The Supreme Court has stripped the federal judiciary of its right and role to protect the constitution. The notion that a constitutional right must be litigated citizen by citizen is laughable and epically consequential. I despair.
Robert: Don't despair. That's what Trump wants you to do: give up. Keep attending demonstrations with like minded people that will buoy you up and give you hope that we will prevail. Work toward electing liberals to office in the midterms. I'm 81 and sometimes when I don't have the energy to march I get in my car, open the sunroof and stick my "No Faux King War" sign up and drive around and around the block where protestors are marching!
I am 74 and in not the best health but I have managed with my spouse's help to attend the 3 protests here in Kalamazoo organized by Indivisible. Our No Kings protest drew 8000 people!
But yesterday when I learned of the Supreme Court's decision my heart sank. Who are we as a nation? For me the inhumane nature of the Trump regime portends to grow darker each day. It is very hard not to despair!
I am also 74, and I feel very much the same. When I was in law school I looked up to the Supreme Court -- now I can only look up to Justices Kagan, Jackson and Sotomayor. All of them women and none of whom would pass the "whites only" test this administration wants to drag us back to. It's deplorable.
It’s not important for me to argue about the 14th amendment. Its usefulness and original intent was to prevent freed people and their children born here from being deported. That ugly phase of our history ended. I was never in favor of the 14th as I feel it opens doors for women to establish anchor babies. Can we move on to everything else this admins destroying? We should pick and choose our fights. Not everything needs to be a fight.
There is no person worst than the slime in office. We had already lived through it. Our side ie, the democrat under the Biden administration, opened that door. As much as no one wanting to blame him, he is the only one I can blame. His selfishness to want to be in the exclusive club way past his age opened the gates of hell. As for way the republicans across the board fell in line? Don’t you know they being politician is to constantly being on guard to save one’s ass. What a mess.
Unimaginable. I actually wrote a letter addressed to Kagan, Sotomayor, and Jackson, expressing how sorry I was at the distress they must feel having to go to work every day. Sotomayor actually said that some times she locks herself in her office and cries....
You know I have thought that too. How do they sit at conferences and not eventually explode; one can only take so much. OTOH maybe they don’t just take it—we’ll never know.
Thank you for your perspective Jeaneen. I guess if they can manage to put up with the other, 6 bought and paid for, deplorable justices, I will keep calling and protesting. At 79, I too despair, however, l’m also very angry. So I guess the anger and frustration will keep me going.
I have been thinking the same thing: how can they stand it???
The New Yorker article: Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Declaration of Independence
The newest Justice is increasingly willing to condemn the actions of the conservative majority, even when that means breaking with her liberal colleagues.
I am 94 and discouraged but still up and opposed and attend the Protests with my signs and on Monday afternoons with Vets for Peace. I am a Catholic! I look around and wonder, "Did they vote three times for The Serpent? Do they still accept The iForbidden Fruit?"
I spent most of my career working in federal court, and this absolutely nonsensical ruling made me wonder what the point of the entire federal judiciary is as opposed to states’ judiciaries. I’ve spent the last 24 hours imagining a conversation with the federal judge I worked for that entire time on his new, diminished role, and his lifelong dedication and careful scrutiny of the rule of law in this country. I think there’s a pandemic of insanity at the extreme court, and bowing to a psychopath is the main symptom. I will never understand.
HCR's lesson is that we've been in dark times,before and it was voters that got us out. She casually throws out dates in the early, mid, and late 19th century and the early 20th century. Progress and political change takes decades.
Well, yes. She is an historian. What i meant was that the actions and reactions she recounts for us, which we can use as analogues to where we find ourselves today, took decades to play out. The same is true today. It may take more that one or two election cycles to fix Trump’s messes. It might take a full generation of MAGA nuts' suffering from their holy messenger's messes to get back to rationality. The current generation of voter suppressor and falsehood purveyors will get old and complacent just like Democratic leadership, and will fail. In the meantime can a rational centrist party grow out of the ashes?
Every analysis i look up regarding fraud in the 2024 election concludes that there wasn't enough fraud to flip a county, much less a 3hole election. The difference between 2020 and 2024 is that Trump used the false claims as a rallying point. Democrats are not falling into that mindset, though it would be emotionally gratifying to magically show that Dems really won the election and enjoyed a majority of support from American voters. They really didn't.
Two things I watched/read this week added to my sense of other dark times—a PBS documentary on Hannah Arendt, which provided a look at the complicated issues around response to the Holocaust,and the June 16 New Yorker's profile of Gertrude Berg (star of the early sitcom The Goldbergs). Check them out.
Jeaneen, I am 82 and simply can't go to protests, but we support them and donate to pols who uphold our ideals. I thought the decision yesterday was terrible and the six should roast in hell. Btw, I went to Kalamazoo College and did my student teaching at Kalamazoo Central.
I was a lifelong resident of E. Lansing Michigan and after retiring my husband and I moved to East Tawas Michigan where we had a cottage. Our plan was to live there full time. After 3 years we had to think about moving largely because of health problems for us both.Healthcare there was lacking. And the conservative nature of the community was a disappointment. So we sold our cottage and moved to Kalamazoo because we have 2 sons here. We like this community and have found it to be quite progressive. One of our sons just completed his 25th year of teaching history at Loy Norris.
We have become involved with the Indivisible organization here.
When I was in Kalamazoo in the early to middle 60s, restaurants could not serve hard liquor, so all the good restaurants were outside the city and there were private clubs. I don't know Loy Norris, but I was a history maker at K. Parts of Michigan are so darn conservative.
There were dry counties in Florida in 1980 and we just drove to the next county. Seemed like a stupid thing when you could go 15 minutes for your alcohol.
Fight fight fight. Never ever give up. Stand by your beliefs about humanity. Take care of yourself. Love your family. Love your neighbors. Hold on fast to your heart and never let them get to you!!!
This the crux of the matter. Americans must decide who we are. Are we the confederacy or a nation of truly compassionate people with a sense of community, acceptance, equality and dignity for all. It isn’t just all about money.
Stay in the fight Jeaneen! We need to remember why birthright citizenship is an issue now. It is just one part of a larger scheme to weaken our democracy, reduce our freedoms and create an autocratic government.
Project 2025 includes proposals related to ending birthright citizenship. It explicitly calls for ending birthright citizenship, particularly for children of undocumented immigrants. This is part of a broader set of immigration policies outlined in Project 2025 that aim to significantly restrict immigration, increase deportations, and overhaul the current immigration system.
At its core this is just another cruel election suppression strategy. End birthright citizenship and millions of younger Americans will be removed from voter rolls throughout the country.
But the power of the people is still stronger than this extreme court and the people they empower! As long as millions of us stand firm - because birthright citizenship is the law, and is morally right, and is in our nation's best interest - we will prevail. It won't be easy, but it is a battle we must win in this war to keep our democracy!
Oh I am not going anywhere. There is just too much at stake. But I have never understood Trump’s appeal. Not in the run up to his first administration and certainly not now!
Really Julie?! Exploit how? We're all immigrants... Many recently had applied for asylum and had protections but now, suddenly, they are being rounded up without due process and illegally removed from this country for political reasons? Who is doing the exploiting?
It is estimated that 50,000 Chinese come to give birth in the USA, paying 40-60K for the services...This is for business....not because they love our values (such as they are these days)
Illegal immigrants who are working, slaving away, often for many years in the USA, should attain citizenship rights for their children....If the parents are Mexican, Mexico is NOT going to give a US born child Mexican citizenship. I know of Mexicans who were born outside Mexico who have to go through hoops to qualify for a Mexican passport. They have to apply for citizenship like any expatriate.
Looking at this regime, forest not the trees, it’s population control. Fewer people of color, fewer middle class, and majority needs to be white and “Christian”. Trump is the tool for the morbidly rich and white Cristian Nationalists who fear the rest of us.
I feel your pain. We face a lot of sadness today because of Donald Trump and his hate mongers. I’m 75 and attended Scottsdale No Kings Day. Let’s keep doing what we feel in our hearts.
Who are we Americans today? Well, looking into the hearts and minds of those who voted Trump into power, agreeing with his points of view, we find dark, hollow, sorry excuses for a human being. This is ugly, cruel and despicable.
Sadly I believe you are right. I have reached a point where I cannot have even a casual relationship with a Trump supporter. For me, supporting him speaks to a person's judgment and values. And again to me they are both sorely lacking if after all that's happened you still support him
Robert, this evening I met for dinner at a local pub w/ a few longtime friends…the conversation veered toward politics & I mentioned reading a few Substacks that reported/gave opinions on things often not fully covered by the MSM. One asked “what is a Substack?”. I explained the newish platform & the general reply was “oh, that takes up too much time”🤷🏻♀️…I countered with data/info/opinions by what I consider trusted & engaged journalists/authors & is a way to keep ones’ fingers on the country’s pulse (in addition to what is covered by national media). These are intelligent, thoughtful folks who seem to have mostly “checked out”…my inner dialog at hearing this was “how can you not be rushing to the town square, the barricades and ramparts, with the cry “ Liberté, Égalité, and Fraternité” on your lips?”. They were curious about the latest rally & I shared about my experience & impressions & the signs I’ve made & how I have extra recycled cardboard “prepped” for the next iteration of protest messages. They are supporters of a liberal democracy, but, it seems, as bystanders.
I had a similar experience when I asked a young college grad in our building if he was going to attend a No Kings protest -- he said "what protest?" I was pretty shocked, having been in college in the late 60s when students were so politically involved.
Laurie, I was so pleased to have had a conversation with two young women at the No Kings rally in my county….they mentioned they’d been in junior high during ‘Rumps first term. I asked them if this was their first political rally/engagement, they said yes…I shared my oldster perspective on civic engagement and a citizen’s responsibility to be involved…was it Newsom’s comment that “our job” IS citizen & with that comes responsibility. I have to say the conversation I had was, I think, enlightening for all of us & I have hopes that these two young women (so much at stake…glad I am old and well past fertility!) will stay “tuned in” and active. 🤞
During our most recent No Kings protest there was a woman standing next to my husband and me and she was alone. She had a great protest poster and I asked if I could take her picture. As things wound down she slipped me a piece of paper with her phone number and I sent her the pic. We have found the camaraderie at all 3 protests we’ve been involved in so encouraging.
I believe you can chalk this up to the cell phone stupor we all now live in.
Our generation at least has memory of life before these dratted things were in everyone's hands, 24/7. Our children and grandchildren now inhabit a bizarre world where public action, public goods, the public square, public discontent has been spayed and neutered in favor of Tik-Tok dancing, cat videos, and 315 million other PRIVATE divertissements and amusements. We've become a nation (a world, really) of babies playing with our own toes and fingers, ignoring the planet, the nation, the body politic, civilization itself.
I know there are many young people out there razor-focused on environmental degradation and planetary warming. And I like cat videos, too. But we're drowning in a self-absorbed technology that increasingly makes it hard, if not impossible, to connect the dots, understand the patterns. Too many who can disappear into themselves -- others more powerful into pure, unrestrained greed and the domination of others.
I wish I had solutions up my sleeve. It's just very tough to think our way out of this.
Let’s not put them all in that category. My 22 y/o grandson just finished college and just when you think they’re goofing off on their devices out comes remarks about discussions and letter writing and they’re more informed than me. They just do it differently and these are the voters we need to reach.
Good point. My 15 y/o granddaughter lives about 3.5 hours away in a small KY county. I try to take her out for lunch when she’s here and have been very surprised at how well informed she is for her age and location. I have to think it is to some degree bc of our digital age.
I had the same experience Laurie, 2 young women who were nice enough to say hello, had no clue about the upcoming No Kings rally that was going to happen just down the street. I encouraged them to attend it 🤷♂️
Barbara: "Takes up too much time". The acquisition of knowledge does indeed take up time, but what are they doing with their time? thumbing their smartphones? did you ask/get an answer?
We have all of human knowledge at our fingertips, with almost instant access to world events, but people choose to watch silly cat videos or "reality" TV shows or Fox Entertainment where they are fed lies. it HURTS to watch the things ICE is doing and MSM is so bought and paid for that they aren't going to cover anything and totally sane wash rumpy's speeches. It's easier to ignore it all and live in your own little bubble. Did you suggest they read Heather's letters?
What???! And miss the latest Kardashian tidbit? Or what your friend you never met had for lunch? Shame on you, Kathy for suggesting such a thing! In fact, I tweet shame you. Now you have to walk naked to the DMV to renew your driver's license.
Probably not much online…one is an engaged grandmother and fully occupied, the other two I’m not sure…tho’ they do seem somewhat informed, just not given to “deep dives”. In the group, I’m the one they turn to for researching an issue…so that’s my nature. I try to meet people where they are & not everyone is as interested I guess.
My husband has to continually remind me few people are as fully engaged as I am. Like you all, I can’t imagine sitting back and not at least trying to do something.
ML, I was at a reading done by my garden assistant last night who prefaced her remarks by referring to death star, but not naming him. Her book is about gardening within ourselves and real gardens and no one could read it without understanding where we are....not in a good place. No politics where I was sitting although two people admitted that they never read. One I was sure did not understand what was happening with the snatching of immigrants and even the economic problems associated with that. At the end of the evening she said she did not talk politics. So it was evening of respite in a way and a beautiful evening weatherwise as we were outside.
Well, thank you for doing that! We all can do our part and it seems this is what the universe has decreed for you.
Again, they might enjoy the various youtube pundits. They can be very addictive in themselves. Often these days, when some stuff hits the fan, I think "I wonder what Belle (or Tennesse Brando, or Brian Tyle Cohen, or MIchael Cohen, or Glenn Kirshner, or Ben Meisalas) will say about this?"
Rather than taking up tie for the "acquisition of knowledge", we should be encouraging people to "take the time" to develop their own personal World View.
I get that kind of response when I open up about the middle east, you know, that genocide. Now, Iran!
"Too depressing to think about." Or, "Too complicated"..then I suspect Zionistic Christians....
And the, "but you can't do anything about it."
Not much, that's a fact, but I still need to KNOW. I donate and comment. And hang a Palestinian scarf , with red paint for blood, on the front of my house.
It’s disheartening when thoughtful people start to disengage, but your presence, passion, and willingness to speak up matter deeply. Sometimes all it takes is one steady voice at the table to remind others that democracy isn’t a spectator sport.
I have a relative who I love dearly, but she drank the Kool-Aid. She is a good person but, In her words, doesn’t “like politics” and will not talk about the current state of affairs under Trump. She is fundamental Christian and simply feels that this is a part of God’s plan. I suspect that a good portion of the population are like her and part of the reason why the most corrupt President in history, a grifter, liar, and all around horrible person -not to mention mentally ill - is ruining our democray. Another huge segment only cares about their wallets (and other than the wealthiest of the wealthy) are in for a rude awakening as things devolve economically - and they will. Where will all this end? Your guess is as good as mine, but the way we are headed it will not end well.
Diane, I am lucky to be fundamentalist free among my relatives here and friends also who are very engaged, thankfully. A lot of fundamental Christians believe in the second coming, so they do not have to worry about what is happening to us and the planet as long as we support Israel. Of course, only they will be saved. I have always had trouble with that view since i think it smacks of hubris. Also they believe that God is directly involved in everything in their lives which I have translated to be God tells them when to fart. It is so difficult when that person is someone you love dearly and is essentially a good person although I fail to understand how a good person can see how immigrants, for example, are being treated and think that is OK. Some people are waking up because the problems death star has created are starting to hit them in their wallets. I think we are also going to see scarcity in the grocery store if no one is around to pick the crops.
We have to stay engaged with these persons with whom we have relationships and look for opportunities to have quiet conversations. People cannot listen when they're being shouted at. Slowly, slowly, rational and quiet and respectful and loving conversations may seep through to these persons.
So let 'em eat cake. If only Booby Jr. would allow Hostess to keep their processed red-dye Zingers on the shelf. Nothing that ever grew in a field is in them, so I predict no shortage. And there's always Soylent Green - solves the Medicaid/Elder Care problem rather neatly. I feel a Jonathan Swift moment coming on,
Diane, you've teed up one of my favorite subjects upon which to comment, but today, I'll try to be brief.
In fact, fundamental Christians, aka evangelicals, are joined at the hip with the mega-rich, as the majority of them subscribe to the Prosperity Gospel. This bad theology claims that God "blesses" his very best followers by rewarding them with wealth. People who are sick or poor are in that state because of "unconfessed sin in their lives." If they will just "get right with God," they will be healed or come into money.
Purveyors of Prosperity Gospel, such as televangelists Paula White-Cain (Trump's "spiritual advisor*), Creflo Dollar, et al, fleece their audiences by promising them wealth and healing if they send contributions or buy the religious tchotchke they hawk. I'd bet money your relative sends money to at least one "television ministry."
*Is it any wonder that Trump chose TV's biggest, buxom, blonde religious grifter as his spiritual advisor?
Let me add that Prosperity Gospel justifies the denial of assistance to the disadvantaged. To the evangelical, those with poverty or health issues are unworthy of assistance because they've sinned.
"If those unfortunates will just take care of their sin problem, God will make them healthy and wealthy without assistance from me. After all, what I have is mine because God blessed me, because I'm a good christian. I should not be expected to give my money to unworthy sinners who refuse to repent."
"But I will give my money to my church that makes me feel 'saved' and superior to those sinners out there, and I'll send my money to televangelists who make me feel like I'm a good christian."
Isn't that Hobbes' thesis? That everyone gets what (s)he deserves according to some pre-destined divine merit system? What could they possibly think of the Felon born with a silver spoon in his pie hole who frittered it away only to resuscitate his wealth through quackery and grift? And had to declare bankruptcy multiple times along the way. I ache for the shallow hypocrisy of Born Agin Money Grubbers... especially the ones in client states of the godless coastal elite states.
I agree with your relative that trump is part of God's plan. I can just hear Him, "I sent you the worst of the worst--a cheat, thief, racist, xenophobe, misogynist, rapist--and you voted him as you president. His generals and attorneys who honored their oath of office managed to keep him from exercising supreme power. He even expressed his approval of having his vice president hanged. And you voted for him again? I'm sure not messing with the Free Will I gave you. You're on your own....
It's not just fundamentalists, Diane. I have a friend who's "too engaged with my art to give any attention to the negativity of politics." She thought DOGE was a great idea because in her creative ignorance she thought Elon would really tighten up and technify gov't.
Barbara, that sounds all too familiar. There’s a ‘let others do it’ attitude among too many of the wealthier wasps similar
to the teepee hug and thin smile. God forbid being arrested. Having grown up in that group, I’ve had to force myself to change from reading carefully, commenting here, to attending rallies, to writing letters and gloves off thinking as creatively as possible.
This is not to applaud myself!!
But to encourage others who are hanging back from trying to participate. At 85 now I’m feeling newly born, utterly grateful to many of you who have been politically active, and especially to HCR daily.
Her post today was deeply enlightening to me.
Yes. Time. I’m extremely active
doing tasks like mulching, taking care of my 67 lb 2 your old standard poodle plus plus, but with our Democracy under dire threat how can I not be as deeply involved as possible?
samani--you need not applaud yourself--I WILL and DO, as I'm sure others here will agree.
We all do what we can, when we can. We all need a respite every now and then, and I've been known to get myself so worked up and upset, that I sometimes do post rants here. (like yesterday) This community supports each other.
Similar experience with an intelligent, loving, always thoughtful friend who has tuned out. I understand the need for periods of disengagement when one's mental health needs to be recharged/rejuvenated. But I can't understand choosing to be less than educated as to where we've been, what's happening now, and what we need to do to get to where we need to be.
Barbara, your friends are typical of most Americans, I reckon. I'm a senior citizen, but still working in advertising and marketing. Everything I do is governed by the industry knowledge that "people don't read," especially now, in our digital graphic age. If a message isn't replete with lots of colorful graphics and blaring sound, it will be lost in the cacophony of our modern culture.
Substack started as a "writer's platform," but as you know, is constantly expanding its media capabilities in order to appeal to a market culture that demands sound and graphics.
