it is extremely hard to accept that the supreme court justices are normal people. Something I found very surprising yet humbling is that each justice shakes every other justice's hand before they gather for a meeting. Chief Justice Melville W. Fuller (1888‑1910) started this custom, saying that it shows ‘that the harmony of aims, if not views, is the court’s guiding principle." Another interesting statement from one of the justices was that "everyone speaks once before someone speaks twice". This gives each justice the ability to voice their opinion without someone running the floor. Hearing this makes me trust our system even more. This video made me realize that the justices are seriously looking out for the well-being of our country. They are not hot-headed politicians, but instead down-to-earth citizens. They are extremely dedicated to the job and try to interpret the constitution to the best of their ability. The Supreme Court is an important part of our democratic system and understanding more about this part is something everyone should do.