By By Derek Varsalona

The recent battle in Washington D.C. did not have to do with whether or not the war in Iraq is a success. It had nothing to do with the recent drop in approval ratings for President George W. Bush, which now stands at 46 percent approve and 53 percent disapprove, according to RasmussenReports.com. The biggest debate right now is whether or not John Roberts is fit to be the next Supreme Court Chief Justice. The answer is yes, and this is why.

As soon as Chief Justice William Rehnquist died and Roberts was nominated as a replacement, the liberal organizations began to attack him. Groups like NARAL oppose Roberts, because as a Catholic he appears to be pro-life. Disability rights groups also oppose Roberts. The reason these groups oppose him is because he believes the Constitution should be interpreted as it is written – especially in the high court. This strict interpretation of the law would hinder both movements from promoting their causes.

One of the disability groups opposing Roberts is the National Coalition on Disability Rights (ADAwatch.org), which is an advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. The group claims that Roberts fits the ideology of Rehnquist and Scalia, who both oppose them. ADAwatch.org also claims that Roberts has a narrow understanding of disability rights. They claim he distorted the facts in the Toyota Management v. Williams case. The organization claims that Toyota minimized Ellis Williams’ disability. Ellis Williams claimed that she “got lumps the size of egg hens on her wrist and hands and fingers.”

However, the group does not state the disability that Williams has on their Web site. If the group is going to make blanket statements about this case, then they should provide evidence for their argument on their Web site, for all to see. Roberts argued that certain disability rights were not meant for people with the kind of disability Williams had. He also remained vague on the actual disability.

Now, many people in disability advocacy may disagree with me, but I believe if a person’s disability, by birth or injury, prohibits them from doing a certain job, then they should try and apply for a more suitable job – one that they can succeed at. For instance, I have a mild case of Cerebral Palsy. This makes me move at a slower pace than other people. It is unreasonable and illogical for me to try and become a police officer, fireman or emergency medical technician when I graduate from the University. These jobs require people to have quick reaction time and be ready to move at a moments notice. These are jobs I cannot attempt to apply for due to the disability I have. I will need to find a job more suitable to my condition.

It is time for the Senate to approve Roberts as the next U.S. Supreme Court Justice. He is well qualified and will interpret the Constitution as it is written. Just because some organizations dislike Roberts since he does not agree with them it is not a reason to prevent a well-qualified man from being nominated. America needs Judge Roberts.

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