Michael Chugani 褚簡寧 - wrap my head around|又中又英


In my previous column I explained what a hot-button issue means. A hot-button issue is an issue that makes people have strong emotions and opinions. A woman's right to an abortion has suddenly become a hot-button issue after the US Supreme Court ruled last week women have no constitutional right to an abortion. The court's decision has further divided a polarized America along political lines. The word “polarized”, which comes from the word Pole, is used to describe two groups with opposing views. These groups are so divided, or polarized, it seems they are from the opposite ends of the Earth, the North and South Poles.

The US Supreme Court is America's highest court, similar to Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal. It has nine justices(judges)who are chosen by the president but must be confirmed by the US Senate. They are appointed for life. A vacancy occurs only when a judge dies or chooses to retire. If a vacancy occurs when the president is a Republican, the president will always choose a conservative judge. A Democrat president will always choose a liberal judge. In 1973, when the US was less polarized, the Supreme Court decided 7-2, including justices chosen by Republican presidents, that women had a right to abortion. But that ended last week when the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that women have no constitutional right to abortion.

Today's US Supreme Court is very different from 1973. Former US President Donald Trump was able to choose three very conservative justices after three justices either died or retired. A Supreme Court of six conservatives and three liberals polarized the court. I need to wrap my head around the 6-3 decision. To“wrap your head around”something means to understand it. I cannot wrap my head around why the US Supreme Court ruled last week Americans have a constitutional right to carry guns outside the home, which can kill people, but ruled last week women have no constitutional right to abortions because they kill unborn children.
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在上一篇文章中我解釋過,a hot-button issue是甚麼意思。A hot-button issue就是令人有強烈感受和意見的話題。上星期,當美國最高法院裁定,女性並無墮胎合憲權之後,女性墮胎權便突然變成了敏感熱話(hot-button)。高院的決定,令本就polarized的美國在政治路線上進一步分裂。Polarized來自Pole一字,是用來形容意見兩極的兩個陣營。這兩邊陣營存極大分歧,分裂(polarized)得像是從地球兩端:南極和北極(North and South Poles)而來的。

美國Supreme Court,就是美國的最高法院,類近香港的終審法院。它有九名大法官(justices),由總統提名,但必須經過美國參議院表決同意而任命。

他們的任命是終身制的,只有當一名大法官逝世,又或選擇退休的時候,才會出現空缺。若空缺出現於總統為共和黨人的時候,那總統總會選一個立場保守的大法官;相反,一個民主黨的總統亦必然會選一個自由派的大法官。

一九七三年,美國還不是那麼兩極分化(polarized)時,最高法院以七比二裁定女性有權墮胎,而作出這項裁決亦包括了由共和黨總統選出的大法官(justices)。

然而,這在上周終止了,因最高法院以六比三裁定女性墮胎並非憲法賦予的權利。

今天的美國最高法院,跟一九七三年的最高法院存在很大分別。

前美國總統唐納德‧特朗普得以在三名大法官(justices)相繼離世或退休後,挑選三名立場極為保守的大法官(justices)。六名保守派大法官與三名自由派大法官所組成的最高法院,令其兩極分化(polarized)。我需要wrap my head around 這個六比三的裁決——to “wrap your head around” something是指去理解、明白某事。

我並不能理解(wrap my head around),為何美國最高法院上周會裁定美國人有憲法權利可以持槍離家,而這是能殺人的,但上星期卻又以女性殺掉未出生的孩子為由,裁定女性沒有墮胎合憲權。中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
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