From the comments, I gather that most of Heather's readers are senior citizens who have the time – and willingness – to read. Acquiring information from text-only Substacks like Heather's is difficult for most working people because one must focus one's full attention on reading and optionally, commenting. Not to mention that the overwhelming majority of Americans are only moderately literate (hello, Phil Balla!) with a Sixth-Grade vocabulary.
With TV or radio news, one can multitask, taking care of everyday activities while the news plays in the background. This explains the gradual extinction of newspapers; they've tried to remain relevant by going online, but consuming news online still requires front-of-mind focus.
All the TV/radio networks are corporately owned, and slavishly bending the knee to Trump. Independently owned electronic media are also pro-Trump. Coverage of opposition or resistance news is almost nonexistent.
Young and middle-aged folks might not be "checked out;" they just don't have access to news media that fits into their lifestyle. Democrats and progressives seem to be oblivious to this problem.
Dale, I think you’ve identified the problem but not its seriousness: that “lifestyle” is regarded as more important than life and liberty. In this matter, “lifestyle” is just a euphemism for self-centetedness and care-lessness. I don’t know the answer to the problem: probably a combination of education, an increased sense of community and actual threat to the well-being of those whom one loves. This requires some disciplined thought and discussion harnessed by intentionality to take action.
Kenrick, writing is a major part of my profession, so I write judiciously as best I can. My comments here are often off-the-cuff. However, I chose "lifestyle" advisedly for a couple reasons:
1. I doubted Barbara's friends are self-centered or careless. If they were, I think Barbara might have difficulty maintaining those friendships, as she seems to be quite principled. As she indicated, my appraisal wasn't accurate, although my general observation still holds true.
2. In the broader sense, for the overwhelming majority of Americans, there really isn't enough time in a day. As my father suggested in his aphorism, people do make time for the things that really matter to them. Could more people make more time for civic awareness and responsibility? Yes, probably. Is it my place to judge them for not doing so? Nope.
I try to keep in mind the admonition from Nineteenth-Century author, John Watson, writing as Ian McLaren: "Be pitiful [kind], for every man is fighting a hard battle."
To be sure, our society's civic deficit is serious; it's solution is complicated, as you've suggested. Conversations like these need to take place in every town square, with the hopes that people having the influence and authority will initiate the changes that need to be made.
Thank you Dale, for your comments. These decades-long friends and (former) coworkers were dedicated public servants giving way way more than they were ever compensated for—I don’t know how to explain it other than it being a “calling”…even tho’ we didn’t realize it at the time…you just did what needed to be done.….because it mattered. A couple, their lives are overflowing with day-to-day extended family complications….each are, I consider, to be left of center politically, but each has to find their own way to their “expression”. I can only inform and encourage, but know they WILL, each of them, show up when it’s time to vote. They are not slackers.
Dale, what you say makes a great deal of sense and I don’t doubt that Barbara’s friends are no more self-centered than the rest of us, average people, who don’t think of ourselves as self-centered, but merely “busy with our own lives.” But I disagree that it is not your place to judge. Not being judgemental is a trope to which we are culturally conditioned to default. As an expression of genuine humility, it is a virtue. As a conditioned reflex, Hannah Arendt roundly debunked it in her essay, “Personal Responsibility Under Dictatorship” (in the cillection of essays entitled RESPONSIBILITY AND JUDGEMENT). Her point-- and she was writing in large part about what she witnessed in Nazi Germany-- is that people tend to use the idea, “Who am I to judge?” as a way of avoiding the very capacity for moral evaluation whose exercise is demanded by our humanity--if we are to retain our humanity, which is really a function of our human kindliness. It was Jesus Christ who enjoined “Judge not that ye be not judged”, but he was reminding people that they don’t have the right to kill a person who violates their moral code, not asserting that they have no right or obligation to moral evaluation, moral judgement. So it seems to me the issue is not whether people have a right to be busy with their own lives, but whether there are not times in life and history when, as human beings, we are challenged to find within ourselves a deeper response. The issue is less about you or me judging others than it is about our willingness to exercise moral judgement over what it means to be human beings who treat other people as human beings, worthy of respect and concern. Which is to say, treat others by the Golden Rule, as we would be treated by others.
Dale, these friends are readers, mostly of fiction & like me, get the local & regional newspapers—I do so in part to support them, although they ARE slimming way down. And, yeah, Phil is correct about the state of education in this country. Only once in a great while to I lament not having a smart phone—carry a crappy flip-phone in case of emergencies….for only $5 month (prepaid plan)….I am sad to see so many folks “filming” things rather than just taking in the experience it’s almost as if they’re not there!!! And don’t get me started on folks so busy on their phones they don’t watch where they are walking…been plowed into a couple of timed by an unobservant foot traveler.
I brought extra signage to protests and offered the use of them to attendees or even just passers-by. Several took me up on the chance to protest holding them.
Complacency summed up. That percentage of any society is larger today. That our education system doesn’t establish current events is important to stay abreast of ‘things’ , I had it in 7&8th grades , we had to read the newspapers (homework) and discuss headlines and front page articles. TV had not yet become dominate..but it of itself became the news carrier if not shortly realized ‘the programmer’ today it’s the phones/ipad -addictively.
With clever regard other medias …picked up on how influential …TV could be ‘telling a story’ cable and later CNN/Fox , the ‘Reality’ series made the visual of radio where families had clustered around to hear the news …easy listening. Progress made life easier to live faster.Ads originally were few. But a public was vulnerable and money could be made convincing you what was the best/the biggest/you wouldn’t believe how …fill in the blanks. The beginning of algorithmic awareness ,soap opera mentality ,and rise in manipulating the masses.
Today the world has been captured by The Little Boy that cried Wolf , backed up by that money made influence ,including foreign and the powerful manipulation cons play to get more of your/our/whosever money.
Aghast they aren’t believed , it’s double down tactics,555-1212, catchy superlatives ,or ire producing insults cheered on by the bloodlust amphitheater often thumbs down reminders of gladiator spectacles …just fancier. Upgraded from black and white the wars, the blood, sweat,and tears for your entertainment ( and their profiteering dreams).
We now have a president millions voted for who has cried wolf so many times many/most? have turned OFF that TV or muted it (best invention ever) ..wanting a Nobel Prize for the best snow job in modern day history. Noted is the educated see mostly through the smoke screens…the new phrase for manipulation. Woke up, huh? Even that was quickly ‘seen’ and made ‘a dirty word’. Fools and their money are soon parted ..Part 2.
“We’re gonna be so rich..”and the story just like the other stories ,led them again ,them thinking he meant “us”…his version of accountability.
John McLean , American Pie.
It’s up to 🫵, not the courts, not the money, certainly not the little boy who cries wolf….
Barbara, I have a friend who considers herself a political junkie and she reads the Letter, a daily print paper, and watches the local news at night. I've forwarded plenty of links onto her and she got upset. Too much time!
If this is too much for your friends, perhaps some of the excellent YouTube videos would be informative? Belle of the Ranch covers a lot of ground in 3 clips of about 4 minutes a day. Other YouTuber's seem to be longer, but even still can be less. I listen while driving, and sometimes we run them while we eat dinner.
Miselle, I'm not criticizing you at all, but your recommendation of YouTube reminded me that it is a property of Google, and as with other brands of social media, it uses algorithms to keep users engaged as long as possible, sometimes longer than we want, in order to serve us more ads (and generate more revenue for Google parent Alphabet).
Sometimes, the algorithms push videos and channels that are related to our interests, but unreliable.
Example: There's a group of videos describing calm, cool, collected Jasmine Crockett taking down people in power. One story gives an account of Chief Justice John Roberts "having a screaming fit on live TV in a congressional hearing after Crockett put him in his place." I spent a lot of time trying to verify the story. I learned that it never happened, but multiple versions of the story are being pushed by several channels, apparently all originating from the same content creator.
People without the time to read text-only stories will likely not have the time to vet the video content that's being pushed to them. So far, Substack isn't aggressively pushing unwanted content, but that may change.
I have no doubt that Crockett is aware of the videos and chooses to avoid the "Streisand effect" by ignoring them.* The videos I've seen flash a screen full of fine print that couldn't possibly be read without pausing (and nobody does that) stating to the effect that "the following story is fiction for entertainment purposes." This keeps the creators out of court and financially solvent.
We can report them as misinformation, but YouTube moderators won't do anything because of the disclaimer.
As I've opined before, the greatest strength is the greatest weakness. The YouTube platform provides free access to a lot of valuable content and equally free access to perfidious garbage. Unfortunately, most users don't do their due diligence.
Try this, "Our constitution was broken by some very bad men and we are this far (use hand gesture to signify about an inch) away from being a police state". People do not like that shit, it freaks them out, and they might less of you. I think there's a lot of denial operating and I have compassion, but we need to start operating from that very premise.
You make great points. I work in education and healthcare. If I want people to act in their own best interests, making it easy for them to do so works much better than exhorting them to “just do it”.
Is it a misnomer to think that we can somehow make our own best interest appear to be the easy choice? Or does that require us to think too far beyond immediate gratification?
Thank you all for sharing your thoughts and experiences.
Appreciate your commitment IN standing up for democracy. Resisting, protesting, calling congress, campaigning, et al are positive actions we all can master in one way or another and contribute to restoring sanity and hope in the USA.
My husband spent some time explaining Mastodon vs Twitter and Facebook. One of our friends seems interested. They are the couple who did their first protest with us on the 14th and were emotionally overwhelmed.
Disgusting that we must continue to fight these insane issues. All three wives of Trump were foreigners. They (their remains) and their children should be immediately rounded up and deported. When President Turd dies, I intend to crap on his resting place.
And didn't Musk overstay his visa but eventually became a citizen. Let's deport his kids too and those of the other oligarchs that are welching on their taxes.
Despair its not given up Robert. It's a natural reaction to a situation very valuable that's escaping out of your hsnds. Any normal, decent people is there already. That's my case.
We have now arrived at the crux of political malfunction in the United States: most white Americans are stone cold white supremacists whose top political priority is the preservation of the systemic legal, economic, and political advantages of white Americans, no matter what it costs. The President is on board with this. The legislature is on board with this. The Supreme Court is on board with this. And upwards of 77 million Americans are on board with this.
Beg to differ Rex. Trump was not elected by the majority of Americans. Less than 50 of those voting voted for him. Personally, I believe Musk manipulated the voting machines in swing states as the count showed the overwhelming vote for dems on the down ballot while Trump won for president. Also, where was the "Exit Polling" that would have reflected the real vote count? There are investigations on going to get to the bottom of possible fraudulent voting.
However the 77mil that Rex says are on board with this, voted for him, the majority being White Americans who seem to like to have White privilege. There were 75 mil that voted for Harris and 93 million who did not vote.
We know there were bomb threats called in in heavily democratic swing state districts (supposedly initiated by Putin), and those polls shut down and there was no make up time for the people who had to miss voting. That is an irregularity that should cause those states to have to redo their votes.
I agree Robert and tRump as much admitted it. It is not a coincidence that the man that said "I have all the votes I need" and campaigned like he did, won all swing states. The spin out there is laughable.
What's the diff, Robert? You may be 100% right, but even if election tampering were absolutely proven we wouldn't get a Mulligan. And if we did, First Felon would find a way to win as surely as he wins tournaments at Bedminster.
I don’t know where you’re coming from on this. The fantasy of a level of fraudulent voting that could affect an election outcome has mostly been a delusion of loony, rightwing fanatics (except that maybe… a big maybe… they may have had a smidgen of evidence in Cook County in 1960). It appears to me (and I admit to making a wild guess in this matter) that you have an inflated view of the level of decency in the white population of the US. I grew up in Kansas and spent 30 years working in Oklahoma. I know these people, and I can assure you that white Americans, roughly 60% of them, are even worse than they appear to be, and they appear to be mighty damn bad.
I say it's always palest before the dusk, Rex. When the U.S. population shifts from majority white to majority brown, we'll see the sun set on this bs.
I don't know if most white people are white supremacists. It seems apparent that most right-wing white people are white supremacists, and the fascist leaders are taking advantage of that fact and using it to carry out their fascist coup.
I wonder when the right-wing will decide that HCR's scholarship in American history is too dangerous and ban her books and all other fact-based (evidence-based) publications, including textbooks of our history. They constantly take advantage of their voters' low IQ to believe their reimagining of history.
Thank you for that encouragement, Robert Paulson. I think we all need it at this point. My 89 year-old father goes with me to most protests. His main passion is support for Ukraine. I can't even decide specifics anymore, so my sign just reads: "Make America Kind Again." We must stay strong.
My husband and I are in our 70's. We have attended rallies in SC and Virginia. In both locations there were a mix of ages of citizenry and to add to my great joy, there were many in wheel chairs...some endured a rain storm with us in Virginia until they could move themselves to a safer location. My husband and I were remained standing in the rain, "wet to the bone" and shouting "NO KINGS!" It was a small sacrifice to stand for freedom...to stand for our country and to honor those young and old .....to honor those of every race, rich and poor, who have given so much more for this country, : The Land of the Free Because of the Brave!"
Thank you Robert I needed to read your words this morning. I’m going to a Tesla takedown at 11am in Dedham MA and scream my head off. I will keep on keep’n on best Cynthia
Robert Paulson -- I love the extraordinary pun in your sign! Pronunciation ("Faux king".) Thank you for starting this Saturday morning off with such delight!
We can’t despair! I’m 81 too, and I march, protest, rally, and go to weekly standouts - we need to keep on being loud and inspiring more and more people to join us!
Go for it. Today we are having our biweekly stand Up for the Constitution stand out in my town. I’ll be there wearing my 8647 shirt and with my reversed flag. (I’m a little younger than you are—I won’t be 80 until August.)
Like so many of you here, my husband is 82 (cancer survivor), I am 64 and in between our travel to treat children and living in Rome we attend protests. Listen to Contrarion short 15 minutes video from yesterday. Trump did not win the birthright citizenship case. Do not give up, do not give in to his lies. We will prevail.
Besides all of the like minded plus some cultists who wake up and IF we have fair election we will elect a Congress that will impeach wannabe dictator and Thomas and Alito and get rid the scourge.
Groups have already filed class action lawsuits within hours of the decision coming down. Let the Supreme Court reverse birthright citizenship on the merits and reveal to the world just how corrupt and *legally bankrupt* they are. I don't think it will happen. This decision makes no sense and reflects, I think, actual FEAR of Trump on the justice's part as much as ideology. In the meantime, blue cities and states should show how ridiculous it is by weaponizing it. "All firearm sales to private individuals is hereby rendered illegal and anyone engaged in it shall be guilty of a felon and sentenced to 20-100 years in prison." "All Christian churches that mention any partisan poltical issues or candidates shall by closed and its assets given to the state to pay for atheism studies in public schools." Both are absurd and unconstitutional but no more than a President trying to end birthright citizenship with a signature.
That this decision is a result of the Supreme Court's fear of Trump is my take as well. Chief Justice Roberts is weak and backed away from a confrontation with Trump (who is also, beneath the bullying, weak and insecure). This is a decision that will (eventually) be overturned. It is a burdensome, foolish outcome...and Trump loves it, which means it's a very bad decision for Truth, Justice and Equality under the Law.
Evangelicals and conservative Catholics have spent centuries refining the art of cherrypicking scripture to support their preconceived notions, so it should come as no surprise that evangelicals and conservative Catholics on the supreme bench would apply the same cherrypicking skills to their reading of the U.S. Constitution.
Example: All western religions followed Hebrew tradition which still holds that human life begins when a newborn draws the first breath, ruah, or "the breath of God."
But when the Roman Catholic Church felt threatened by the expansion of the Ottoman Empire, the Vatican concluded that the solution was to outnumber Muslims, so to promote more Catholic births, the Vatican declared birth control and abortion as sins.
Protestants preferred not to discuss anything related to sex, but continued to follow Hebrew tradition until the 1960s, when Republican operatives sought to harness the power of the evangelical/conservative Catholic voting bloc and needed a political wedge/litmus test. Abortion was selected and a campaign was mounted to overturn previous belief by twisting and stretching scripture to support this new position.
Thanks for that history. Still today, the Catholics are trying to keep 'market share' by discouraging birth control and abortion even in areas where limiting their mouths to feed might be very beneficial to the people in their flock. And of course, the white Christian nationalists behind Project 2025 and currently running our government, are really pushing to have white Americans especially have more bablies.
The Roberts court made the Citizens United decision before trump had any political power. That decision was a significant step towards today's political system, where money is free speech and the more you spend, the more free speech you have. Only public financing for all elected positions, with no other financing permitted, can stop the ultra-rich (Oligarchs) from buying politicians and political positions.
Also, when Roberts was part of the Reagan administration, he made it his mission to undo the civil rights and voting rights of non white citizens. The six corrupt right-wing Justices don't rule because they are afraid of trump or his minions; they were chosen by the President, who appointed them to do everything they are doing now to weaken the power of "We the people" and make it possible for the radical right-wing elites to permanently rule our nation.
Again, I personally believe it is a mixture of ideology/personal enrichment AND fear that is the motivation for ALL the Republicans in power right now including the partisan operatives on the Supreme Court. You are not wrong about Roberts and people theorize his experiences in the Reagan Admin lead directly to Trump v United States which basically made him an untouchable king.
I I used to think “they” Congress, the Supreme Court, lower court Judges, etc.. were afraid of Trump and that maybe be true in the beginning but now I think they are supporting him because they are all making money. Everyone of these guys/gals are making money. From MTG shorting the market to Clarence Thomas and Robert’s lavish vacations, everyone of them are making money while destroying people’s lives for generations. Horrific!
Why can't it be both? I kind of think ALL the Republicans are both hoping to profit personally (it is the reason they are in office) AND are also afraid of him and what he might do to them if they don't obey. It is obvious here that the SC was avoiding the confrontation for now as they could have just ruled from their shadow docket that Trump's position on birthright citizenship is obviously and inherently unconstitutional rendering this decision moot.
Unless one lives in TN and keeps up with the legislature even just generally, it’s impossible to convey how biased, mean, and suspicious of other than R white men the legislators are. And don’t start me on the sycophantic governor and our US senators. They proclaim their devout Christianity, of course.
So, you maintain that, faced with dealing with the birthright citizenship issue, the Supreme Court will finally acknowledge its constitutionality. Since they avoided dealing with that issue in this case and focused only on the authority of a single federal district court judge to enjoin some presidential action by himself/herself, I infer the same thing. Praying that we may both be right.
I *hope* that denying the very obvious meaning of the this 150 year+ amendment would be a bridge too far even for this gumby court who twists logic and completely ignores stare decisis and precedent. But I have been wrong before! If for any other reason, such a decision would throw the entire country into chaos and open huge cans of worms everywhere. If I am not a citizen even though I was born here if my parents were not citizens, what about if my parents were only citizens because they were born here but their parents were not citizens? How far back do we go? If I am suddenly rendered a non-citizen, what about my kids who were born here? It hurts the head just thinking about all the possible scenarios.
Changing the law, after the fact, and punishing those whose actions to place before the change sounds disturbing like ex post facto, a Constitutional violation in and of itself.
It reminds me of how this Admin is now suddenly taking away group's legal status and then deporting members of that group. They were here legally, they did everything right, they did what they were told to do, they are removed anyway.
Get out of the way? We are important in our resistance to tyranny. Support the younger generations wholeheartedly. And we work together to save our democracy.
We are a part of a society, and all have a potentially useful perspective, though I do notice oldsters (of which I am definitely one) are top heavy with concentrations of politcal power. I am more that ready to see some turnover in favor of some new and younger blood.
I am a US citizen living in a country in Asia where most elders are esteemed. Yes, younger folks in the US can step up and we support them. Yes, many in government could retire their roles and pass the baton to younger folks who have a vision for what they would like to see manifest with our country. And we support them. To say "get out of the way" is negative, dismissive, and disrespectful.
I was on a team of 30 computer consultants in South Dakota. 29 of the 30 were born in India or Pakistan. I was the 30th. I was 62 at the time and the they were all under 40 years old.
They all treated me with the utmost respect and kindness. Of course, they may treat most people that way but I was really moved.
