Wolf Blitzer
Let's look back a little bit, some history. Bush v. Gore. You remember that case? Oh, I remember that. What are you looking back? You know, we have some time to look back, what, nine years now? Was that the right decision?
Sandra Day O'Connor
I don't know, it was a hard decision to make. But I do know this. There were at least three separate recounts of the votes, the balance in the four counties where it was challenged. In not one of the recounts with the decision has changed. So I don't worry about
Wolf Blitzer
it. So you know, regrets this decision. So when you have changed anything, the right man wasn't elected president, the man
Sandra Day O'Connor
who got the most votes. That's the that's the that's, that's that's the what it comes down to at the end of the day.
Wolf Blitzer
I guess what some people have been concerned about on the current Supreme Court, this four to four split with Justice Kennedy being the swing voter, however, is that to have a divided court, sensitive vicious,
Sandra Day O'Connor
when I was nominated and went on the court in 1981, when I arrived, a large number of the cases, were coming around four to four. Indeed, the very first time that I sat in the Justice conference room to talk about the merits of cases argued that week, and for each justice to say how it should be decided. I was the junior justice. So I was the last to speak. And the very first case came to me for to four. So it's not a new problem.
Wolf Blitzer
I can't tell you how many people said this to me. Over the past few days, as I mentioned, I was going to sit down with you a variation of this. I wish she were still on the supreme cow.
Sandra Day O'Connor
Well, that's very nice. But my time was up and I had 25 years. And it was a wonderful experience. It is a great institution.
Wolf Blitzer
Do you lament the decision?
Sandra Day O'Connor
No, of course not. My husband had Alzheimer's. And he had reached the point where he had to go into some kind of nursing care situation. We had two of our three children and their families in Arizona. It seemed to me that's where he should be. And I couldn't do that from Washington, DC.
Wolf Blitzer
you're approaching at now. I am what I'm sorry to say what keeps you going? Tell us what Mike would you want to do right now?
Sandra Day O'Connor
Two things. My concerns, through the years increased about the concerns of an independent judiciary an hour we maintain it. Certainly in the States, I'm a product of state government in my own state of Arizona. And it seemed to me that the popular election of judges was creating major problems in many states. And we had improved the system and Arizona. And I thought the nation ought to at least rethink how we select our nation's trial judges in the States. The other thing that concerned me greatly was the elimination of teaching of history and civics to young people in our public schools. Now, when I went to school, we had heavy doses of history and civics. That was a requirement. Today, half the states are more have stopped making civics a requirement for high school. And the whole idea of a public education was to train young people about how our system of government work so they could be good citizens and be part of it. We're not doing that today. And so I desperately wanted to restore some system of teaching young people about our system of government. And I have succeeded in developing a website that is addressed to middle school students, and to do just that. It's free. It's free, teacher friendly. And it works by letting the students in part, play games and learn about the system. And it's wonderful.
Wolf Blitzer
Alright, so let's look ahead, you know, the next several years, you're going to be out there traveling, writing, speaking, doing what you're doing now,
Sandra Day O'Connor
some of what I'm doing now, yes, I hope, maybe a little less, but we'll see. I hope not a little bit
Wolf Blitzer
less, because the country needs some good, strong advice from you.
Sandra Day O'Connor
Well, I hope that many states will start paying attention and if they will, then I'll stay busy going to talk to them.
Wolf Blitzer
I hope you do. And I thank you for your service to the United States, to all of us, and I wish you many many happy years of fulfillment.
Sandra Day O'Connor
Thank you very much.