The U.S. Supreme Court has gained an enormous amount of power since its inception.

It's gone from an extremely reserved and easily overruled group of six judges

into a group of legal overlords, their borderline royalty.

Originally, the Supreme Court didn't even make determinations as to whether or not something's constitutional.

Today, that's practically all they do, and it affects everyone. In fact, the Supreme Court has, by now,

stepped well past determining constitutionality into the realm of reinterpreting the American Constitution.

These are unelected officials appointed for life whose opinions become law.

Does that sound very American to you?

Now, some will say, well, Mackin, the lifetime appointments and the lack of election involvement helps keep things apolitical.

Okay. How's that working out for you? And like I said on Friday, this show, species, is apolitical.

Certainly in terms of left versus right, we don't really talk politics, we talk about animals,

but wherever you fall on the political spectrum, and regardless of what your opinion is about what the Supreme Court should be,

the fact is the Supreme Court has gotten way more powerful and way more political since it started.

The court has the power to determine who's allowed to get married, whether or not corporations are people, who does and doesn't get to vote.

And you probably like at least some such decisions.

But wherever you fall on such Supreme Court debates, realize that the decisions can and do go both ways.

Whatever set of opinions you hold, the Supreme Court will, at some point, overrule your desires, whether you like it or not. You don't get to choose

who sits on the Supreme Court, and you certainly don't get to influence how they vote on decisions

that impact your life. Because, hey, it's not like they're trying to win re-election, right?

For better or for worse, unlike almost any other area in the American

political landscape, you have no say in the matter. And like it or not, the Supreme Court may have

just determined the fate of a species. The dusky gopher frog. Rana Savosa. I'm Mackin. This is species. The dusky gopher frog. Rana Savosa.

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