While I agree that elders should be respected for wisdom gained from experience, in the Senate we have fossilized dinosaurs who have been warming their seat for over 40 years--too many years out of touch with their constituents; an office from which they have financially profited while continuing to make roadblocks to reasonable legislation. Those elected offices were NEVER intended to be lifetime positions!
Senator Grassley of Iowa, is 91 and has been the Senator from Iowa since 1981. Before that he was a state legislator and then a Representative. Grassley has never done anything but be a politician his entire life. Senator McConnell at 83 (and recently in very poor health) has been in the Senate since 1985..there are a few others--our own senior Senator from Maine, Susan Collins, has been a Senator for 30 years.
The Representatives in the House have two year terms and are easier to vote out, but even some of them have been in office for far too long. There are 19 Representatives who have served over 30 years and 6 that have served over 40 years. Cripes...some of these folks have never had any other job! What do they know about the struggles of the average American family????
So why are their constituents not voting them out? It is up to us to vote them out. But it doesn't mean all elders are like this and should get out of the way. A lot of young ones are monstrosities, take MTG for instance. Biden was not perfect, but he had a vision and he is old. I resist the ageism!
TL, we need reps who know “when to hold ‘em & when to fold ‘em”….the ideal is that they are mentors to those coming up…and to do so gladly and with reverence….the passing of the baton, so to speak. To me that is a very noble path…AND to be and stay available for guidance/good counsel.
They know nothing and avoid their constituents because they don’t have any financial interest in contacts with them. They keep winning their seats because of name recognition—works for the uniformed ($$$$$ well spent),
Yeah, Wendyl, it’s gonna take ALL of us…we “oldsters” can still be as full of passionate intensity (in a good way) as the youth…side by side we resist!
Robert - I greatly fear that we (the boomers) are the only people left on the planet who are not too busy with our cell phones, Tiktok, Twitter and FB to take any interest in what is happening in the world around us.
You look at the raging protest comments on Social Media, Substacks etc - and see how many people say "I am 70" or "I served in Vietnam" or "I taught/nursed/served for fifty years."
Many, many of the young have no idea what they are allowing to slip away.
As far as democracy, I agree, but as far as economics are concerned I quote my gen Z assistant. “You have no idea how much my generation hates rich people”. That can be harnessed. As just happened in NYC.
I’m living this. My 17 year old grandson listens to and watches right wing crap on his ever present phone and swallows all the right wing garbage then regurgitates it in pithy little slogans to me, his 80 yr old grandmother whom he has nicknamed “Liberal Woman.” Praying it’s a phase.
Jesus, Janet - sorry for your loss! That must break your heart. The only comfort I can give (from my own experience) is that the terrible teens do eventually come back to what they were as kids.
Just hope yours didn't spend his early years pulling the wings off flies, which I suspect many now-adult MAGA did. . .
He didn’t harm animals or insects, thank goodness. He got a cellphone at 9 or 10, was a bit scarred by Covid lock down at 12 and is growing up in a very privileged town where rebellion at this age seems to be aimed at anyone who is “different.” Being a straight white kid, he has developed an intolerance for the very few gay and trans kids in his school, pro life stands built on nothing, etc. He just wants to be “against.” Hoping a college experience will slowly transform him.
So they are paying attention but the whole alpha male BS being pushed by the MAGAts is appealing to many young men. Fortunately not my grandson’s group and they are an ever widening circle of most likely independents wonder how the racist, misogynistic white men are so appealing to other young men.
I wouldn’t say that at all. Younger Americans may not be on Substack, which I think skews towards older college educated readers (I am 61), but they are out and loud on BlueSky and they’re pissed. The system has largely failed them and Trump is only the tip of the iceberg. In their eyes our generation has stolen opportunity from them. We’ve done well with our nice homes, our 401Ks, and here we are now getting ready to coast into a retirement they may never get to enjoy. We’ve tolerated the widening income and equity gap, and worse, helped it along by spiking policies that might have slowed it down or reversed it. In short we have pulled the ladders up behind us. That is what they see. And they are ready to burn the whole thing down.
How about joining us to build the "whole thing" back up?
It's not a sin to have a home and a a 401k - in fact what pisses them off is that they have no chance of getting one.
Most boomers worked hard for the things they have - but they only have them because the were actually attainable.
Liberals have been screaming for years about how the money is moving up and out of the average guys reach. Instead of working to burn it down, young people should be working to regain that level of wealth all Americans could once get - whether they were blue or white collar,
Right now, the only people in the US who can run a comfortable family life have a gold collar.
I don't see a "more energetic generation". In fact, I see the boomers out in droves at these protests.. The youngers just don't seem to understand what's at stake.
Most of the youngster I have encountered do understand, but many of them are so busy working long hours, often two and three jobs, just to keep their heads above water and take care of their families. I can certainly relate to this. It hasn't been so very long ago that I was one of them.
Imagine what those college kids have lived through that we boomers didn’t. School shootings where they’re so locked down in school and terrified that they never learned what freedom was. Book banning non-stop and constant homophobia crammed down their throats. Then they had to live through covid during some of the best years of their life. Next up the constant barrage of horrible steps taken to quell their free speech and now they watch their best friend ripped away by masked ICE agents just for being a little brown. I have a 22 y/o grandson who talks about this. He’s lived with us since he was 16 and his mom passed. I’ve had to bring him back from the edge of suicide. He went to UCSD 30 minutes from us but we put him in the dorms anyway so he could make friends and learn to be his own person. He’s well adjusted and wants to help make change but honestly they’ve watched republicans refuse to do something as simple as taking steps to remove guns from our streets.
True, but they are busy, until their lives disappear. I make sure that my grands know, but they are working their rears off just trying to get through the day. It’s what I did at their age, but the burdens on me pale by the ones they are facing.
I can agree with that up to a point. But there are huge reservoirs of disenchantment among the young that could be tapped. I do think they have a social conscience. And I’m not worried that they are on their phones.
I’m in favor of getting out of the way, provided they are showing leadership, until they do that, we who lived through and witnessed the 60’s are going to have very loud voices. I have no intention of going quietly into the night, I don’t have the stamina I used to have, but the passion is still alive and well. 🤬🤬🤬💥
Well we boomer women in particular have fought too damn hard, for what rights we have, to stand aside. However I do believe the young must step up and become the leaders for the 21st century. Personally I am a progressive. Time we invested money in the people instead of armoring the world. I am fine with the EU or a confederation of democracies to become the leaders of the free world while we repair the damage that has and will be done to our democracy.
I am pleased to say that my grandchildren who are Gen Z and myself agree. Strength in numbers! All ages and all members of society who believe in diversity and social justice need to stick together and push back with everything in us!
Think this through, I think everyone is missing the point. I disagree with all the comments about despair and frankly the liberal dissents, 'but I feel and understand their pain'. This is an ok inevitable ruling because there are 677 District Court judges in the country and any one of them could freeze Presidential actions across the country. In the prior era, before Reagan and then all subsequent Republicans, started appointing right wing fanatical younger lunatics to the bench, a judge was extremely circumspect about issuing a nationwide injunction so this was not a problem. Obama was flummoxed as was Biden, when far right advocates filed BS ultra conservative suits in small MAGA redneck racist Born Again shitholes that had only one judge or maybe a few and knew they would get a MAGA ruling. This delayed the rollout of Obama Care, tied up birth control under Biden, etc. Justice Roberts recently tried to reign in the MAGA lunatic in Texas, to no avail. Already there are 'splits in the Circuits' such that the law and precedent is a tad different in different parts of the country. E.g. The 5th Circuit is known to be more 'conservative' and its rulings disagree with the 9th Circuit on the west coast. So there has never been 'uniformity'. SO WHY THE UPROAR from the liberal dissenters? Because it marks the end of an era where a District Court judge, no matter who appointed them, was a decent jurist who did not play political games. It's the end of an era when a District Court judge dare not issue a nationwide injunction unless it was extremely well grounded in jurisprudence. Its tragic, it's a shame, but its reality. Look no further than Aileen 'Loose' Cannon for the prototypical young unqualified right wing stooge ready to bend the constitution, law and facts to serve a political end. Do you really want this incompetent to have the ability to shut down the next Democrat in the White House, nation wide, for the months or the years it takes to get to the appellate courts? I read the dissents as a funeral dirge for decency and trust in District Courts, which is indeed a tragedy, but a jurisprudential necessity given the hundreds of shitty judges appointed by Republicans over the years. If 'set Trump free' Roberts can not reign in U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Amarillo Texas, no one can. Here is an article with data summarizing how these nationwide injunctions have become political tools as opposed to jurisprudence. Follow link also to Harvard Law Review article on the topic. https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/texas-a-hot-spot-for-universal-injunctions-from-conservative-judges/
Very interesting. I wonder how this can be fixed? Perhaps better vetting of judges? A review by constitutional lawyers when and injunction is issued to stop progress if needed? Kacsmaryk and Cannon are both examples of the rot within the judiciary. I live in Texas and am very aware of the 5th circuit and particularly Kacsmaryk, the “go to judge” for injunctions.
Technically it can be easily fixed, by Congress. The lead opinion was based upon statutory interpretation, 'what did Congress intend', for a law passed in 18th century. BUT as a practical matter, getting Congress to pass an amendment to the law and get past the filibuster seems unlikely to impossible. The courts have said in essence 'we secede this power of review to the Presidency because we cannot be trusted to do it competently'. Realistically, when the Judiciary Act of 1789 was passed, there were 19 total judges. Today including Circuit Court judges the number is 870. So some of this is merely a 'numbers game'. https://www.fjc.gov/history/exhibits/graphs-and-maps/composition-courts
Thanks. It is my fervent hope that legal hawks and constitutional scholars are right now working on a multitude of laws that can be passed if we take both house with a majority in the midterms. Well thought out laws. If we have an election, we need to hit the ground running on the first day. Among the top issues to be repaired ….Citizens United. We must have a plan in place. Heather Cox Richardson’s letter today had some history of a similar situation in 1890 when the McKinley Tariff was passed.
He was born several months before his mother became a citizen...under any other circumstances, I'd say that was an objectionable question. Under the present circs? It is most appropriate.
Jasmine Crockett really went after Melania’s illegal entry into the country by claiming Einstein status. She should be deported with the rest of them for fraud, just like Musk. Instead they’re grabbing up the 6 y/o hispanic boy receiving medical treatment for leukemia in L.A. Lock him up in a cell and let him die just because of the color of his skin.
Thank you for naming this moment so clearly. It’s easy to feel despair when systems that are meant to uphold justice seem to falter. But this also reminds us that real change doesn’t come only from institutions—it comes from people, from our shared sense of dignity and our deep connection to one another. Rights shouldn’t depend on wealth, status, or geography. They should grow from a recognition that every human being has intrinsic worth. The more we organize, uplift each other, and cultivate a culture rooted in compassion and justice, the more resilient our democracy becomes. Let’s keep moving forward together.
While I agree with everything that Dr Richardson has written about birth-right citizen citizenship, I also understand why the Supreme Court ruled the way it did. It does seem like an over-reach that each one of ninety-four district courts can extend authority beyond its area of jurisdiction.
B.L.U.F. (bottom-line, up-front): I am not trained in the law. My reasoning here is mine alone, Please feel free to teach me . . . gently.
So, what happen when one district judge issues a temporary restraining order (T.R.O.) and at the same time another district judge refuses to issue a T.R.O. on the same or very similar issue? 🤔
Does the granted T.R.O. extend to the district that refused it? In those states with more than one district, how does a similar split play out? Within a state. Oy-vey.🤔
One may be: extend than T.R.O. issued first.✍️
If that priority of timing applies, it is well known that some district judges favour Trump and others are pre-disposed toward more progressive thinking. So, when one Party controls the presidency and the President issues an executive order, the opposition shops around for one judge to seek a desired T.R.O. And vice versa. 🫨
So, we may have a situation where one judge has, temporarily for the length of the restraining order, supremacy over the Supreme Court, the rest of the judiciary, and to the President. 😢
One possible approach is for the legislative branch, the locus of power in our government, to pass a law building in a lag-time, say sixty days, so Congress and others can review the constitutionality of the executive order or pass legislation negating it.⚖️
Shira Scheindlin made the same argument today on MSNBC about district court judges issuing orders that cover every State. Additionally, Andrew Weissmann said something about "silver linings". Judge Kacsmeryk in Amarillo, Texas is a go to judge for Republicans because he always rules against democrats and always in favor of Republicans. I think this is what Weissmann was referring to although he didn't elaborate. So, birthright citizenship wasn't overturned but left to be fought in courts in every jurisdiction. It would have been nice if the 'conservative' judges would have just made it clear that the 14th amendment enshrined Birthright Citizenship. Instead they seemed to kick the can down the road again. We will now see a flurry of class action suits which will take much longer and cost a lot more. Having said that, this administration is racially profiling people to deport them and separating families in the process. As bad as this looks for the SCOTUS, it certainly was not a win for Trump.
Well stated, J. I had the same judge in Texas in mind. The Supreme Court did kick the can down the road. At first, I though the Court might be wise in deferring judgement of birth-right citizenship in view of what occurred -- at least as I recall it -- with the Dred Scott decision. (I.e., the Court used an individual suit for freedom under Illinois law to make its own 'universal injunction' that Blacks were not citizens and not entitled to the liberties of white men.)
Yet the opening of the opinion clearly states that the case involves birth-right citizenship, as per this snip-it from the opening statements: "President Trump’s Executive Order No. 14160 . . . Meaning and Value of American Citizenship . . . The Executive Order identifies circumstances in which a person born in the United States is not 'subject to the jurisdiction thereof' and is thus not recognized as an American citizen."
Districts no, Circuit Court of Appeals (10), yes. That is how we got SCOTUS action on police use of force. There were at least some flavor of 4 different determinations on what was justifiable use of force from the 9th, 5th, 6th, and I can't recall the last off the top of my head. Graham v. Connor, (decided by SCOTUS, out of North Carolina) brought all police use of force under the 4th Amendment (each of the courts mentioned utilized other Amendments in their reasoning.
Thank you, Ally. Seems that the longer response that l bloviated above is quite late to the party. In this case, with something as fundamental as who is a citizen and who is not, one would think, as did J. above, that the Supreme Court would have weighed in.
"Despite feelings of disappointment and cynicism, we cannot give up. Defeat is not an option. Accepting that truth, our task is to resist with every fiber of our being. The tide has turned already; the period of rehabilitation will be long and arduous. But it won’t happen unless we persist. Stay strong and keep the faith!"
I think we should organize and start filing cases, as many cases as there are potential deportees. Let's Show the absurdities of the law while following it. And, who knows, we may even save folks from deportation.
I’m so upset that this awfulness from SCOTUS took our attention away from the really really big news: GDP tanked into negative territory for the first time in years (helllloooo recession and, if the tariffs kick in hard and fast - stagflation) thanks to lower consumer spending as millions of people like me are using our wallets as our weapons. Resistance = less spending. And it’s working.
Yesterday, I went off on a rant and I was calling for a day or weekend total boycott of shopping.
Crickets. That's okay, I was a bit over the top. I confess that frustration of my current life made me lash out. (severe tendonitis in R foot, along with meniscus tears in left knee, along with an overgrown yard I can't clean up in upper 90s heat, plus despair over yet another query rejection, and a fur-child with hypertension now added to her cancer and renal issues, etc, etc, etc..)
I am a nonviolent person and don't even own a gun, but I do see how people can lose it and I'm very afraid civil unrest is coming. As a long time healthcare worker (40+ years in urban major medical center labs) I've noticed ER admissions related to violence increase in hot weather. I also noticed, during polar vortexes, those type of admissions dropped.
It's June and we've already seen horribly high temperature stretches.
My own sister has put the blinders on and stubbornly refuses to take them off. She said she is trusting in Jesus to make things right. Thank God the rest of my siblings (there are five of us still living) have sense to know better. I pray every day but Jesus urged everyone with eyes to see and ears to hear to take heed! Prayer without action is wishful thinking.
While I do agree with your take here. The current court should be disband for failure to perform their intended duties. Number one being to protect the Constitution instead of actively changing the meaning of it's intended purpose.
These justices, most of them are the products of the indoctrination applied to them, a result of living and worshiping the super wealthy elitist's class of our society. In their environment of constant genuflecting to their betters they have become convinced that all who don't are somehow lesser persons than they are. An example of how disassociation from fact feeds into the elitist mentality. A mentality which supports their belief that everyone , while not equal, should pull themselves up by themselves as they have come to believe they did.. A belief born of their loss of contact with reality. They then project on the 'other' their ill conceived value set not based in realty.
The result ends up with lawyers becoming justices on the SCOTUS and this is what we witness., decisions such as Citizens United, and this garbage about citizenship, IMO.
Don't despair Robert, A quote from Lt. Gen. Lewis "Chesty" Puller, "We're completely surrounded . . . . we have them right where we want them!" "they're on our right, they're on our left, they're in front of us, they're behind us; they can't get away from us this time.
After working in the federal courts for most of my career, this ruling makes me wonder what the point of the federal court system is, what the point is of a federal judge’s nomination by a president of the US, and confirmation by the US Senate.
And 6 to 3, the Supreme Court is supporting everything Trump does. Three women liberals stand between us and descent into fascism. Send them letters thanking them for their courage!
Either he is snail-mailing, or he is emailing. One day I spent hours emailing all the senators. MOST of them will take your comments via email, although some have residency requirements.
Most will ignore nonresident comments. They are elected to represent their constituents, not the general public of the US. It's not a total waste to email them all but mostly a waste. My representatives already are on my side (both Senators and my Congress critter) fortunately.
Yes. Three women liberals are making a valiant effort. Unfortunately they have zero power, just like the Democrats in the legislature. Nobody can stop Republicans from doing whatever they please until, at the earliest, a new legislature is sworn in roughly two years from now. And maybe not then, either, if the vote goes full-on white supremacist again or if one of the things the convicted felon in the Oval Office wants to do is call off the 2026 elections.
Rex, I heard on NPR whilst driving today someone posit that “R’s” may have a “be careful what you wish for” realization if “D’s” regain the presidency and control of Congress….the current court decisions don’t specify which political party they apply to. That said, IMHO, the “D’s” tend to respect the Marquis of Queensbury rules and “R’s” are more guerrilla warfare tactics (win at any cost)….so remains to be seen if Dems would utilize them to their advantage.
The Rs are acting like they will never have to stand for election again; i.e., that we will never again have free and fair elections where they are held accountable. That seems to be their plan.
Good ol’ Donny sure can’t hide his delight at this prospect, as he keeps hinting at it…maybe some high-tech shenanigans are going on behind the scenes to try to pull this off (she says in horror and with dread that “it can happen here”).
Thanks….not been following this link, but am on others who are delving into this issue. I hope the truth will out, regardless of partisanship….just the plain basic facts, ma’m!!!
Well, yes, they have more power than you and I do because they have a platform that reaches millions of people. However, they have far less power than, say, Joe Rogan. It’s a pity, of course, because they know important things and apply careful analysis to reach well-supported conclusions, whereas Rogan just makes all that shit up out of a vacuum. But that’s the way “intellectual” life in the US goes. Since forever.
I’m reminded that Joe Biden refused to entertain the idea of Expanding The Court… even though it makes complete sense to do so. This is just another reason why the Democrats have let us down… SMH
I do not believe Joe Biden let us down by not expanding the court, most Constitutional experts - liberal and conservative - argued against an expanded court. The loss of the idea that we have a responsibly to our communities more than ourselves, the press, education, and bottom line, an ill-informed voter population has let us down.
Biden was hands down, the best President of my lifetime which goes back to Eisenhower. In his first two years, in spite of having a very narrow majority, he was able to pass several major pieces of legislation. Plus, he had arguably the best cabinet and advisors of any President ever. Plus he didn't override them constantly. Just about every county in the US benefited from the infrastructure bill and many would still be benefiting if Trump hadn't put most of the projects on hold.
I would have voted for Biden over Trump if Biden was just a brain in a jar of formaldehyde.
