n>We live in an era where everything is shocking and nothing is surprising. Every major item of news over the last week or so — Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing, the inevitable Republican hustle to replace her on the eve of an extremely contentious election with the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett and the sectarian clashes over her faith — arrived as a jolt to a fragile, anxious nation. And yet all of it was long in the making — the conflict over Judge Barrett’s religion most of all. Read Full Article »