Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died in his bed while staying at his ranch in Shafter, Texas, on Feb. 13, 2016. With 30 years on the court under his belt, it is sad that many people are only concerned with his controversially-rumored murder and how they can prevent Obama from nominating Scalia’s successor.

Now, Scalia’s death will obviously have an effect on everyone one way or another. Since Obama is able to nominate the next justice, republicans are having fits and democrats are celebrating. Not wanting to see the Supreme Court divided five-to-four leaning democratic, some republicans are already saying that they will throw out whatever nomination Obama puts forth.

“President Obama insists that he will nominate someone for the court. He certainly has the authority to do so,” said Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania. “But let’s be clear — his nominee will be rejected by the senate.”
Not only are they saying they will decline whoever he nominates, some are saying Obama shouldn’t be given the right to nominate someone at all.

“The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in a statement. “Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.”
This is absurd. Though Obama is in his final year of being president, he should still be allowed to nominate a justice. In fact, it is his constitutional duty to do so. I’m not opposed to having a say in the matter, however, I’ve never really had a voice in picking justices so why should this time be any different?

I get that McConnell isn’t saying we should actually vote on the justice, but in a way he kind of is. Waiting till the next president is able to nominate a justice means the justice will most likely be of the same political views of that president. So really, when we vote in a president we would be voting in a justice simultaneously.

Not only have people spoken out against the president’s rights, some made suggestions that Scalia might have been murdered. Allegedly the ranch owner John Poindexter who found Scalia dead told police there was a pillow over Scalia’s head. Like he always seems to do, presidential candidate Donald Trump added fuel to the fire with his comments saying that, “they said they found a pillow on his face, which is a pretty unusual place to find a pillow.”

This, however, was untrue and Poindexter did clear things up when later he said that the pillow was found against the headboard, not “over his face.”

So a week after an incredible man dies, all some can think about is a false rumor and how to prevent the constitution from doing its job. In a country that has turned politics into entertainment, I shouldn’t be surprised at how people can turn anything into an argument. But when it comes to respecting someone who died, and denying our president his constitutional right, this may have gone a little too far.