I have always been very fond of what Bill Clinton did and accomplished. His policies and actions managed to affect the country even though Starr spent the entire presidency on Whitewater and he was persecuted for a blow job while Trump is forgiven for many sexual assaults and admitting he could grab ‘em by the pussy.
YES. Thank you. You always come through so eloquently and succinctly . Ya nailed it. I would see your “ brain in a jar of formaldehyde “ and add a fungus infested toe nail.
Bless you for that. Joe Biden is a good, decent hardworking person who fought to make democracy work for everyone and to be the responsibility of all of us. We Democrats let him down. He was a devoted father and husband who lost his first wife and baby daughter in a tragic accident. He lost his one son probably due to consequences of his service in our military. And he struggled to help his surviving son from the emotional struggles of the above. And when he needed our support to preserve our democracy, we dismissed him as a doddering old man and spit in his face. And I am ashamed and disgusted of any part I may have played in this.
Sorry to have to point this out, but your claim that “Constitutional experts - liberal and conservative - argued against” doing so ignores the facts of who says we SHOULD expand the court…
Good to learn your mind is open not closed. Also… tell me you don’t get the context of my use of the word “sorry” without telling me you don’t get the context. SMH. Enjoy your weekend. Bye bye
Steve, I'd like to see SCOTUS expanded to 13; one for each federal District Court, and one Chief Justice. I'd like to see CJ as a rotating position, with a 5 year term. Other things that I'd like to see is the banning of the "Shadow Docket" and a mandatory retirement age of 75. That is what Oregon Courts have, and it seems to work pretty well.
Thanks for letting me know how Oregon’s court system works. Sounds like a good approach to me! And yes! One SCOTUS justice for every Federal District Court plus a Chief Justice!
Interestingly, I've been associated with the Lane County Circuit Court since my first assignment to court transport in 1987 lasting through 2023 as a retiree doing courthouse security. In that time, about a dozen judges have left via "aging out" (to borrow a DCI* term). Two of them were still on the top of their game, and both died within a year of their retirement. The others were either ready to go or really, really needed to go.
Interesting point… to which I must ask … Isn’t the job of the President to decide between two sides of any issue (choosing the side that benefits the American people the most)?
It is his job, but my guess about President Biden is that if he expanded SCOTUS and someone less thoughtful than he followed him, that person would likely add more than he had. But there’s always another year. This court MUST be “corrected” somehow. Long live the three ladies!
Fascism....not my ideal form of government...NOT the ideal of "freedom for all" for which we have shed our blood in the past.
I stand for "freedom for all"! We, in America, are made to lift one another up!!! Where is Kamala Harris? She knows how to govern!!!!
I believe our country is better because of every race of human being who give of themselves everyday from the most humble form of work to working as scientists, professors, lawyers, doctors, nurses, caregivers, teachers, firemen, police officers engineers....etc. We need one another!!! We together make our country great!!!
I admire the 3 women, but being in the minority and writing blistering dissents does not stop us from descending into fascism. Unfortunately. Right now, I feel the 2 Ds: Despair and Disgust.
Good luck with that. It takes a majority in the House to impeach (the GOP hold a slim majority in the House) and it takes 2/3 vote in the Senate (67 votes) to convict and oust. The GOP hold an even better majority in the Senate.
Like it or not, unless someone kills someone on 5th Avenue, no one is getting impeached OR replaced on the Supreme Court for at least a while (i.e. years).
Dr Richardson has remarkable strength. Without ever losing balance, her calm, measured prose can stir the reader to bitter anger, almost tears of rage.
And just like HCR will go down in history of a historian in perfect storytelling and truth, we lost another author of character…Bill Moyers. What integrity of character- so opposite from the fantasy world of clown DJT.
Bill Moyers Dies at 91: PBS Icon on Corruption of Corporate Media | Democracy Now!
💔I have so missed his journalism/reporting/interviewing…was bereft when he retired, now brokenhearted to hear he’s passed. He now joins a pantheon of great truth tellers from down the decades. We were lucky to have been witness to the gifts he gave us. I hope some of the outlets (PBS, etc) rerun some of his sterling work for us to experience once more.
I, too, recognize Dr. Richardson's strength and historic professionalism. I do not believe she intends to urge us to "bitter anger" and "rage". Those emotions interfere with rational thinking. I believe she intends to help us understand the full score of an issue, so we can base our thinking on a solid foundation and act in our best interests and those of the nation as a whole.
What I also read into this history is that nothing is irrevocable, even when the SCOTUS makes decisions. A future SCOTUS can reverse the decisions the current one is making. Stay the course.
This current SCOTUS already did that with Roe, if you’ll remember, with Justices Kavanaugh and Gorsuch poo-pooing such an eventuality at their hearings, cynically claiming that “settled law is settled law” or some other ridiculous version of ‘Ollie, Ollie oxen free.’ Within the year, some Texas district then issued a finding that allowed those two fine gentlemen to make “settled” law suddenly disappear.
Now we wait for the Court to “suddenly” reverse Lawrence or Obergefill. And POOF, marriage equality — once “settled” law, will be no more. Justice Vergogna Thomas is chomping at the bit.
Before this GOP-selected Court, I wouldn’t have thought any of this was possible. Now the Court just ruled that relief from an unconstitutional law can only come if you’ve personally filed a lawsuit. Millions and millions who haven’t are just plain out of luck. That’s never happened before, either. Before today, I never thought that would be possible.
We are entering a very dark, legal black hole of despair for millions. I don’t see any magic wands lying around to “suddenly” make it all go away.
Good point. Hypocrisy everywhere is straining my brain. Crowds of children seeing naked emperors in a world where, any visual artist knows, there are NO white people.
Barbara, when he wrote his concurrence in Dobbs, he mentioned three of the four "privacy" cases that Roe was based on: Griswold v. Connecticut (contraception access), Lawrence v. Texas (proscribing the outlawing of same sex sexual contact), and Obergefell v. Hodges (same sex marriage). For some reason, he neglected to mention Loving v. Virginia (permitting interracial marriage). I just cannot put my finger on why that one is different. <sarcasm font>
Actually like it or not there IS a difference. Gay rights are NOT enshrined in the Constitution according to Thomas. On the other hand the rights of people of color ARE so enshrined in the 14th Amendment.
So Thomas sees the Loving decision as holding up the Constitution while Obergefell creates a new right that doesn't exist. He would argue that the US needs to pass a new amendment like the 14th to grant gays those rights.
It's a terrible position but one that most conservatives ascribe to.
Good point, Jon. I lament that we can’t even get the ERA ratified due to Congressionally imposed deadlines (adjusted at least once)…sigh…I’ve been waitin’ a long time to see this happen—maybe 🤞in my lifetime….I mean, come on, really? 🤦🏻♀️ A new amendment for LGBTQ+ might take a dang long time & I really really hate that folks I care so much about feel the sting of backsliding on this 😡.🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🇺🇸☮️
Right, and this decision to strip district courts of the power to stop the illegal executive orders from negatively affecting millions of Americans while the case works its way through the legal system will now allow the government to implement illegal measures in the meantime.
Imagine that after the next thirty days, the parties at risk are not able to bring class-action suits to block the government from sweeping up first-generation citizens and deporting them to any country, because now they are stateless. Will trump and his minions send these people to foreign prisons for life for the crime of being born in America?
Looks like Dred Scott was reversed by the Fourteenth Amendment, today's Supreme Court right-wing Justices seem to enthusiastically remove previously long-honored Constitutional rights and liberties from citizens.
I like your thinking. We have the amendment process and the ability to change the dynamics of Congress at the polls. "Nothing is irrevocable". Otherwise, we'd never have Brown v. Board of Education...
I live in SoCal where many of us are aware of the Japanese concentration camps and have friends who were kids in these camps. I have been calling the DHS detention centers concentration camps. It is a disgrace that DOJ/DHS and the private sector are blocking our congressional representatives access to these camps.
More importantly, 9 people have died in ICE detention centers. One was a Canadian. It appears that there is no current investigation as to how they died. Were they murdered? Were autopsies performed? Where are the bodies? Congress should get off it's butt and demand an investigation!
Write your congress person, or perhaps an organized protest based on this issue is needed!
Accountability doesn't exist. within that system My friend, Douglas Menjivar was raped at the Joe Corley Detention Facility (owned by GEO Group) in 2014. We did everything we could, we reported it everywhere, we got the story on page 1 of The Houston Chronicle.They released him, but never conceded that the rape occurred. 3 weeks ago, ICE detained Douglas at his scheduled check-in. He is now in the same GEO Group detention compound in Conroe, TX. We're fighting again. I'm so sick of this.
Shame on us for letting this happen. Shame on voters who stayed home and didn’t vote. Shame on willfully ignorant, privileged white Americans who chose to avoid involvement in protecting our ever fragile democracy. Shame on those who now yield in advance. And thank you for continuing the fight for human rights, for the rule of law, and for our Constitution.
I’ve not heard about a Canadian citizen dying while being held prisoner by ICE. Has the Canadian government filed a complaint, lawsuit, investigation anything? I would hope they would make a huge, very public, very noisy big deal about this. If not Canada then at least the governor of the state in which the person was held. Actually every ICE related death that has occurred should be blasted out a thousand times a day through every media possible. That method worked/works for republican lies, it should work for the truth too.
This is the first time that I have heard about the deaths of people being held by the government. I don't doubt that people have died, I have absolutely no doubt that trump and his government will never willingly admit to government abuse of the people they are warehousing and constantly moving to make it more difficult for them to pursue legal remedies, and be deported more easily without due process.
Amen. I live in Nor Cal. Many friends and neighbors suffered through internment and lost all of their assets and property. Particularly agricultural property which was productive and valuable. Shameful.
The whole thing is a disgrace; any loss of any property is unacceptable, being moved to and held in concentration camps because of race is criminal. It wasn't long ago that I thought we as a country had evolved enough so that our citizens couldn't be treated that way again.
It appears now that I was wrong, and there is a significant number of people who are enthusiastic about their delusions of superiority of either race or religion, who delight in the extent of pain and cruelty they can inflict.
Do you know, Janet, of the George Takei manga novel, "They Called Us Enemy"?
I often use English and Japanese versions of this for junior high kids here (I live in the mountains of Kyushu, Japan). George Takei was four years old when his Los Angeles Japanese-American family was shipped off early in WWII. He later became a star on Star Trek. Helped much in Martin Luther King Jr.'s civil rights campaigns.
Near the end of "They Called Us Enemy" Takei tells the story of the 442nd -- the Japanese-American combat team famous for its heroism fighting for America and democracy in the European theater.
I love that you use George Takei’s memoir in your classes. Yes, I had a copy and gave the book to a friend who had been in a camp. I just read about his new illustrated book! I am a member of JANM, Japanese American National Museum that is located in DTLA.
Also, let us not forget the contribution of immigrants from China building the Sierra Nevada portion of the transcontinental railway link east coast to west coast, most particularly of them blasting tunnels through the solid granite mountains rising up from Donner Lake at Donner Pass. This excellent article, published by the Truckee Tahoe historical society preserves the unvarnished truth regarding its local immigrant story.
Absolutely, we must never forget. Two months ago I was chatting with my PT therapist who is Chinese/American. He was praising some of 47’s economic plans and how he wished we could return the more simple life of the 1950s. I mentioned how people of color are mistreated, didn’t have the right to vote, and told him about our CA history: Chinese could not own property, the SC decision regarding citizenship, etc. I was amazed that he was unaware of some of this history or didn’t think about it.
Donold, himself, is one of those that knows very little, if any, history. He just wants to drone on and on about nonsense like his tired old schtick about the late, great Hannibal Lechter. https://substack.com/@aaronrupar/note/c-129679039
Seemingly only satisfied hearing himself talk and when he's disparaging anyone that is threatening to him or challenges him or this regime. Too incurious, self- absorbed and scatterbrained to have any interest in American history but always taking glee in inflicting his cruelty and despotism upon Americans.
I doubt he realizes how many people will cheer at his passing. How sad to live a life with so much potential for good but spent on hatred and evil doings.
I have this fantasy that I hear from my house the honking of vehicle horns and whoops and hollering and come outside onto the street to see what the ruckus is….oh, the king is dead….long live no-king ever. Kinda sad to feel this way, but I do….it’s not in my nature, but I’ve been pushed to the brink of civility.
It seems obvious that our SCOTUS in days gone by was made up of more decent human beings than our current one. As far as I am concerned, Thomas and Alito are matching suppurating pustules on the buttocks of our jurisprudence, and Kavanaugh, Gorsuch, and Coney Barrett aren't much better. Roberts is now right up there with Carl Schmitt and Rudolf Freisler, both of whom twisted German law into a pretzel to accommodate Hitler.
On the lighter side, I got myself a cap that from top to bottom has the words, "Freedom - Democracy - Truth". The FDT are in red, and the rest of the words are in different colors. It is common knowledge what FDT stands for. I wore it into Panera with my wife, and a female MAGAt became visibly furious, but couldn't really say anything. Too bad for her.
It was on June 27, 1991 that Justice Thurgood Marshall the first Black Supreme Court Justice announced his retirement due to health issues. This is when President George H.W. Bush appointed Clarence Thomas. Marshall refused to endorse him, feeling betrayed, that Thomas was the opposite of everything he had fought and stood for.
Sadly, Joe Biden managed Thomas's confirmation hearings in a way that all but guaranteed Thomas would get on the SCOTUS. I'll never forgive him for that.
There were two or three other women with similar complaints about Thomas, but Biden wouldn't let them testify. As head of the Senate Judiciary Committee, he had that power.
So, Thomas got on the SCOTUS, and because Biden broke his promise to be a one-term president and hung on too long, Trump is back in the White House. if Biden had bowed out a year before the election and the Democrats had been able to have a proper primary, I believe the result might have been different. Biden messed up the country big time.
Biden should not have run for a second term but Trump hornswoggled enough of the electorate to vote for him. I don’t know if it would have been any different if there had been a Democratic primary. Donold was never going away, steamrolling and blustering his way into the White House at any cost, which was funded by Musk. It’s Elon, Donold, his enablers and supporters, the people that voted for him (or didn’t vote at all) that deserve the blame for fucking up this country big time.
You bring up a good point about American voters having been hornswoggled by Trump, but he had a lot of help doing the hornswoggling. Here's a link to one of the best stories I've read about how Trump won:
That’s for sure. Must be some real self loathing there or maybe it’s Ginny’s tough love indoctrination that really got Clarence to sell out completely…to sell all of US out completely…and down the river…
In my view, Thomas is like a Nazi who was secretly half-Jewish. Self-loathing doesn't even begin to unlock the fucked-uppedness of his psyche. I think I just made up a word, but it seems to me to be apt.
Yes. Miller is a monster. He's been more or less disowned by his synagogue in Santa Monica. Every time I look at a photo of Miller, I see Reinhardt Heydrich.
I want that hat! To be fair, there have been some really horrible people on the SC before now who came up with some really horrible descisions! "This Supreme Court brought to you by...Citizen's United because why do you really want democracy when the rich people can just enslave the rest of us!" Of course, Roberts was in on that one but long before him, there was Dred Scott and Plessy and Korematsu and Bush v Gore and...
Well said, Dana, we are being set up by the ultra-rich for the new era, in which they see themselves as masters of the universe, who have no use for the people anymore, because of technical advances like AI and robotics. As long as they control the government, the government won't benefit the people.
I don't know how the economy will work after AI-robotics takes over all of the jobs, who will have the money to buy the products and services that businesses offer?
People will always need things and need to pay. barter or make them. And physical robots to do manual labor will likely be more expensive than 'white-collar' AI where all you need is a box to hold it in instead of an actual body with mechanical arms, legs, etc that break down so my guess is they plan on having AI replace us in the good well-paying white collar jobs and use us as slaves doing the manual blue-collar labor. This Administration has not quieted my fears with them gutting federal positions (which are mostly white collar and require a college education), trying to force people to have more kids and trying to make manufacturing jobs seem fun and masculine. If an over-used 'robot' breaks a limb, that could be a big expense to replace, if a human worker breaks one, just bring in another human from the teeming masses of desperate poor (white as they are trying to push out the brown) humans who were forced to be born. I do not think the Tech Bros care very deeply about their fellow human beings. Here's Thiel: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:im222o74y5q6krasprsou6bc/post/3lsnwryket224
My absolute favorite is Foxtrot Delta Tango with a picture of Smoky Bear saying "Only We Can Prevent Fascism", but I was afraid that would be too provocative. If someone objects to mine, I can just ask them if they have a problem with Freedom, Democracy, and Truth. Cheers.
In my humble opinion, too many critics of the Supreme Court don't appreciate what Roberts writes pretty often in his opinions. Namely, that some issues really should be decided by our elected representatives in Congress, not by the courts. Even David Brooks on the PBS News Hour referenced this point on FRI re: the state legislature's decision in South Carolina not to fund Planned Parenthood. In that case, Brooks said, the principle of federalism is that state elected bodies can make policy decisions that affect their state.
Of course he would. States making decisions that affect all of us(ever travel?) leads to a hodge podge of laws. See: abortion rights. Just depends on where you live? Reminds me of Medicare in its first iteration. Wisconsin was more generous in pay outs than some other states & people moved just for that reason. States Rights is a bogeyman for Republicans
States rights can be a bogeyman, but federalism and local control on some issues has a firm place in our Constitution via the 10th Amendment. If the Republicans ever passed a federal law outlawing abortion, that would be an opportunistic reversal of Trump's campaign position that abortion should be left to the states. I don't think they'll pass a nationwide law on that.
Not yet anyway. But I think our country's political future is uncertain. Given the complete unpopularity of virtually everything in the Big Beautiful Bill and the fact that Trump is now underwater on most issues with prices scheduled to go up from his tariffs in the next month or so, I'm starting to imagine a circumstance under which the midterms could be cancelled.
Good column in the NY Times today on what happened in Belarus. Here's the link.
Your point is valid, in a perfect world in which all members of the Supreme Court are principled and honor their oath. Members of this court, however - Roberts included -, have shown a level of corruption that, while not unprecedented, matches anything we've seen before.
Here's a question for you. If a Democratic president had, by executive order, revoked the Second Amendment, and Judge Kacsmaryk of Texas, a darling of the right, had slapped a nationwide injunction on the order, do you think the six who voted for the majority in the current case would have voted the same in my hypothetical? I do not, but I will be curious for your reply and your reasoning. Cheers.
Good question, Joel. I don't know the answer. I would hope they would vote the same based on the principle. I believe they did consider the fact that they are creating a landmark. I didn't appreciate Trump praising the Supreme Court's decision and I also don't like him pressuring the Fed Chair. Presidents have done some of that before, of course.
Thanks for the prompt reply. The one thing going forward is that the ACLU is filing a nationwide class-action lawsuit against this decision. One legal scholar who was featured in an article I read in a source I respect said that he expects that lawsuit to succeed. I hope so.
Really, Joel? A MAGAt knew what your hat meant? I'm shocked. (Though I'm embarrassed to admit that I hadn't heard of FDT. It's a pretty succinct slogan--I wonder if its one Democrats could really push, since I keep hearing pundits and podcast hosts complaining that Dems don't have a unifying message yet to win back voters.
Use/share this spreadsheet as a resource to call/email/write members of Congress, the Cabinet and news organizations. Reach out to those in your own state, as well as those in others. Use your voice and make some “good trouble” ❤️🩹🤍💙
We’ve got to focus on one thing — first things first. There’s a “big, beautiful” pile of financial slop, ideological cruelty and legal incoherence in the Senate right now. Don’t force the Parliamentarian to do all the heavy lifting by herself.
"In 1889 the Treasury Department—which then oversaw immigration—decided that a native-born child could not be sent out of the country with her foreign-born mother. Nor did the government want to hurt the U.S. citizen by expelling her mother and leaving her without a guardian. So it admitted the foreign-born mother to take care of the citizen child."
Sounds like the government of 1889 had more common sense and compassion than ours does today. Now deporting US citizens is what they want, even if they have medical issues that can not be treated in the home country of the parent. How far we have fallen.
The Trump Administration is reflecting Steven Miller's abject hate of immigrants much the way Heinrich Himmler's hate of Jews forged that horrible period of the 1930s!
