Breaking News: Justice Antonin Scalia Found Dead of Natural Causes

A couple of things about this:

1) A man died. While I disagreed with nearly the whole of his perspective (and was open about saying so and mincing no words), death deserves a respect that seems to be lacking on the internet in these first few moments of breaking news.
2) As our year is already a political clown car, it's imperative that you contact your Senators and ensure that they will not turn confirmation of a successor into the fourth ring in the circus. There are a myriad of amazing men and women who would be honored successors to Justice Scalia.
3) Public service comes with a whole lotta shit attached to it. As anyone who has served even a small amount of time in the service of our nation would be able to say -- it is deserving of respect. Have some. Borrow some from a neighbor. Get some on sale at Target. Seriously.
4) Rest in peace. Thank you for your service. You had your principles and stuck by them. Few of us could say as much. And may your successor have the courage to do the same.

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Living a life of character and integrity can be very easy. Treat others as you want to be treated. That is it, end of story. That is what is missing in both political parties.

Just once I want someone in politics to stand up and say "I hate that he/she has this right, but they do, and I will support it because I would expect support for my rights if I was in that position". But they don't because their party and the extremists that rule them won't stand for it.

Both parties would equally expect (as the constitution provides) that the sitting president would appoint a supreme court justice. There is no place it says, 'unless you don't like who they might put in there'. This is not support for any party or potential choice, just what is desperately missing in this country. A sense of what is right first. If a Republican president was sitting now and Democrats said he shouldn't appoint the justice in his last year, the Republican faithful would lose their minds. Both parties would act the same way on each side if positions were reversed and that is wrong!

I really try to stay out of political arguments and consider all views, but both parties and their extremists agendas are what are 'ruining' the country. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are supported best by realism, the ability to empathize and an understanding that our freedoms and rights as individuals and a nation sometimes require us to accept realities and decisions with which we may not agree. Politics have too long been ruled by an inability to recognize the hypocrisy of certain extreme positions, support one freedom/right, but not another because you do not agree with it personally. That goes for both sides.

The power of this nation comes from the support of everyone's rights to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness and most importantly the freedom of speech to affect change socially, not just through laws. If you are correct and have good points use the intelligence and logic you claim to have as a tool to affect change, not try to force your personal views through threats, intimidation, anger or passage of laws. If you can convince a large enough amount of people that you are correct, then you may be able to change laws, but it should never be at the expense of the basic rights and freedoms for all that built our nation and make it great.

Just some balance and realism would be a welcome breath of fresh air, even if I don't agree with everything that person believes. If I felt they would make good decisions based on not their personal beliefs, but on consideration of all peoples freedoms and rights and most importantly maintaining the integrity and character of this country and the principles on which it was founded I would support them 100%.