Don’t ask my opinion of John Glover Roberts Jr. I honestly don’t know enough to say.
That he’s conservative is a given. What else would anyone expect?
This is President Bush’s first chance to put his stamp on the U.S. Supreme Court. Whether Roberts is far enough to the right to please social conservatives, or goes just far enough for business conservatives, I’ll let other columnists sort out.
Right, left, pro-life, pro-choice, let’s skip those labels today.
One fact in Roberts’ impressive biography did jump out at me last week – his age. Roberts is only 50.
Young – now there’s a label open to debate.
For a Supreme Court justice, 50 is about as young as it gets. Justice Clarence Thomas, at 57, is, the only one under 65.
For an elite gymnast, 23 is ancient. Most ballet dancers retire at between 30 and 40. At the other end of this timeline is Pope Benedict XVI, starting a big new job at 78.
“It’s all relative,” said Katy Weatherley, owner and president of the Career Clinic, an employment business in Mountlake Terrace.
Relative, that’s for sure. Truly, my first reaction when I heard about Bush’s 50-year-old court pick was how very young he is. This thought sprang from the same mind that occasionally frets about what I’d do if I lost my job – at the advanced age of 51.
Weatherley, whose agency specializes in senior-level job placement in the construction, insurance, sales and administrative fields, said I shouldn’t worry about employers not wanting workers who are 50-plus.
“I don’t see that, from the employer end,” she said. “People in that age group, employers want them for their maturity and stability.” It’s job seekers who are sometimes reluctant, particularly if they’re starting in a new field, she said.
“I know myself, I wouldn’t be willing to go back to $20,000, and I wouldn’t want a boss who’s 19 telling me what to do,” said Weatherley, who is 43.
A 19-year-old boss? There’s a situation Supreme Court justices never face.
Retiring Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, 75, last week called Roberts a first-rate choice, yet she was disappointed the nominee wasn’t a woman. I don’t disagree, but we shouldn’t forget that age is an overlooked element of diversity.
A diverse workplace or other organization has not only racial and gender differences, but differences in age.
I said I didn’t know enough about Roberts to say much, but I do know one extremely significant aspect of his life: He has small children.
Did you see the images of Roberts’ wife, Jane, and their kids, 4-year-old Jack and 5-year-old Josephine, during last week’s announcement at the White House?
It’s a wonderful picture, with Josie being so good in her yellow dress and Jack cutting up the way little boys do. I, for one, like the idea that on a court packed with senior citizens someone might go home at night to a kindergartner.
The fact that a person has little kids tells us nothing about their politics or judicial philosophy. But I do know it’s hard to be totally out of touch with the world when you’re raising kids.
The weightiest issues of the day – from health care and education to taxes and religion – are integrated into family life. Anyone who’s ever raised a family knows the topics that make headlines also make it to the dinner table, night after night.
A 4-year-old, even a rascally one who won’t stand still in his saddle shoes, has much to teach a Supreme Court justice. Don’t forget, those kids will grow. They’ll have lives and opinions and struggles.
John Roberts Jr. could be on the court for 40 years. Some of us might hear that and shudder. I see someone who’s not old enough to retire, who is just beginning years of child-rearing.
Yes, he’s another white male. The high court has plenty of those. Yet, at 50, and with a 4-year-old, how can he not have some fresh views?
I could be wrong, completely wrong. And the rest of Roberts’ life – that’s a very long time.
“I hope he’s good, or we’re in big trouble,” Weatherley said.
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