And Miller force feeds Trump this BS, Trumps latches on to it as, to his (absent) mind, justification, and spews it for the right wing parrot heads to repeat often enough to be believed.
I'm always curious to know to what extent Trump is entirely unaware of American history or if he purposely misstate the facts because nobody is going to challenge him in the moment, and then his misinformation will be recorded, played and replayed on social media and on tv and quoted in the print press. Whichever it is, how can we set the record straight beyond the limited readership of LFAA? Once Trump has unleashed his baseless pronouncements, they become dangerously enshrined in narratives of our history on many sites and in many media.
Great article. Thank you. I've been thinking lately that he's become more delusional for some reason, but the truth is, whatever his psychological diagnosis, he's been delusional all along.
His followers always gobble up trumps delusional rhetoric and continue to devolve every minute. They won't realize until it is way too late that they have betrayed themselves with their racist, misogynistic, and religious beliefs.
Will they ever see how they are being manipulated with toxic social media algorithms and right-wing propaganda?
Is there any wonder that buried in the big, ugly bill, the Oligarchs are trying to make it impossible for states to regulate AI for ten years.
I know right? Perhaps Kill 🐂💩Bill would be a good protest sign or bumper sticker. AI is coming and it's very powerful. We cannot allow it to destroy truth. The show Black Mirror only hints of such calamity.
Yes Mystic, that’s a big question; When will they ever learn. Some are bigots and worse who are unlikely to change and don’t seem to notice the silo they are in. Some are struggling hard just to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads. (I remember seeing a bumper sticker once that said ‘I’m so poor I can’t even pay attention’. And others seem to think that things will take care of themselves. I only hope more awareness will be raised.
Or The Lying King. For all we know this birthright thing is his way of getting back at Bruce Springsteen. 🎶Born in the USA🎶 might make a great protest song.
To be fair, that was the downside of sending a 34-times convicted, twice-impeached, dumb, illiterate, criminal, sadistic, pussygrabbing felon and 4-year-old sociopathic man-child to the White House.
Other than that, of course, it’s all been just peaches and cream, chicken tacos, feasting and fun…. 🤪
Agree! No Diet Coke, no bronzer, no smartphone’s Truth Social, no hairspray, no golf….just Dumpty-Trumpty sittin’ in jail….no winnin’, just wailin’!!!!
My husband was born in the US to Canadian citizens. Two of my three grandsons were born abroad to our daughter who, like us, is an American citizen. Her sons also qualify to be American citizens and are so recognized as a result of hoops our daughter had to jump through, including presenting each of her infant sons for inspection at the US Embassy in the country where she resides. Consequently, the notion that any law or practice governing US citizenship could be ruled ephemeral by the US Supreme Court, depending upon the political leaning of its Justices, scares me.
How about all those people out there who like me were born of American parents, who were out of the country because one parent was in the military defending our country. To get my passport. I had to go through naturalization procedures, and get a naturalization certificate. And now this can be declared illegal by the reigning regime? I’ll bet there are a lot of us reading this column.
Yes, many of us, like you and me, concerned about the reigning regime upending our current citizenship understandings and realities should make our voices loud and clear.
Yes, I have looked into that. Under Canadian citizenship laws, all he would need to do is produce one or both of his parent’s Canadian 1906 birth certificates, which he has, and he could be declared a Canadian citizen.
The Supreme Court decision did not rule at all on the merits of the birthright citizenship executive order - they dodged the issue and focused instead on restricting nationwide injunctions. In doing so, they effectively cleared the path for Donald Trump to bypass Congress and to rule the country by executive order. It will lead to a patchwork of rights across the country and will overburden the courts with cases. The only saving grace is the much more difficult route of nationwide class action certification. a path left open by justices Kavanaugh and Sotomayor. It is originalism gone mad.
There were also further signs of tension within the court. Justice Jackson's excoriating dissent described the decision of the conservative majority on the court as "an existential threat to the rule of law". Justice Sotomayor declared that "“no right is safe in the new legal regime the Court creates". Justice Coney Barratt, individually singled out for praise by Trump, was stung by these criticisms and delivered a catty response: “we will not dwell on Justice Jackson’s argument, which is at odds with more than two centuries’ worth of precedent, not to mention the Constitution itself,” Barrett wrote, before spending another page discussing Jackson's dissent. She called it a "startling line of attack" untethered either to legal sources "nor any doctrine whatsoever". The 'doctrine' reference was something of a giveaway exposing the ideology of the majority.
The New York Times undertook and analysis of cases since she joined the court and found that she was the most likely member of conservative majority (along with the chief justice) to form part of the few liberal decisions by this court. They reported that in an internal vote she even voted against taking up the Dobbs case that overturned Roe v. Wade and the federal right to abortion, though she was ultimately persuaded to join the ruling. In March, she voted against the freezing of international aid and attracted the wrath of the MAGA right.
Having said that, she joined the infamous immunity ruling and now this ruling that allows Trump to govern solely by executive order. Trump himself singled her out for praise.
Biden was interested to uphold the law which left issues of abortion up to the women’s conscience. He was not forcing abortion. It’s a different argument. Barret is arguing the President can do what he wants and courts can’t restrain him. and what he wants us to harm citizens by taking their rights. She is supporting people being deported to third countries who are in a state of war even.
I’ve been waiting for someone more knowledgeable and articulate than I am to explain exactly what this ruling means across the country. States’ supposed rights brought us the Civil War. The SCOTUS “conservative” racist authoritarians are pushing for a similar result, when it suits their purpose, that is.
Marcia, there are people far more knowledgeable than me who are considering this decision and I was struck by how consistent their views were about just how awful a decision it is.
This opens a BIG can of worms. Just where do any of us stand? If not being born in the land of the free and the home of the brave does not make one a citizen what then happens to any of us?
Indeed what happens to any one of us or to every one of us?
It seems that qall of us will be at the capricious ‘mercy’ of a bigoted, mean, unlawful, narrow minded bully of apparently limited mental capability who refuses to /or is incapable of understanding history or of following the law, and has not a speck of mercy.
Please forgive my lack of eloquence. It is late. I am tired and frightened. I can’t find enough negative words to pile on this flawed facsimile of a human.
How do we stop his mission to wreck our United States?
How do we stop the planned takeover by the 2025 planners after our country is wrecked?
Doc, start local, stay engaged & don’t turn away, but also don’t wallow in the despair (can be hard to avoid, I know)…civic engagement might seem a small thing, but when you are standing next to 100’s or 1000’s of folks expressing the same sentiments to save our democracy it is invigorating. Pay attention to your local city/county and state elected officials & support those who support democracy and 1st amendment rights to speech and assembly….and vote—do your homework to vet the candidates…all of ‘em—takes some effort to study & research, but is well worth the time & it helps you feel that you are, indeed, DOING something. We can do this!
Dear Barbara, thank you for shining a light for a colleague and compatriot.
In the middle of a dark and starless night, 12 miles out in the ocean, first night on a vacation from taking care of sick children, I was reading yet more news of trump going about his merry way of ceaseless destruction of the democracy that we now do not dare to take for granted, I found a moment of despair.
And there you were, shining your flashlight for navigation back to our common goodness.
We are not alone in our fight to save our democracy.
Hey, doc, when I want to hide under the bed in despair, that sinking feeling of dread tickles a flame into being…that flame gives rise to a fire of “oh, no, not on my watch if I can help it” impetus to act. I have posted here quite a few times since ‘Rump’s first term my “anthem” to give me juice—lost count since he was first elected how many times I’ve needed a boost from this song (btw, the whole album, Lives in the Balance, is SO relevant today). From the mid-80’s Jackson Browne’s Til I Go Down https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bmzimxfqgfw&t=15s (and it has a nice Reggae back-beat & danceable!!!)☮️
That’s exactly the point. And now they can decide individual cases, according to how you vote or whether you were arrested or videoed pretesting or are gay or brown or what you wrote in this column.
Reminds me of an old Gary Larsen cartoon of a group of deer in the woods…of course they are standing upright (as only Gary would do) and a few of the deer are looking at another deer that has a bullseye on his chest…”Bummer of a birthmark, Hal” was the caption….think many of us now have that “birthmark” thanks to the ubiquitous “caught in amber” nature of the ‘net & social media…we won’t be hard to track down, 1st amendment notwithstanding.🎯
Thank you, Professor, for your always EXCELLENT teaching of American History.
I just wish this SCOTUS was not making as many horrendous decisions as the Dred Scott Case. Reform is necessary.
There are many, many American children frightened that their families will be torn apart, and that they will be forced to move because of this president.
"Everyone" should be protesting in the streets over this. If this regime targets one vulnerable group, be sure they will come for "you" eventually.
I worry, Beverly, that a generation of children are being traumatized by this and will carry the scars forward and even affect following generations. Of course the USA is only one such place, out of many, on earth having this impact. So much we could learn from Carl Sagan’s (a scientist/philosopher if there ever was one) wisdom about life on this “pale blue dot”….a pinpoint in the vastness of the universe.
Yes, this history is very good and interesting. I hope we could all recognize, however, that this SC decision is not the final decision on birthright citizenship. And that there are cases in which giving birthright citizenship is crazy, such as a pregnant woman flying into the U.S. from a foreign country just to give birth here. Or even happening to give birth here, then flying back to home country with her infant. If it requires a constitutional amendment to rid ourselves of those abuses, I would support it.
And, Robert, I read quite sometime ago (can’t put my finger on the source at the moment) that Russian/Eastern European women were lodged in Trump properties whilst here in the USA awaiting delivery of their dual citizen!!! If it is true then hypocrisy abounds….and that’s not even bringing up the issue of hiring undocumented workers @ ‘Rump properties….oh my!!!!🤦🏻♀️
I’ve heard about this many times. The examples cited were primarily Russian women. I’ve never read why this is such an advantage for them. The possibilities scare me a little.
A very sad commentary on our current state of affairs. That being said, we have 3 nephews and a niece born in Sweden; none of them have Swedish citizenship because one parent is Norwegian and one parent is American. Thus, they have Norwegian and American passports and citizenship but not Swedish anything, since neither parent has Swedish birth or citizenship. Many different rules across the great divide of nations.
Makes sense since most Swedes are of Swedish ancestry and until recently, there was not a lot of immigration there. In contrast to the US where all of us are from native americans or immigrants or people dragged over here against their will. Can your nephews and niece who were born in Sweden apply for Swedish citizenship if they wish?
Better yet, JD, let’s welcome her to fight in the resistance….somehow I think that serene countenance obscures a badass defender of liberty. She could stick that freedom torch right up you-know-who’s ass!!!
Different and the reason we attracted so many souls from across the world. Including my ancestors, and likely yours. Surely the Drumpfs from long ago. My German ancestors probably had to deal with them centuries ago. Evil has incredible longevity…likely due to predatory tendencies.
In our crazy times, that SCOTUS decision may NOT be the most insane occurrence on the national stage.
Today Trump declared war on Canada.
Ostensibly this was a reaction to a Canadian tax on tech oligarchs, but Canad's choice came following the death of their own Johnny Noviello in ICE custody.
The Canadians are correct. I'm a US expat, 74, living in Europe. If the US Psychoprez declares war in Canada, I will be signing up with the Canadian forces if they will have me! I think there are fellow US expats that will also be signing up!
“Elbows up!!!!” Sigh…how we elected a “Wreck-it-Ralph” as POTUS really shames me as an American….I knew we had historical skeletons doing the Macarena in the closet, but this is an blatant clusterfudge of the “American narrative” we hold dear. Sad sad sad….oh, and mad mad mad.
The Supreme Court has stripped the federal judiciary of its right and role to protect the constitution. The notion that a constitutional right must be litigated citizen by citizen is laughable and epically consequential. I despair.
Robert: Don't despair. That's what Trump wants you to do: give up. Keep attending demonstrations with like minded people that will buoy you up and give you hope that we will prevail. Work toward electing liberals to office in the midterms. I'm 81 and sometimes when I don't have the energy to march I get in my car, open the sunroof and stick my "No Faux King War" sign up and drive around and around the block where protestors are marching!
I am 74 and in not the best health but I have managed with my spouse's help to attend the 3 protests here in Kalamazoo organized by Indivisible. Our No Kings protest drew 8000 people!
But yesterday when I learned of the Supreme Court's decision my heart sank. Who are we as a nation? For me the inhumane nature of the Trump regime portends to grow darker each day. It is very hard not to despair!
I am also 74, and I feel very much the same. When I was in law school I looked up to the Supreme Court -- now I can only look up to Justices Kagan, Jackson and Sotomayor. All of them women and none of whom would pass the "whites only" test this administration wants to drag us back to. It's deplorable.
It must be so,so difficult for the 3 liberal justices to have to sit in the same room with the other 6,let alone on the same bench.
I agree -- their dissents are smoking hot though!
IMHO they should have filed bias charges aginst Thomas and Alito after the Roberts order bootstrapping the code. https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/Code-of-Conduct-for-Justices_November_13_2023.pdf
I want to read them. Where will I find their dissents?
It’s not important for me to argue about the 14th amendment. Its usefulness and original intent was to prevent freed people and their children born here from being deported. That ugly phase of our history ended. I was never in favor of the 14th as I feel it opens doors for women to establish anchor babies. Can we move on to everything else this admins destroying? We should pick and choose our fights. Not everything needs to be a fight.
There is no person worst than the slime in office. We had already lived through it. Our side ie, the democrat under the Biden administration, opened that door. As much as no one wanting to blame him, he is the only one I can blame. His selfishness to want to be in the exclusive club way past his age opened the gates of hell. As for way the republicans across the board fell in line? Don’t you know they being politician is to constantly being on guard to save one’s ass. What a mess.
Unimaginable. I actually wrote a letter addressed to Kagan, Sotomayor, and Jackson, expressing how sorry I was at the distress they must feel having to go to work every day. Sotomayor actually said that some times she locks herself in her office and cries....
Something tells me she had only a slight idea of what she was signing up for. I am so grateful to her and to Justices Kagan and Jackson.
You know I have thought that too. How do they sit at conferences and not eventually explode; one can only take so much. OTOH maybe they don’t just take it—we’ll never know.
May we live long enough to read a juicy memoir.
I'm actually starting to worry about their safety a little bit.
Thank you for your perspective Jeaneen. I guess if they can manage to put up with the other, 6 bought and paid for, deplorable justices, I will keep calling and protesting. At 79, I too despair, however, l’m also very angry. So I guess the anger and frustration will keep me going.
Too bad RBG stayed so long. There would have been another democratic individual taking her place.
I'm quit angry with RPG.
I have been thinking the same thing: how can they stand it???
The New Yorker article: Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Declaration of Independence
The newest Justice is increasingly willing to condemn the actions of the conservative majority, even when that means breaking with her liberal colleagues.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/justice-ketanji-brown-jacksons-declaration-of-independence
Ditto. Also 74 and also respect the same 3 judges. Sigh...
74 year olds rule! I am 74 today!
ML, happy birthday and I hope you enjoyed your day despite the rulings that came down.
Happy Birthday, MLMinET!
A very happy birthday to you!
I am 94 and discouraged but still up and opposed and attend the Protests with my signs and on Monday afternoons with Vets for Peace. I am a Catholic! I look around and wonder, "Did they vote three times for The Serpent? Do they still accept The iForbidden Fruit?"
This 78-year-old Catholic veteran thinks we made the Antichrist president.
It makes sense that Trump is at least related to ‘the father of the lie’, doesn’t it?
I spent most of my career working in federal court, and this absolutely nonsensical ruling made me wonder what the point of the entire federal judiciary is as opposed to states’ judiciaries. I’ve spent the last 24 hours imagining a conversation with the federal judge I worked for that entire time on his new, diminished role, and his lifelong dedication and careful scrutiny of the rule of law in this country. I think there’s a pandemic of insanity at the extreme court, and bowing to a psychopath is the main symptom. I will never understand.
I believe this has been put in motion years ago, before the psychopath.
The extremes had several opportunities to limit countrywide injunctions in the past and never did it until now, which is the point of my comment.
HCR's lesson is that we've been in dark times,before and it was voters that got us out. She casually throws out dates in the early, mid, and late 19th century and the early 20th century. Progress and political change takes decades.
Casually? You must mean that she does this with well-informed ease. She is a historian.
Well, yes. She is an historian. What i meant was that the actions and reactions she recounts for us, which we can use as analogues to where we find ourselves today, took decades to play out. The same is true today. It may take more that one or two election cycles to fix Trump’s messes. It might take a full generation of MAGA nuts' suffering from their holy messenger's messes to get back to rationality. The current generation of voter suppressor and falsehood purveyors will get old and complacent just like Democratic leadership, and will fail. In the meantime can a rational centrist party grow out of the ashes?
Something has to change.
I have thought that perhaps the conservative justices are afraid of Trump also? Roberts commented again recently about judges being threatened.
As long as our elections aren't rigged. I'm afraid we can no longer expect free and fair elections. I'm 99% sure the 2024 election was stolen.
Even if it was, here we are.
Every analysis i look up regarding fraud in the 2024 election concludes that there wasn't enough fraud to flip a county, much less a 3hole election. The difference between 2020 and 2024 is that Trump used the false claims as a rallying point. Democrats are not falling into that mindset, though it would be emotionally gratifying to magically show that Dems really won the election and enjoyed a majority of support from American voters. They really didn't.
We need to take into account the number of voters who didn't show up due to voter suppression. That's a very effective way of rigging an election.
Have you read
Greg Palsts analysis of the stolen elections especially in 2024.
I’m 100% sure that the 2026 midterms will be canceled due to martial law being declared over something or other that the psychopath was offended by.
Yes. A very real possibility. This regime will stop at nothing.
Slow down, R/W... even during the Civil War there were elections. And states run them, not the psycho in the oval.
Two things I watched/read this week added to my sense of other dark times—a PBS documentary on Hannah Arendt, which provided a look at the complicated issues around response to the Holocaust,and the June 16 New Yorker's profile of Gertrude Berg (star of the early sitcom The Goldbergs). Check them out.
Gertrude Berg’s “The Goldbergs” was a bold, beloved portrait of a Jewish family. Then the blacklist obliterated her legacy.
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/06/16/the-forgotten-inventor-of-the-sitcom
Jeaneen, I am 82 and simply can't go to protests, but we support them and donate to pols who uphold our ideals. I thought the decision yesterday was terrible and the six should roast in hell. Btw, I went to Kalamazoo College and did my student teaching at Kalamazoo Central.
I was a lifelong resident of E. Lansing Michigan and after retiring my husband and I moved to East Tawas Michigan where we had a cottage. Our plan was to live there full time. After 3 years we had to think about moving largely because of health problems for us both.Healthcare there was lacking. And the conservative nature of the community was a disappointment. So we sold our cottage and moved to Kalamazoo because we have 2 sons here. We like this community and have found it to be quite progressive. One of our sons just completed his 25th year of teaching history at Loy Norris.
We have become involved with the Indivisible organization here.
When I was in Kalamazoo in the early to middle 60s, restaurants could not serve hard liquor, so all the good restaurants were outside the city and there were private clubs. I don't know Loy Norris, but I was a history maker at K. Parts of Michigan are so darn conservative.
There were dry counties in Florida in 1980 and we just drove to the next county. Seemed like a stupid thing when you could go 15 minutes for your alcohol.
I think everywhere is "darn conservative."
I went to Western Michigan University and loved my 4 years in Kalamazoo!
I agree. It is heartbreaking that one president can wreak such havoc, with the gleeful assistance of SCOTUS and Congress
It is indeed very hard not to despair.
Fight fight fight. Never ever give up. Stand by your beliefs about humanity. Take care of yourself. Love your family. Love your neighbors. Hold on fast to your heart and never let them get to you!!!
This the crux of the matter. Americans must decide who we are. Are we the confederacy or a nation of truly compassionate people with a sense of community, acceptance, equality and dignity for all. It isn’t just all about money.
Stay in the fight Jeaneen! We need to remember why birthright citizenship is an issue now. It is just one part of a larger scheme to weaken our democracy, reduce our freedoms and create an autocratic government.
