Republicans Attack Democracy Republicans are renewing their efforts to suppress the voting rights of minority populations, which raises a very serious question. Do Republicans want to live in a democracy or not? We all watched in horror as domestic terrorists exposed the fragility of our democratic republic on live television January 6, 2021. Rioters brutally… More
Ideology and Religious Bias in Supreme Court Decisions
Personal political ideology and religious bias now loom over Supreme Court decisions. When the Framers created three co-equal branches of government in the new Constitution, they presumably gave the Supreme Court the final word on its interpretation. They expected the Court’s decisions to be apolitical, and we, the citizens, have held to that ideal. We… More
Trump’s Emotional, Irrational, Occasionally Rational Voters Dig-in
Election Results As of this writing, latest election results indicate Joe Biden will accumulate the 270 electoral votes to ascend to the Presidency. Yet our democracy hangs in the balance. Ignoring any possible results, Trump has already done what he promised. Claiming voting irregularities, he is seeking a remedy he hopes the Supreme Court will… More
Trump’s Path to Victory—Voter Suppression
It’s become very clear that Donald Trump’s only path to return to the White House is by suppressing the votes of likely Democratic voters. Joe Biden has maintained a consistent lead in the polls for many months. And after Trump’s bulldozing performance in the first presidential debate, his off-putting bravado regarding his own bout with… More
DeJoy Mortally Wounding the U.S. Postal Service
The U.S. Postal Service is mortally wounded, and Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is twisting the knife, hoping to accelerate its demise. The pandemic bears some responsibility, but of equal significance is a business model that can no longer sustain itself financially. Instead of trying to repair its fundamental problems, DeJoy has been eliminating equipment and… More
Trump, Sycophants, and the End of Democracy
Trump, Sycophants, and Democracy Donald Trump, his sycophants in Congress and the right wing news media are doing all they can to bring democracy to an end in the United States. For much of his Presidency, Trump has advanced his authoritarian and racist policies and practices with the full backing and support of his sycophants.… More
Trump’s Racist, Liar and Fraud Campaign
According to the polls, a majority of Americans believe Donald Trump bungled the government’s response to the pandemic, and hold him responsible for many preventable deaths. With the economy and unemployment in depression-like conditions, Trump’s major rationale for re-election has evaporated. Even his usual playbook of belittling, fear mongering and lobbing falsehoods at his opponents… More
The Dangerous Rise of Autocracy
The Worst Autocrats of the 20th Century An autocracy is a system of government controlled by one person with absolute power. Our founding fathers designed a unique form of democratic government with built-in safeguards that significantly distinguishes it from an autocracy. For example, countries with democratic governments are less likely to preemptively make war, but… More
Gerrymandering – Determining its Constitutionality
Partisan Gerrymandering and Democracy Partisan gerrymandering is the manipulation of electoral boundaries to achieve supremacy of one party over another. Previously, petitioners have brought certain cases to the Supreme Court alleging partisan gerrymandering but without resolution. Some believe that this is a political issue and the Court should not intervene. Others argue there is no… More
The Ball is in Your Court, Chief Justice John Roberts
The Idiom The sport of either tennis or basketball provides the idiom, “the ball is in your court.” In simple terms, it means that regardless of how we got to this point, it’s your responsibility now. By addressing this statement to Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, it has a very specific meaning. Merrick Garland… More