Last week, we here at BUST were so excited to discover that visionary journalist Maia Weinstock had created a set of Legos featuring the four past and present women of the Supreme Court. O’Connor, Ginsberg, Sotomayor and Kagan, the whole gang, their bench and the SCOTUS library were ready and submitted to Lego Ideas- the platform that allows people to submit designs for potential products with the company. But five days after proposing her project for development, Weinstock received an email stating it was rejected because it violated Lego’s Acceptable Project Content guidelines by involving politics.
What the what?
According to the policy, Lego does not begin projects that contain, “politics, political symbols, campaigns, or movements… religious references…sex, drugs, or smoking,” among other things. The question of whether or not the Supreme Court is a political entity has been raised for as long as it has existed.
In Federalist 78, Alexander Hamilton argued that, “There is no liberty if the power of judging be not separated from the legislative and executive powers.” However, the national confidence in SCOTUS is scored in a similar way as the president and Congress, both of which require extensive politics to fill the posts. A study from the University of Chicago discovered the national opinion towards the court and its members, who are elected for life and seemingly free from the rigors of campaigning, is at a 40-year low. Lego appears to have aligned its views with the rest of the country regarding the increasingly political slant of SCOTUS.
Weinstock asserts that her design surpasses politics and should not be precluded because of this finicky bit of policy. The Legos represent an important part of American history, especially for women. With so few female justices on the bench, both current and former, the creation is a vital tool to promote women in law, as well as encourage young girls to think beyond outdated gender roles. We hope that with so much visible online support, Lego will reconsider Weinstock’s plans and that the ladies of the Supreme Court will be honored with a toy for kids and collectors alike.
images c/o Maia Weinstock