Project 2025 includes proposals related to ending birthright citizenship. It explicitly calls for ending birthright citizenship, particularly for children of undocumented immigrants. This is part of a broader set of immigration policies outlined in Project 2025 that aim to significantly restrict immigration, increase deportations, and overhaul the current immigration system.
At its core this is just another cruel election suppression strategy. End birthright citizenship and millions of younger Americans will be removed from voter rolls throughout the country.
But the power of the people is still stronger than this extreme court and the people they empower! As long as millions of us stand firm - because birthright citizenship is the law, and is morally right, and is in our nation's best interest - we will prevail. It won't be easy, but it is a battle we must win in this war to keep our democracy!
Oh I am not going anywhere. There is just too much at stake. But I have never understood Trump’s appeal. Not in the run up to his first administration and certainly not now!
However, we have had Chinese and other cultures that exploit birthright citizenship.
Really Julie?! Exploit how? We're all immigrants... Many recently had applied for asylum and had protections but now, suddenly, they are being rounded up without due process and illegally removed from this country for political reasons? Who is doing the exploiting?
It is estimated that 50,000 Chinese come to give birth in the USA, paying 40-60K for the services...This is for business....not because they love our values (such as they are these days)
Illegal immigrants who are working, slaving away, often for many years in the USA, should attain citizenship rights for their children....If the parents are Mexican, Mexico is NOT going to give a US born child Mexican citizenship. I know of Mexicans who were born outside Mexico who have to go through hoops to qualify for a Mexican passport. They have to apply for citizenship like any expatriate.
Looking at this regime, forest not the trees, it’s population control. Fewer people of color, fewer middle class, and majority needs to be white and “Christian”. Trump is the tool for the morbidly rich and white Cristian Nationalists who fear the rest of us.
I feel your pain. We face a lot of sadness today because of Donald Trump and his hate mongers. I’m 75 and attended Scottsdale No Kings Day. Let’s keep doing what we feel in our hearts.
Who are we Americans today? Well, looking into the hearts and minds of those who voted Trump into power, agreeing with his points of view, we find dark, hollow, sorry excuses for a human being. This is ugly, cruel and despicable.
Sadly I believe you are right. I have reached a point where I cannot have even a casual relationship with a Trump supporter. For me, supporting him speaks to a person's judgment and values. And again to me they are both sorely lacking if after all that's happened you still support him
Robert, this evening I met for dinner at a local pub w/ a few longtime friends…the conversation veered toward politics & I mentioned reading a few Substacks that reported/gave opinions on things often not fully covered by the MSM. One asked “what is a Substack?”. I explained the newish platform & the general reply was “oh, that takes up too much time”🤷🏻♀️…I countered with data/info/opinions by what I consider trusted & engaged journalists/authors & is a way to keep ones’ fingers on the country’s pulse (in addition to what is covered by national media). These are intelligent, thoughtful folks who seem to have mostly “checked out”…my inner dialog at hearing this was “how can you not be rushing to the town square, the barricades and ramparts, with the cry “ Liberté, Égalité, and Fraternité” on your lips?”. They were curious about the latest rally & I shared about my experience & impressions & the signs I’ve made & how I have extra recycled cardboard “prepped” for the next iteration of protest messages. They are supporters of a liberal democracy, but, it seems, as bystanders.
I had a similar experience when I asked a young college grad in our building if he was going to attend a No Kings protest -- he said "what protest?" I was pretty shocked, having been in college in the late 60s when students were so politically involved.
Laurie, I was so pleased to have had a conversation with two young women at the No Kings rally in my county….they mentioned they’d been in junior high during ‘Rumps first term. I asked them if this was their first political rally/engagement, they said yes…I shared my oldster perspective on civic engagement and a citizen’s responsibility to be involved…was it Newsom’s comment that “our job” IS citizen & with that comes responsibility. I have to say the conversation I had was, I think, enlightening for all of us & I have hopes that these two young women (so much at stake…glad I am old and well past fertility!) will stay “tuned in” and active. 🤞
In the April 5 rally I walked over to one young female protester standing alone and thanked her for participating.
During our most recent No Kings protest there was a woman standing next to my husband and me and she was alone. She had a great protest poster and I asked if I could take her picture. As things wound down she slipped me a piece of paper with her phone number and I sent her the pic. We have found the camaraderie at all 3 protests we’ve been involved in so encouraging.
I believe you can chalk this up to the cell phone stupor we all now live in.
Our generation at least has memory of life before these dratted things were in everyone's hands, 24/7. Our children and grandchildren now inhabit a bizarre world where public action, public goods, the public square, public discontent has been spayed and neutered in favor of Tik-Tok dancing, cat videos, and 315 million other PRIVATE divertissements and amusements. We've become a nation (a world, really) of babies playing with our own toes and fingers, ignoring the planet, the nation, the body politic, civilization itself.
I know there are many young people out there razor-focused on environmental degradation and planetary warming. And I like cat videos, too. But we're drowning in a self-absorbed technology that increasingly makes it hard, if not impossible, to connect the dots, understand the patterns. Too many who can disappear into themselves -- others more powerful into pure, unrestrained greed and the domination of others.
I wish I had solutions up my sleeve. It's just very tough to think our way out of this.
Let’s not put them all in that category. My 22 y/o grandson just finished college and just when you think they’re goofing off on their devices out comes remarks about discussions and letter writing and they’re more informed than me. They just do it differently and these are the voters we need to reach.
Good point. My 15 y/o granddaughter lives about 3.5 hours away in a small KY county. I try to take her out for lunch when she’s here and have been very surprised at how well informed she is for her age and location. I have to think it is to some degree bc of our digital age.
Very well said, ICTT.
I had the same experience Laurie, 2 young women who were nice enough to say hello, had no clue about the upcoming No Kings rally that was going to happen just down the street. I encouraged them to attend it 🤷♂️
Barbara: "Takes up too much time". The acquisition of knowledge does indeed take up time, but what are they doing with their time? thumbing their smartphones? did you ask/get an answer?
We have all of human knowledge at our fingertips, with almost instant access to world events, but people choose to watch silly cat videos or "reality" TV shows or Fox Entertainment where they are fed lies. it HURTS to watch the things ICE is doing and MSM is so bought and paid for that they aren't going to cover anything and totally sane wash rumpy's speeches. It's easier to ignore it all and live in your own little bubble. Did you suggest they read Heather's letters?
With all of our "ecucation" and "knowledge", we have failed to learn how to glean "Wisdom" and to develop our own, personal World View.
What???! And miss the latest Kardashian tidbit? Or what your friend you never met had for lunch? Shame on you, Kathy for suggesting such a thing! In fact, I tweet shame you. Now you have to walk naked to the DMV to renew your driver's license.
Probably not much online…one is an engaged grandmother and fully occupied, the other two I’m not sure…tho’ they do seem somewhat informed, just not given to “deep dives”. In the group, I’m the one they turn to for researching an issue…so that’s my nature. I try to meet people where they are & not everyone is as interested I guess.
My husband has to continually remind me few people are as fully engaged as I am. Like you all, I can’t imagine sitting back and not at least trying to do something.
ML, I was at a reading done by my garden assistant last night who prefaced her remarks by referring to death star, but not naming him. Her book is about gardening within ourselves and real gardens and no one could read it without understanding where we are....not in a good place. No politics where I was sitting although two people admitted that they never read. One I was sure did not understand what was happening with the snatching of immigrants and even the economic problems associated with that. At the end of the evening she said she did not talk politics. So it was evening of respite in a way and a beautiful evening weatherwise as we were outside.
Well, thank you for doing that! We all can do our part and it seems this is what the universe has decreed for you.
Again, they might enjoy the various youtube pundits. They can be very addictive in themselves. Often these days, when some stuff hits the fan, I think "I wonder what Belle (or Tennesse Brando, or Brian Tyle Cohen, or MIchael Cohen, or Glenn Kirshner, or Ben Meisalas) will say about this?"
And no, I don't listen to EVERY one EVERY day.
Judge Andrew Napolitano's many important guests; 3-4 a day every weekday.
True.
Rather than taking up tie for the "acquisition of knowledge", we should be encouraging people to "take the time" to develop their own personal World View.
They’re reading as much as we are, just in a different way. Don’t underestimate them.
Yes. I was chastened by Barbara's reply, and subsequent comments. My "true" meant that, without going as far as "qui s'excuse, s'accuse."
I get that kind of response when I open up about the middle east, you know, that genocide. Now, Iran!
"Too depressing to think about." Or, "Too complicated"..then I suspect Zionistic Christians....
And the, "but you can't do anything about it."
Not much, that's a fact, but I still need to KNOW. I donate and comment. And hang a Palestinian scarf , with red paint for blood, on the front of my house.
It’s disheartening when thoughtful people start to disengage, but your presence, passion, and willingness to speak up matter deeply. Sometimes all it takes is one steady voice at the table to remind others that democracy isn’t a spectator sport.
I have a relative who I love dearly, but she drank the Kool-Aid. She is a good person but, In her words, doesn’t “like politics” and will not talk about the current state of affairs under Trump. She is fundamental Christian and simply feels that this is a part of God’s plan. I suspect that a good portion of the population are like her and part of the reason why the most corrupt President in history, a grifter, liar, and all around horrible person -not to mention mentally ill - is ruining our democray. Another huge segment only cares about their wallets (and other than the wealthiest of the wealthy) are in for a rude awakening as things devolve economically - and they will. Where will all this end? Your guess is as good as mine, but the way we are headed it will not end well.
Diane, I am lucky to be fundamentalist free among my relatives here and friends also who are very engaged, thankfully. A lot of fundamental Christians believe in the second coming, so they do not have to worry about what is happening to us and the planet as long as we support Israel. Of course, only they will be saved. I have always had trouble with that view since i think it smacks of hubris. Also they believe that God is directly involved in everything in their lives which I have translated to be God tells them when to fart. It is so difficult when that person is someone you love dearly and is essentially a good person although I fail to understand how a good person can see how immigrants, for example, are being treated and think that is OK. Some people are waking up because the problems death star has created are starting to hit them in their wallets. I think we are also going to see scarcity in the grocery store if no one is around to pick the crops.
We have to stay engaged with these persons with whom we have relationships and look for opportunities to have quiet conversations. People cannot listen when they're being shouted at. Slowly, slowly, rational and quiet and respectful and loving conversations may seep through to these persons.
So let 'em eat cake. If only Booby Jr. would allow Hostess to keep their processed red-dye Zingers on the shelf. Nothing that ever grew in a field is in them, so I predict no shortage. And there's always Soylent Green - solves the Medicaid/Elder Care problem rather neatly. I feel a Jonathan Swift moment coming on,
LOL.
Diane, you've teed up one of my favorite subjects upon which to comment, but today, I'll try to be brief.
In fact, fundamental Christians, aka evangelicals, are joined at the hip with the mega-rich, as the majority of them subscribe to the Prosperity Gospel. This bad theology claims that God "blesses" his very best followers by rewarding them with wealth. People who are sick or poor are in that state because of "unconfessed sin in their lives." If they will just "get right with God," they will be healed or come into money.
Purveyors of Prosperity Gospel, such as televangelists Paula White-Cain (Trump's "spiritual advisor*), Creflo Dollar, et al, fleece their audiences by promising them wealth and healing if they send contributions or buy the religious tchotchke they hawk. I'd bet money your relative sends money to at least one "television ministry."
*Is it any wonder that Trump chose TV's biggest, buxom, blonde religious grifter as his spiritual advisor?
Let me add that Prosperity Gospel justifies the denial of assistance to the disadvantaged. To the evangelical, those with poverty or health issues are unworthy of assistance because they've sinned.
"If those unfortunates will just take care of their sin problem, God will make them healthy and wealthy without assistance from me. After all, what I have is mine because God blessed me, because I'm a good christian. I should not be expected to give my money to unworthy sinners who refuse to repent."
"But I will give my money to my church that makes me feel 'saved' and superior to those sinners out there, and I'll send my money to televangelists who make me feel like I'm a good christian."
Ah go begat theyself and sin no more I say unto ye.
I wonder if he grabs her by the pussy?
She calls it being "slain in the Spirit."
Isn't that Hobbes' thesis? That everyone gets what (s)he deserves according to some pre-destined divine merit system? What could they possibly think of the Felon born with a silver spoon in his pie hole who frittered it away only to resuscitate his wealth through quackery and grift? And had to declare bankruptcy multiple times along the way. I ache for the shallow hypocrisy of Born Agin Money Grubbers... especially the ones in client states of the godless coastal elite states.
This.
I agree with your relative that trump is part of God's plan. I can just hear Him, "I sent you the worst of the worst--a cheat, thief, racist, xenophobe, misogynist, rapist--and you voted him as you president. His generals and attorneys who honored their oath of office managed to keep him from exercising supreme power. He even expressed his approval of having his vice president hanged. And you voted for him again? I'm sure not messing with the Free Will I gave you. You're on your own....
It's not just fundamentalists, Diane. I have a friend who's "too engaged with my art to give any attention to the negativity of politics." She thought DOGE was a great idea because in her creative ignorance she thought Elon would really tighten up and technify gov't.
Wow.
Barbara, that sounds all too familiar. There’s a ‘let others do it’ attitude among too many of the wealthier wasps similar
to the teepee hug and thin smile. God forbid being arrested. Having grown up in that group, I’ve had to force myself to change from reading carefully, commenting here, to attending rallies, to writing letters and gloves off thinking as creatively as possible.
This is not to applaud myself!!
But to encourage others who are hanging back from trying to participate. At 85 now I’m feeling newly born, utterly grateful to many of you who have been politically active, and especially to HCR daily.
Her post today was deeply enlightening to me.
Yes. Time. I’m extremely active
doing tasks like mulching, taking care of my 67 lb 2 your old standard poodle plus plus, but with our Democracy under dire threat how can I not be as deeply involved as possible?
samani--you need not applaud yourself--I WILL and DO, as I'm sure others here will agree.
We all do what we can, when we can. We all need a respite every now and then, and I've been known to get myself so worked up and upset, that I sometimes do post rants here. (like yesterday) This community supports each other.
Similar experience with an intelligent, loving, always thoughtful friend who has tuned out. I understand the need for periods of disengagement when one's mental health needs to be recharged/rejuvenated. But I can't understand choosing to be less than educated as to where we've been, what's happening now, and what we need to do to get to where we need to be.
Barbara, your friends are typical of most Americans, I reckon. I'm a senior citizen, but still working in advertising and marketing. Everything I do is governed by the industry knowledge that "people don't read," especially now, in our digital graphic age. If a message isn't replete with lots of colorful graphics and blaring sound, it will be lost in the cacophony of our modern culture.
Substack started as a "writer's platform," but as you know, is constantly expanding its media capabilities in order to appeal to a market culture that demands sound and graphics.
From the comments, I gather that most of Heather's readers are senior citizens who have the time – and willingness – to read. Acquiring information from text-only Substacks like Heather's is difficult for most working people because one must focus one's full attention on reading and optionally, commenting. Not to mention that the overwhelming majority of Americans are only moderately literate (hello, Phil Balla!) with a Sixth-Grade vocabulary.
With TV or radio news, one can multitask, taking care of everyday activities while the news plays in the background. This explains the gradual extinction of newspapers; they've tried to remain relevant by going online, but consuming news online still requires front-of-mind focus.
All the TV/radio networks are corporately owned, and slavishly bending the knee to Trump. Independently owned electronic media are also pro-Trump. Coverage of opposition or resistance news is almost nonexistent.
Young and middle-aged folks might not be "checked out;" they just don't have access to news media that fits into their lifestyle. Democrats and progressives seem to be oblivious to this problem.
Dale, I think you’ve identified the problem but not its seriousness: that “lifestyle” is regarded as more important than life and liberty. In this matter, “lifestyle” is just a euphemism for self-centetedness and care-lessness. I don’t know the answer to the problem: probably a combination of education, an increased sense of community and actual threat to the well-being of those whom one loves. This requires some disciplined thought and discussion harnessed by intentionality to take action.
Kenrick, writing is a major part of my profession, so I write judiciously as best I can. My comments here are often off-the-cuff. However, I chose "lifestyle" advisedly for a couple reasons:
1. I doubted Barbara's friends are self-centered or careless. If they were, I think Barbara might have difficulty maintaining those friendships, as she seems to be quite principled. As she indicated, my appraisal wasn't accurate, although my general observation still holds true.
2. In the broader sense, for the overwhelming majority of Americans, there really isn't enough time in a day. As my father suggested in his aphorism, people do make time for the things that really matter to them. Could more people make more time for civic awareness and responsibility? Yes, probably. Is it my place to judge them for not doing so? Nope.
I try to keep in mind the admonition from Nineteenth-Century author, John Watson, writing as Ian McLaren: "Be pitiful [kind], for every man is fighting a hard battle."
To be sure, our society's civic deficit is serious; it's solution is complicated, as you've suggested. Conversations like these need to take place in every town square, with the hopes that people having the influence and authority will initiate the changes that need to be made.
Thank you Dale, for your comments. These decades-long friends and (former) coworkers were dedicated public servants giving way way more than they were ever compensated for—I don’t know how to explain it other than it being a “calling”…even tho’ we didn’t realize it at the time…you just did what needed to be done.….because it mattered. A couple, their lives are overflowing with day-to-day extended family complications….each are, I consider, to be left of center politically, but each has to find their own way to their “expression”. I can only inform and encourage, but know they WILL, each of them, show up when it’s time to vote. They are not slackers.
Dale, what you say makes a great deal of sense and I don’t doubt that Barbara’s friends are no more self-centered than the rest of us, average people, who don’t think of ourselves as self-centered, but merely “busy with our own lives.” But I disagree that it is not your place to judge. Not being judgemental is a trope to which we are culturally conditioned to default. As an expression of genuine humility, it is a virtue. As a conditioned reflex, Hannah Arendt roundly debunked it in her essay, “Personal Responsibility Under Dictatorship” (in the cillection of essays entitled RESPONSIBILITY AND JUDGEMENT). Her point-- and she was writing in large part about what she witnessed in Nazi Germany-- is that people tend to use the idea, “Who am I to judge?” as a way of avoiding the very capacity for moral evaluation whose exercise is demanded by our humanity--if we are to retain our humanity, which is really a function of our human kindliness. It was Jesus Christ who enjoined “Judge not that ye be not judged”, but he was reminding people that they don’t have the right to kill a person who violates their moral code, not asserting that they have no right or obligation to moral evaluation, moral judgement. So it seems to me the issue is not whether people have a right to be busy with their own lives, but whether there are not times in life and history when, as human beings, we are challenged to find within ourselves a deeper response. The issue is less about you or me judging others than it is about our willingness to exercise moral judgement over what it means to be human beings who treat other people as human beings, worthy of respect and concern. Which is to say, treat others by the Golden Rule, as we would be treated by others.
Dale, these friends are readers, mostly of fiction & like me, get the local & regional newspapers—I do so in part to support them, although they ARE slimming way down. And, yeah, Phil is correct about the state of education in this country. Only once in a great while to I lament not having a smart phone—carry a crappy flip-phone in case of emergencies….for only $5 month (prepaid plan)….I am sad to see so many folks “filming” things rather than just taking in the experience it’s almost as if they’re not there!!! And don’t get me started on folks so busy on their phones they don’t watch where they are walking…been plowed into a couple of timed by an unobservant foot traveler.
Well, then, maybe they are "checked out."
During my dad's counseling, he often heard the excuse: "Well, I just don't have the time."
His response was always, "We do what we WANT to do."
I brought extra signage to protests and offered the use of them to attendees or even just passers-by. Several took me up on the chance to protest holding them.
Complacency summed up. That percentage of any society is larger today. That our education system doesn’t establish current events is important to stay abreast of ‘things’ , I had it in 7&8th grades , we had to read the newspapers (homework) and discuss headlines and front page articles. TV had not yet become dominate..but it of itself became the news carrier if not shortly realized ‘the programmer’ today it’s the phones/ipad -addictively.
