Courts Want To Stop US Defense?

The United States 9th Circuit Court of Appeals (historically, the most overturned court in American history, thankfully) recently ruled that the US Navy could not operate its sonar during training exercises in southern California waters due to alleged "harmful affects" on sea creatures and mammals such as whales, dolphins, etc.

This 9th Circuit ruling was appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS).

On Wednesday, November 12th, the SCOTUS overturned the 9th Circuit (WINTER, SECRETARY OF THE NAVY, ET AL. v NATU-RAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL, INC., ET AL), to allow the United States Navy to use its sonar.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the opinion for the majority and cited "public interest" in crafting the opinion, saying the Navy's need to conduct realistic training with active sonar to respond to the threat posed by enemy submarines outweighed the interests proffered by the environmentalists.

The injunction leveled upon the US Navy by the 9th Circuit required that it stop using sonar when marine mammals were spotted within 2,200 yards of submarines and vessels utilizing sonar, and to reduce sonar decibel levels under certain ocean conditions.

This time, common sense prevailed and the ability of the United States to continue training to actually defend itself won the day. Still and all, it was a 5-to-4 decision.

Come the time for one, two or even perhaps three potential SCOTUS appointments during the Obama presidency? Obama could nominate, oh, William Ayers or Angela Davis and, with sufficient support, install one of them into SCOTUS.

Here is a typical reactive comment to this ruling, from the LA Times blog:

This ruling makes me sick. We just can't seem to get it: everything, our entire eco-system, is interconnected. All man does is poison and disrupt the natural harmony of the planet. And the planet will swat us off its face like a irritating gnat one day in return. Wake up! I say dismantle the Navy and honor the whales.

Dismantle the navy. Dismantle the economy. Dismantle our entire defense system. Dismantle our Constitution. Dismantle our society and our entire nation.

We won this one. Today.

Tomorrow? I see illogical and unnecessary catastrophe looming on the immediate horizon, my dear readers.

BZ