In Judge Gorsuch, the American people get an individual who believes strongly in the independence of the court. He walks the fine line between the “judicial activism” against which Justice Scalia routinely railed and an overbearing amount of judicial restraint that threatens our nation’s economic prowess as regulators grab for power.

The most beneficial and just course of action is to give Garland their complete and unbiased consideration, though this would require right-wingers to abandon their adamant opposition. With pressing cases to be heard by the highest court in the nation, the United States Supreme Court needs its ninth seat filled with fresh ears and the moxie to propel the court out of stagnancy.

Scalia’s death and the rancor it has surfaced should be a reminder that justice should trump politics. Even though divided and gridlocked government is now the norm, ideally the Supreme Court should be impervious to politics, and its efficacy should not be constrained by government impasses.

Scalia was the best of the bad bunch. He forced his opposition to rethink their positions and develop their arguments rigorously and thoughtfully. Before activists celebrate his passing, they should realize that Scalia possessed many gifts that his sycophants lack.