With clever regard other medias …picked up on how influential …TV could be ‘telling a story’ cable and later CNN/Fox , the ‘Reality’ series made the visual of radio where families had clustered around to hear the news …easy listening. Progress made life easier to live faster.Ads originally were few. But a public was vulnerable and money could be made convincing you what was the best/the biggest/you wouldn’t believe how …fill in the blanks. The beginning of algorithmic awareness ,soap opera mentality ,and rise in manipulating the masses.
Today the world has been captured by The Little Boy that cried Wolf , backed up by that money made influence ,including foreign and the powerful manipulation cons play to get more of your/our/whosever money.
Aghast they aren’t believed , it’s double down tactics,555-1212, catchy superlatives ,or ire producing insults cheered on by the bloodlust amphitheater often thumbs down reminders of gladiator spectacles …just fancier. Upgraded from black and white the wars, the blood, sweat,and tears for your entertainment ( and their profiteering dreams).
We now have a president millions voted for who has cried wolf so many times many/most? have turned OFF that TV or muted it (best invention ever) ..wanting a Nobel Prize for the best snow job in modern day history. Noted is the educated see mostly through the smoke screens…the new phrase for manipulation. Woke up, huh? Even that was quickly ‘seen’ and made ‘a dirty word’. Fools and their money are soon parted ..Part 2.
“We’re gonna be so rich..”and the story just like the other stories ,led them again ,them thinking he meant “us”…his version of accountability.
John McLean , American Pie.
It’s up to 🫵, not the courts, not the money, certainly not the little boy who cries wolf….
🫵
Barbara, I have a friend who considers herself a political junkie and she reads the Letter, a daily print paper, and watches the local news at night. I've forwarded plenty of links onto her and she got upset. Too much time!
If this is too much for your friends, perhaps some of the excellent YouTube videos would be informative? Belle of the Ranch covers a lot of ground in 3 clips of about 4 minutes a day. Other YouTuber's seem to be longer, but even still can be less. I listen while driving, and sometimes we run them while we eat dinner.
Miselle, I'm not criticizing you at all, but your recommendation of YouTube reminded me that it is a property of Google, and as with other brands of social media, it uses algorithms to keep users engaged as long as possible, sometimes longer than we want, in order to serve us more ads (and generate more revenue for Google parent Alphabet).
Sometimes, the algorithms push videos and channels that are related to our interests, but unreliable.
Example: There's a group of videos describing calm, cool, collected Jasmine Crockett taking down people in power. One story gives an account of Chief Justice John Roberts "having a screaming fit on live TV in a congressional hearing after Crockett put him in his place." I spent a lot of time trying to verify the story. I learned that it never happened, but multiple versions of the story are being pushed by several channels, apparently all originating from the same content creator.
People without the time to read text-only stories will likely not have the time to vet the video content that's being pushed to them. So far, Substack isn't aggressively pushing unwanted content, but that may change.
Dale:
I have seen at least two YouTube videos purporting to relate a story of Rep Jasmine Crockett humiliating Chief Justice John Roberts.
Those confrontations never happened.
I hope Rep Crockett, whom I admire, is not complicit in the distribution of those fictions about her.
\Vince S
I have no doubt that Crockett is aware of the videos and chooses to avoid the "Streisand effect" by ignoring them.* The videos I've seen flash a screen full of fine print that couldn't possibly be read without pausing (and nobody does that) stating to the effect that "the following story is fiction for entertainment purposes." This keeps the creators out of court and financially solvent.
We can report them as misinformation, but YouTube moderators won't do anything because of the disclaimer.
As I've opined before, the greatest strength is the greatest weakness. The YouTube platform provides free access to a lot of valuable content and equally free access to perfidious garbage. Unfortunately, most users don't do their due diligence.
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streisand_effect
Try this, "Our constitution was broken by some very bad men and we are this far (use hand gesture to signify about an inch) away from being a police state". People do not like that shit, it freaks them out, and they might less of you. I think there's a lot of denial operating and I have compassion, but we need to start operating from that very premise.
Dale,
You make great points. I work in education and healthcare. If I want people to act in their own best interests, making it easy for them to do so works much better than exhorting them to “just do it”.
Is it a misnomer to think that we can somehow make our own best interest appear to be the easy choice? Or does that require us to think too far beyond immediate gratification?
Thank you all for sharing your thoughts and experiences.
Jeanne
My husband and I are gearing up for the next protest. No Kings here in Kalamazoo attracted nearly 8000 participants.
Good ol' Michigan, Jeaneen. May it swing left in the next go-round.
Appreciate your commitment IN standing up for democracy. Resisting, protesting, calling congress, campaigning, et al are positive actions we all can master in one way or another and contribute to restoring sanity and hope in the USA.
My husband spent some time explaining Mastodon vs Twitter and Facebook. One of our friends seems interested. They are the couple who did their first protest with us on the 14th and were emotionally overwhelmed.
And they will continue to be bystanders until they are directly affected.
thank you for that.
Disgusting that we must continue to fight these insane issues. All three wives of Trump were foreigners. They (their remains) and their children should be immediately rounded up and deported. When President Turd dies, I intend to crap on his resting place.
And didn't Musk overstay his visa but eventually became a citizen. Let's deport his kids too and those of the other oligarchs that are welching on their taxes.
yeah, but he's white.
I wonder if that was a point made to him prompting his apology?
His kids? To him they’re future Mars citizens. Other than that, they’re nothing to him.
Are you still limber enough to squat or should we erect an outhouse on top?
How ‘bout a golden toilet???
I can squat. I can dance. I can prance. I can doodle. I can aim and pee on his eyeballs in the opened casket in the rotunda if give an opportunity.
Fred Drumpf - born where?
His second wife, Marla Maples, was not a foreigner. She was born in Georgia.
Close enough.
And his Scottish mother. Didn’t she come over as an undocumented immmigrant?
Despair its not given up Robert. It's a natural reaction to a situation very valuable that's escaping out of your hsnds. Any normal, decent people is there already. That's my case.
We have now arrived at the crux of political malfunction in the United States: most white Americans are stone cold white supremacists whose top political priority is the preservation of the systemic legal, economic, and political advantages of white Americans, no matter what it costs. The President is on board with this. The legislature is on board with this. The Supreme Court is on board with this. And upwards of 77 million Americans are on board with this.
Beg to differ Rex. Trump was not elected by the majority of Americans. Less than 50 of those voting voted for him. Personally, I believe Musk manipulated the voting machines in swing states as the count showed the overwhelming vote for dems on the down ballot while Trump won for president. Also, where was the "Exit Polling" that would have reflected the real vote count? There are investigations on going to get to the bottom of possible fraudulent voting.
However the 77mil that Rex says are on board with this, voted for him, the majority being White Americans who seem to like to have White privilege. There were 75 mil that voted for Harris and 93 million who did not vote.
https://www.cfr.org/article/2024-election-numbers
We know there were bomb threats called in in heavily democratic swing state districts (supposedly initiated by Putin), and those polls shut down and there was no make up time for the people who had to miss voting. That is an irregularity that should cause those states to have to redo their votes.
And that is why I do not believe he got 77 M votes.
I agree Robert and tRump as much admitted it. It is not a coincidence that the man that said "I have all the votes I need" and campaigned like he did, won all swing states. The spin out there is laughable.
Did Trump admit that Musk stole Pennsylvania?
Robert, you know what would make the possibility of Musk' tampering irrelevant? The elimination of "swing states."
You know how swing states are eliminated? By the abolishing of the Electoral College and gerrymandering.
One person = one vote would give us a true democracy instead of this distorted, perverted caricature of democracy we're living in now.
Robert, your breathtaking suspicion based on emotions is quite trumpian in its lack of evidence.
Je, there is actually a lawsuit (it won’t change the election outcome) looking into this, a “deep dive”…you can find more info online from various sources, but here is one overview: https://www.morningstar.com/news/accesswire/1043441msn/voting-machine-details-requested-in-lawsuit-challenging-2024-election
Not emotion, just basic logic.
Je, I fear you are one who has managed to ignore evidence of significant vote-counting abnormalities now being pursued -https://factually.co/fact-checks/politics/kamala-harris-new-york-county-zero-votes-45801a
Je ne sais pas.
What's the diff, Robert? You may be 100% right, but even if election tampering were absolutely proven we wouldn't get a Mulligan. And if we did, First Felon would find a way to win as surely as he wins tournaments at Bedminster.
I don’t know where you’re coming from on this. The fantasy of a level of fraudulent voting that could affect an election outcome has mostly been a delusion of loony, rightwing fanatics (except that maybe… a big maybe… they may have had a smidgen of evidence in Cook County in 1960). It appears to me (and I admit to making a wild guess in this matter) that you have an inflated view of the level of decency in the white population of the US. I grew up in Kansas and spent 30 years working in Oklahoma. I know these people, and I can assure you that white Americans, roughly 60% of them, are even worse than they appear to be, and they appear to be mighty damn bad.
I say it's always palest before the dusk, Rex. When the U.S. population shifts from majority white to majority brown, we'll see the sun set on this bs.
I don't know if most white people are white supremacists. It seems apparent that most right-wing white people are white supremacists, and the fascist leaders are taking advantage of that fact and using it to carry out their fascist coup.
I wonder when the right-wing will decide that HCR's scholarship in American history is too dangerous and ban her books and all other fact-based (evidence-based) publications, including textbooks of our history. They constantly take advantage of their voters' low IQ to believe their reimagining of history.
Thank you for that encouragement, Robert Paulson. I think we all need it at this point. My 89 year-old father goes with me to most protests. His main passion is support for Ukraine. I can't even decide specifics anymore, so my sign just reads: "Make America Kind Again." We must stay strong.
Jennie Lee Castrogiovanni,
My husband and I are in our 70's. We have attended rallies in SC and Virginia. In both locations there were a mix of ages of citizenry and to add to my great joy, there were many in wheel chairs...some endured a rain storm with us in Virginia until they could move themselves to a safer location. My husband and I were remained standing in the rain, "wet to the bone" and shouting "NO KINGS!" It was a small sacrifice to stand for freedom...to stand for our country and to honor those young and old .....to honor those of every race, rich and poor, who have given so much more for this country, : The Land of the Free Because of the Brave!"
Thank you Robert I needed to read your words this morning. I’m going to a Tesla takedown at 11am in Dedham MA and scream my head off. I will keep on keep’n on best Cynthia
Robert Paulson -- I love the extraordinary pun in your sign! Pronunciation ("Faux king".) Thank you for starting this Saturday morning off with such delight!
We can’t despair! I’m 81 too, and I march, protest, rally, and go to weekly standouts - we need to keep on being loud and inspiring more and more people to join us!
Go for it. Today we are having our biweekly stand Up for the Constitution stand out in my town. I’ll be there wearing my 8647 shirt and with my reversed flag. (I’m a little younger than you are—I won’t be 80 until August.)
What a great idea. From one 81 year older to another.
Like so many of you here, my husband is 82 (cancer survivor), I am 64 and in between our travel to treat children and living in Rome we attend protests. Listen to Contrarion short 15 minutes video from yesterday. Trump did not win the birthright citizenship case. Do not give up, do not give in to his lies. We will prevail.
Good for you! Thanks for the idea when I get older! I am 72 now and did participate in the No Kings march in NYC so I have no car!
Robert, that's a great sign and would make a great bumper sticker as well.
🫡✌️🤘
🚫🐂💩
☮️🕊️🇺🇸🌎
Besides all of the like minded plus some cultists who wake up and IF we have fair election we will elect a Congress that will impeach wannabe dictator and Thomas and Alito and get rid the scourge.
Bravo Robert, you have the best attitude! I am 73 years young and with you all the way!
Bravo! And I keep writing postcards. This time it’s Florida voters. Learning a lot of county names.
Groups have already filed class action lawsuits within hours of the decision coming down. Let the Supreme Court reverse birthright citizenship on the merits and reveal to the world just how corrupt and *legally bankrupt* they are. I don't think it will happen. This decision makes no sense and reflects, I think, actual FEAR of Trump on the justice's part as much as ideology. In the meantime, blue cities and states should show how ridiculous it is by weaponizing it. "All firearm sales to private individuals is hereby rendered illegal and anyone engaged in it shall be guilty of a felon and sentenced to 20-100 years in prison." "All Christian churches that mention any partisan poltical issues or candidates shall by closed and its assets given to the state to pay for atheism studies in public schools." Both are absurd and unconstitutional but no more than a President trying to end birthright citizenship with a signature.
That this decision is a result of the Supreme Court's fear of Trump is my take as well. Chief Justice Roberts is weak and backed away from a confrontation with Trump (who is also, beneath the bullying, weak and insecure). This is a decision that will (eventually) be overturned. It is a burdensome, foolish outcome...and Trump loves it, which means it's a very bad decision for Truth, Justice and Equality under the Law.
Evangelicals and conservative Catholics have spent centuries refining the art of cherrypicking scripture to support their preconceived notions, so it should come as no surprise that evangelicals and conservative Catholics on the supreme bench would apply the same cherrypicking skills to their reading of the U.S. Constitution.
Example: All western religions followed Hebrew tradition which still holds that human life begins when a newborn draws the first breath, ruah, or "the breath of God."
But when the Roman Catholic Church felt threatened by the expansion of the Ottoman Empire, the Vatican concluded that the solution was to outnumber Muslims, so to promote more Catholic births, the Vatican declared birth control and abortion as sins.
Protestants preferred not to discuss anything related to sex, but continued to follow Hebrew tradition until the 1960s, when Republican operatives sought to harness the power of the evangelical/conservative Catholic voting bloc and needed a political wedge/litmus test. Abortion was selected and a campaign was mounted to overturn previous belief by twisting and stretching scripture to support this new position.
Thanks for that history. Still today, the Catholics are trying to keep 'market share' by discouraging birth control and abortion even in areas where limiting their mouths to feed might be very beneficial to the people in their flock. And of course, the white Christian nationalists behind Project 2025 and currently running our government, are really pushing to have white Americans especially have more bablies.
Thank you for the history.
The Roberts court made the Citizens United decision before trump had any political power. That decision was a significant step towards today's political system, where money is free speech and the more you spend, the more free speech you have. Only public financing for all elected positions, with no other financing permitted, can stop the ultra-rich (Oligarchs) from buying politicians and political positions.
Also, when Roberts was part of the Reagan administration, he made it his mission to undo the civil rights and voting rights of non white citizens. The six corrupt right-wing Justices don't rule because they are afraid of trump or his minions; they were chosen by the President, who appointed them to do everything they are doing now to weaken the power of "We the people" and make it possible for the radical right-wing elites to permanently rule our nation.
Again, I personally believe it is a mixture of ideology/personal enrichment AND fear that is the motivation for ALL the Republicans in power right now including the partisan operatives on the Supreme Court. You are not wrong about Roberts and people theorize his experiences in the Reagan Admin lead directly to Trump v United States which basically made him an untouchable king.
I I used to think “they” Congress, the Supreme Court, lower court Judges, etc.. were afraid of Trump and that maybe be true in the beginning but now I think they are supporting him because they are all making money. Everyone of these guys/gals are making money. From MTG shorting the market to Clarence Thomas and Robert’s lavish vacations, everyone of them are making money while destroying people’s lives for generations. Horrific!
Why can't it be both? I kind of think ALL the Republicans are both hoping to profit personally (it is the reason they are in office) AND are also afraid of him and what he might do to them if they don't obey. It is obvious here that the SC was avoiding the confrontation for now as they could have just ruled from their shadow docket that Trump's position on birthright citizenship is obviously and inherently unconstitutional rendering this decision moot.
they reach a conclusion and then bend like pretzels to find a justification for it. Same in the Tenn trans case. It's appalling.
Because the entire right wing of SCOTUS is a co-conspirator with the authors and implementers of Project 2025.
Unless one lives in TN and keeps up with the legislature even just generally, it’s impossible to convey how biased, mean, and suspicious of other than R white men the legislators are. And don’t start me on the sycophantic governor and our US senators. They proclaim their devout Christianity, of course.
So, you maintain that, faced with dealing with the birthright citizenship issue, the Supreme Court will finally acknowledge its constitutionality. Since they avoided dealing with that issue in this case and focused only on the authority of a single federal district court judge to enjoin some presidential action by himself/herself, I infer the same thing. Praying that we may both be right.
I *hope* that denying the very obvious meaning of the this 150 year+ amendment would be a bridge too far even for this gumby court who twists logic and completely ignores stare decisis and precedent. But I have been wrong before! If for any other reason, such a decision would throw the entire country into chaos and open huge cans of worms everywhere. If I am not a citizen even though I was born here if my parents were not citizens, what about if my parents were only citizens because they were born here but their parents were not citizens? How far back do we go? If I am suddenly rendered a non-citizen, what about my kids who were born here? It hurts the head just thinking about all the possible scenarios.
Changing the law, after the fact, and punishing those whose actions to place before the change sounds disturbing like ex post facto, a Constitutional violation in and of itself.
It reminds me of how this Admin is now suddenly taking away group's legal status and then deporting members of that group. They were here legally, they did everything right, they did what they were told to do, they are removed anyway.
Well thank you for the encouragement. I would argue that the best thing we boomers could do is get out of the way for a more energetic generation.
Get out of the way? We are important in our resistance to tyranny. Support the younger generations wholeheartedly. And we work together to save our democracy.
We are a part of a society, and all have a potentially useful perspective, though I do notice oldsters (of which I am definitely one) are top heavy with concentrations of politcal power. I am more that ready to see some turnover in favor of some new and younger blood.
I am a US citizen living in a country in Asia where most elders are esteemed. Yes, younger folks in the US can step up and we support them. Yes, many in government could retire their roles and pass the baton to younger folks who have a vision for what they would like to see manifest with our country. And we support them. To say "get out of the way" is negative, dismissive, and disrespectful.
I was on a team of 30 computer consultants in South Dakota. 29 of the 30 were born in India or Pakistan. I was the 30th. I was 62 at the time and the they were all under 40 years old.
They all treated me with the utmost respect and kindness. Of course, they may treat most people that way but I was really moved.
Good work. Good story. Thanks.
While I agree that elders should be respected for wisdom gained from experience, in the Senate we have fossilized dinosaurs who have been warming their seat for over 40 years--too many years out of touch with their constituents; an office from which they have financially profited while continuing to make roadblocks to reasonable legislation. Those elected offices were NEVER intended to be lifetime positions!
Senator Grassley of Iowa, is 91 and has been the Senator from Iowa since 1981. Before that he was a state legislator and then a Representative. Grassley has never done anything but be a politician his entire life. Senator McConnell at 83 (and recently in very poor health) has been in the Senate since 1985..there are a few others--our own senior Senator from Maine, Susan Collins, has been a Senator for 30 years.
The Representatives in the House have two year terms and are easier to vote out, but even some of them have been in office for far too long. There are 19 Representatives who have served over 30 years and 6 that have served over 40 years. Cripes...some of these folks have never had any other job! What do they know about the struggles of the average American family????
So why are their constituents not voting them out? It is up to us to vote them out. But it doesn't mean all elders are like this and should get out of the way. A lot of young ones are monstrosities, take MTG for instance. Biden was not perfect, but he had a vision and he is old. I resist the ageism!
TL, we need reps who know “when to hold ‘em & when to fold ‘em”….the ideal is that they are mentors to those coming up…and to do so gladly and with reverence….the passing of the baton, so to speak. To me that is a very noble path…AND to be and stay available for guidance/good counsel.
They know nothing and avoid their constituents because they don’t have any financial interest in contacts with them. They keep winning their seats because of name recognition—works for the uniformed ($$$$$ well spent),
Yes! At 74 I protest for my children and grandchildren! I will not "get out of the way!"
Yeah, Wendyl, it’s gonna take ALL of us…we “oldsters” can still be as full of passionate intensity (in a good way) as the youth…side by side we resist!
Right on, sistah!
Please share with Nancy Pelosi
there are other Reps who have been in the House for longer than Ms. Pelosi.
Robert - I greatly fear that we (the boomers) are the only people left on the planet who are not too busy with our cell phones, Tiktok, Twitter and FB to take any interest in what is happening in the world around us.
You look at the raging protest comments on Social Media, Substacks etc - and see how many people say "I am 70" or "I served in Vietnam" or "I taught/nursed/served for fifty years."
Many, many of the young have no idea what they are allowing to slip away.
As far as democracy, I agree, but as far as economics are concerned I quote my gen Z assistant. “You have no idea how much my generation hates rich people”. That can be harnessed. As just happened in NYC.
My Millennial nephew has been saying "eat the rich" for 20 years.
I’m living this. My 17 year old grandson listens to and watches right wing crap on his ever present phone and swallows all the right wing garbage then regurgitates it in pithy little slogans to me, his 80 yr old grandmother whom he has nicknamed “Liberal Woman.” Praying it’s a phase.
Jesus, Janet - sorry for your loss! That must break your heart. The only comfort I can give (from my own experience) is that the terrible teens do eventually come back to what they were as kids.
Just hope yours didn't spend his early years pulling the wings off flies, which I suspect many now-adult MAGA did. . .
He didn’t harm animals or insects, thank goodness. He got a cellphone at 9 or 10, was a bit scarred by Covid lock down at 12 and is growing up in a very privileged town where rebellion at this age seems to be aimed at anyone who is “different.” Being a straight white kid, he has developed an intolerance for the very few gay and trans kids in his school, pro life stands built on nothing, etc. He just wants to be “against.” Hoping a college experience will slowly transform him.
Dang, that is quite a hate milieu to have at such a young age.
So they are paying attention but the whole alpha male BS being pushed by the MAGAts is appealing to many young men. Fortunately not my grandson’s group and they are an ever widening circle of most likely independents wonder how the racist, misogynistic white men are so appealing to other young men.
I wouldn’t say that at all. Younger Americans may not be on Substack, which I think skews towards older college educated readers (I am 61), but they are out and loud on BlueSky and they’re pissed. The system has largely failed them and Trump is only the tip of the iceberg. In their eyes our generation has stolen opportunity from them. We’ve done well with our nice homes, our 401Ks, and here we are now getting ready to coast into a retirement they may never get to enjoy. We’ve tolerated the widening income and equity gap, and worse, helped it along by spiking policies that might have slowed it down or reversed it. In short we have pulled the ladders up behind us. That is what they see. And they are ready to burn the whole thing down.
"they are ready to burn the whole thing down."
How about joining us to build the "whole thing" back up?
It's not a sin to have a home and a a 401k - in fact what pisses them off is that they have no chance of getting one.
Most boomers worked hard for the things they have - but they only have them because the were actually attainable.
Liberals have been screaming for years about how the money is moving up and out of the average guys reach. Instead of working to burn it down, young people should be working to regain that level of wealth all Americans could once get - whether they were blue or white collar,
Right now, the only people in the US who can run a comfortable family life have a gold collar.
I totally agree with you.
Agree, and cheer them on, donate to their campaigns and vote.
I don't see a "more energetic generation". In fact, I see the boomers out in droves at these protests.. The youngers just don't seem to understand what's at stake.
Most of the youngster I have encountered do understand, but many of them are so busy working long hours, often two and three jobs, just to keep their heads above water and take care of their families. I can certainly relate to this. It hasn't been so very long ago that I was one of them.
Agree...and they don't understand because of a failed education system in teaching the importance of understanding government and how it works.
Imagine what those college kids have lived through that we boomers didn’t. School shootings where they’re so locked down in school and terrified that they never learned what freedom was. Book banning non-stop and constant homophobia crammed down their throats. Then they had to live through covid during some of the best years of their life. Next up the constant barrage of horrible steps taken to quell their free speech and now they watch their best friend ripped away by masked ICE agents just for being a little brown. I have a 22 y/o grandson who talks about this. He’s lived with us since he was 16 and his mom passed. I’ve had to bring him back from the edge of suicide. He went to UCSD 30 minutes from us but we put him in the dorms anyway so he could make friends and learn to be his own person. He’s well adjusted and wants to help make change but honestly they’ve watched republicans refuse to do something as simple as taking steps to remove guns from our streets.
True, but they are busy, until their lives disappear. I make sure that my grands know, but they are working their rears off just trying to get through the day. It’s what I did at their age, but the burdens on me pale by the ones they are facing.
If the younger ones don’t see it, it’s because our schools failed to teach critical thinking skills.
I can agree with that up to a point. But there are huge reservoirs of disenchantment among the young that could be tapped. I do think they have a social conscience. And I’m not worried that they are on their phones.
I’m in favor of getting out of the way, provided they are showing leadership, until they do that, we who lived through and witnessed the 60’s are going to have very loud voices. I have no intention of going quietly into the night, I don’t have the stamina I used to have, but the passion is still alive and well. 🤬🤬🤬💥
Well we boomer women in particular have fought too damn hard, for what rights we have, to stand aside. However I do believe the young must step up and become the leaders for the 21st century. Personally I am a progressive. Time we invested money in the people instead of armoring the world. I am fine with the EU or a confederation of democracies to become the leaders of the free world while we repair the damage that has and will be done to our democracy.
I am pleased to say that my grandchildren who are Gen Z and myself agree. Strength in numbers! All ages and all members of society who believe in diversity and social justice need to stick together and push back with everything in us!
Think this through, I think everyone is missing the point. I disagree with all the comments about despair and frankly the liberal dissents, 'but I feel and understand their pain'. This is an ok inevitable ruling because there are 677 District Court judges in the country and any one of them could freeze Presidential actions across the country. In the prior era, before Reagan and then all subsequent Republicans, started appointing right wing fanatical younger lunatics to the bench, a judge was extremely circumspect about issuing a nationwide injunction so this was not a problem. Obama was flummoxed as was Biden, when far right advocates filed BS ultra conservative suits in small MAGA redneck racist Born Again shitholes that had only one judge or maybe a few and knew they would get a MAGA ruling. This delayed the rollout of Obama Care, tied up birth control under Biden, etc. Justice Roberts recently tried to reign in the MAGA lunatic in Texas, to no avail. Already there are 'splits in the Circuits' such that the law and precedent is a tad different in different parts of the country. E.g. The 5th Circuit is known to be more 'conservative' and its rulings disagree with the 9th Circuit on the west coast. So there has never been 'uniformity'. SO WHY THE UPROAR from the liberal dissenters? Because it marks the end of an era where a District Court judge, no matter who appointed them, was a decent jurist who did not play political games. It's the end of an era when a District Court judge dare not issue a nationwide injunction unless it was extremely well grounded in jurisprudence. Its tragic, it's a shame, but its reality. Look no further than Aileen 'Loose' Cannon for the prototypical young unqualified right wing stooge ready to bend the constitution, law and facts to serve a political end. Do you really want this incompetent to have the ability to shut down the next Democrat in the White House, nation wide, for the months or the years it takes to get to the appellate courts? I read the dissents as a funeral dirge for decency and trust in District Courts, which is indeed a tragedy, but a jurisprudential necessity given the hundreds of shitty judges appointed by Republicans over the years. If 'set Trump free' Roberts can not reign in U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Amarillo Texas, no one can. Here is an article with data summarizing how these nationwide injunctions have become political tools as opposed to jurisprudence. Follow link also to Harvard Law Review article on the topic. https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/texas-a-hot-spot-for-universal-injunctions-from-conservative-judges/
Nice assessment, 100Panthers.
Very interesting. I wonder how this can be fixed? Perhaps better vetting of judges? A review by constitutional lawyers when and injunction is issued to stop progress if needed? Kacsmaryk and Cannon are both examples of the rot within the judiciary. I live in Texas and am very aware of the 5th circuit and particularly Kacsmaryk, the “go to judge” for injunctions.
Technically it can be easily fixed, by Congress. The lead opinion was based upon statutory interpretation, 'what did Congress intend', for a law passed in 18th century. BUT as a practical matter, getting Congress to pass an amendment to the law and get past the filibuster seems unlikely to impossible. The courts have said in essence 'we secede this power of review to the Presidency because we cannot be trusted to do it competently'. Realistically, when the Judiciary Act of 1789 was passed, there were 19 total judges. Today including Circuit Court judges the number is 870. So some of this is merely a 'numbers game'. https://www.fjc.gov/history/exhibits/graphs-and-maps/composition-courts
Thanks. It is my fervent hope that legal hawks and constitutional scholars are right now working on a multitude of laws that can be passed if we take both house with a majority in the midterms. Well thought out laws. If we have an election, we need to hit the ground running on the first day. Among the top issues to be repaired ….Citizens United. We must have a plan in place. Heather Cox Richardson’s letter today had some history of a similar situation in 1890 when the McKinley Tariff was passed.
Simple Question:
Can Barron Trump be deported because he was born ( at the time) of a non U.S. Citizen Mother ?
He was born several months before his mother became a citizen...under any other circumstances, I'd say that was an objectionable question. Under the present circs? It is most appropriate.
All of them should be deported.
Jasmine Crockett really went after Melania’s illegal entry into the country by claiming Einstein status. She should be deported with the rest of them for fraud, just like Musk. Instead they’re grabbing up the 6 y/o hispanic boy receiving medical treatment for leukemia in L.A. Lock him up in a cell and let him die just because of the color of his skin.
Thank you for naming this moment so clearly. It’s easy to feel despair when systems that are meant to uphold justice seem to falter. But this also reminds us that real change doesn’t come only from institutions—it comes from people, from our shared sense of dignity and our deep connection to one another. Rights shouldn’t depend on wealth, status, or geography. They should grow from a recognition that every human being has intrinsic worth. The more we organize, uplift each other, and cultivate a culture rooted in compassion and justice, the more resilient our democracy becomes. Let’s keep moving forward together.
While I agree with everything that Dr Richardson has written about birth-right citizen citizenship, I also understand why the Supreme Court ruled the way it did. It does seem like an over-reach that each one of ninety-four district courts can extend authority beyond its area of jurisdiction.
Which district should the constitution be applied in???
Bravo !
B.L.U.F. (bottom-line, up-front): I am not trained in the law. My reasoning here is mine alone, Please feel free to teach me . . . gently.
So, what happen when one district judge issues a temporary restraining order (T.R.O.) and at the same time another district judge refuses to issue a T.R.O. on the same or very similar issue? 🤔
Does the granted T.R.O. extend to the district that refused it? In those states with more than one district, how does a similar split play out? Within a state. Oy-vey.🤔
One may be: extend than T.R.O. issued first.✍️
If that priority of timing applies, it is well known that some district judges favour Trump and others are pre-disposed toward more progressive thinking. So, when one Party controls the presidency and the President issues an executive order, the opposition shops around for one judge to seek a desired T.R.O. And vice versa. 🫨
So, we may have a situation where one judge has, temporarily for the length of the restraining order, supremacy over the Supreme Court, the rest of the judiciary, and to the President. 😢
One possible approach is for the legislative branch, the locus of power in our government, to pass a law building in a lag-time, say sixty days, so Congress and others can review the constitutionality of the executive order or pass legislation negating it.⚖️
All of ‘em I write as a scientist and almost completely ignorant of law. It’s the foundation of the “birth” of this country isn’t it?
Shira Scheindlin made the same argument today on MSNBC about district court judges issuing orders that cover every State. Additionally, Andrew Weissmann said something about "silver linings". Judge Kacsmeryk in Amarillo, Texas is a go to judge for Republicans because he always rules against democrats and always in favor of Republicans. I think this is what Weissmann was referring to although he didn't elaborate. So, birthright citizenship wasn't overturned but left to be fought in courts in every jurisdiction. It would have been nice if the 'conservative' judges would have just made it clear that the 14th amendment enshrined Birthright Citizenship. Instead they seemed to kick the can down the road again. We will now see a flurry of class action suits which will take much longer and cost a lot more. Having said that, this administration is racially profiling people to deport them and separating families in the process. As bad as this looks for the SCOTUS, it certainly was not a win for Trump.
Well stated, J. I had the same judge in Texas in mind. The Supreme Court did kick the can down the road. At first, I though the Court might be wise in deferring judgement of birth-right citizenship in view of what occurred -- at least as I recall it -- with the Dred Scott decision. (I.e., the Court used an individual suit for freedom under Illinois law to make its own 'universal injunction' that Blacks were not citizens and not entitled to the liberties of white men.)
Yet the opening of the opinion clearly states that the case involves birth-right citizenship, as per this snip-it from the opening statements: "President Trump’s Executive Order No. 14160 . . . Meaning and Value of American Citizenship . . . The Executive Order identifies circumstances in which a person born in the United States is not 'subject to the jurisdiction thereof' and is thus not recognized as an American citizen."
Districts no, Circuit Court of Appeals (10), yes. That is how we got SCOTUS action on police use of force. There were at least some flavor of 4 different determinations on what was justifiable use of force from the 9th, 5th, 6th, and I can't recall the last off the top of my head. Graham v. Connor, (decided by SCOTUS, out of North Carolina) brought all police use of force under the 4th Amendment (each of the courts mentioned utilized other Amendments in their reasoning.
Thank you, Ally. Seems that the longer response that l bloviated above is quite late to the party. In this case, with something as fundamental as who is a citizen and who is not, one would think, as did J. above, that the Supreme Court would have weighed in.
Robert Hubbell writes today:
"Despite feelings of disappointment and cynicism, we cannot give up. Defeat is not an option. Accepting that truth, our task is to resist with every fiber of our being. The tide has turned already; the period of rehabilitation will be long and arduous. But it won’t happen unless we persist. Stay strong and keep the faith!"
I think we should organize and start filing cases, as many cases as there are potential deportees. Let's Show the absurdities of the law while following it. And, who knows, we may even save folks from deportation.
I agree with that. There should be a case for every person deported.
I despair as well, but I do NOT give up!
I’m so upset that this awfulness from SCOTUS took our attention away from the really really big news: GDP tanked into negative territory for the first time in years (helllloooo recession and, if the tariffs kick in hard and fast - stagflation) thanks to lower consumer spending as millions of people like me are using our wallets as our weapons. Resistance = less spending. And it’s working.
Yesterday, I went off on a rant and I was calling for a day or weekend total boycott of shopping.
Crickets. That's okay, I was a bit over the top. I confess that frustration of my current life made me lash out. (severe tendonitis in R foot, along with meniscus tears in left knee, along with an overgrown yard I can't clean up in upper 90s heat, plus despair over yet another query rejection, and a fur-child with hypertension now added to her cancer and renal issues, etc, etc, etc..)
I am a nonviolent person and don't even own a gun, but I do see how people can lose it and I'm very afraid civil unrest is coming. As a long time healthcare worker (40+ years in urban major medical center labs) I've noticed ER admissions related to violence increase in hot weather. I also noticed, during polar vortexes, those type of admissions dropped.
It's June and we've already seen horribly high temperature stretches.
My own sister has put the blinders on and stubbornly refuses to take them off. She said she is trusting in Jesus to make things right. Thank God the rest of my siblings (there are five of us still living) have sense to know better. I pray every day but Jesus urged everyone with eyes to see and ears to hear to take heed! Prayer without action is wishful thinking.
While I do agree with your take here. The current court should be disband for failure to perform their intended duties. Number one being to protect the Constitution instead of actively changing the meaning of it's intended purpose.
These justices, most of them are the products of the indoctrination applied to them, a result of living and worshiping the super wealthy elitist's class of our society. In their environment of constant genuflecting to their betters they have become convinced that all who don't are somehow lesser persons than they are. An example of how disassociation from fact feeds into the elitist mentality. A mentality which supports their belief that everyone , while not equal, should pull themselves up by themselves as they have come to believe they did.. A belief born of their loss of contact with reality. They then project on the 'other' their ill conceived value set not based in realty.
The result ends up with lawyers becoming justices on the SCOTUS and this is what we witness., decisions such as Citizens United, and this garbage about citizenship, IMO.
Don't despair Robert, A quote from Lt. Gen. Lewis "Chesty" Puller, "We're completely surrounded . . . . we have them right where we want them!" "they're on our right, they're on our left, they're in front of us, they're behind us; they can't get away from us this time.
Battle of the Chosin Reservoir - Korean War
We cannot give up, it's not an option!
After working in the federal courts for most of my career, this ruling makes me wonder what the point of the federal court system is, what the point is of a federal judge’s nomination by a president of the US, and confirmation by the US Senate.
If we despair, then Trump wins. Remember that!
Democrats & Republicans have cherry picked district courts to get injunctions. Its a joke.
BTW This is democracy at work. Two parties litigated before a court and TRUMP won.
And 6 to 3, the Supreme Court is supporting everything Trump does. Three women liberals stand between us and descent into fascism. Send them letters thanking them for their courage!
Great idea! I just posted 50 letters to Republican Senators with copies of the Constitution and an appeal to protect our democracy!
Fantastic! Thank you!
Great move! Thanks for thinking of it.
Excellent idea!
I am sorry if this is a stupid question. How do you send letters to Senators who are not your Senator?
Either he is snail-mailing, or he is emailing. One day I spent hours emailing all the senators. MOST of them will take your comments via email, although some have residency requirements.
Thank you. When I email they all seem to have residency requirements. Guess snail mail.
Most will ignore nonresident comments. They are elected to represent their constituents, not the general public of the US. It's not a total waste to email them all but mostly a waste. My representatives already are on my side (both Senators and my Congress critter) fortunately.
Yes. Three women liberals are making a valiant effort. Unfortunately they have zero power, just like the Democrats in the legislature. Nobody can stop Republicans from doing whatever they please until, at the earliest, a new legislature is sworn in roughly two years from now. And maybe not then, either, if the vote goes full-on white supremacist again or if one of the things the convicted felon in the Oval Office wants to do is call off the 2026 elections.
Rex, I heard on NPR whilst driving today someone posit that “R’s” may have a “be careful what you wish for” realization if “D’s” regain the presidency and control of Congress….the current court decisions don’t specify which political party they apply to. That said, IMHO, the “D’s” tend to respect the Marquis of Queensbury rules and “R’s” are more guerrilla warfare tactics (win at any cost)….so remains to be seen if Dems would utilize them to their advantage.
The Rs are acting like they will never have to stand for election again; i.e., that we will never again have free and fair elections where they are held accountable. That seems to be their plan.
Good ol’ Donny sure can’t hide his delight at this prospect, as he keeps hinting at it…maybe some high-tech shenanigans are going on behind the scenes to try to pull this off (she says in horror and with dread that “it can happen here”).
Check out the She Won series on This Will Hold here on Substack. It makes a really good case that it has already happened here.
Thanks….not been following this link, but am on others who are delving into this issue. I hope the truth will out, regardless of partisanship….just the plain basic facts, ma’m!!!
Yes. Dems might do that if they get chance. I hope they do. However, they cannot get that chance before the next election.
They do not have zero power.
Well, yes, they have more power than you and I do because they have a platform that reaches millions of people. However, they have far less power than, say, Joe Rogan. It’s a pity, of course, because they know important things and apply careful analysis to reach well-supported conclusions, whereas Rogan just makes all that shit up out of a vacuum. But that’s the way “intellectual” life in the US goes. Since forever.
I’m reminded that Joe Biden refused to entertain the idea of Expanding The Court… even though it makes complete sense to do so. This is just another reason why the Democrats have let us down… SMH
I do not believe Joe Biden let us down by not expanding the court, most Constitutional experts - liberal and conservative - argued against an expanded court. The loss of the idea that we have a responsibly to our communities more than ourselves, the press, education, and bottom line, an ill-informed voter population has let us down.
Joe Biden didn't let us down. At the last, it was the other way round.
Biden was hands down, the best President of my lifetime which goes back to Eisenhower. In his first two years, in spite of having a very narrow majority, he was able to pass several major pieces of legislation. Plus, he had arguably the best cabinet and advisors of any President ever. Plus he didn't override them constantly. Just about every county in the US benefited from the infrastructure bill and many would still be benefiting if Trump hadn't put most of the projects on hold.
I would have voted for Biden over Trump if Biden was just a brain in a jar of formaldehyde.
Yes! To all of that. He did what a President is meant to do: he presided.
I have always been very fond of what Bill Clinton did and accomplished. His policies and actions managed to affect the country even though Starr spent the entire presidency on Whitewater and he was persecuted for a blow job while Trump is forgiven for many sexual assaults and admitting he could grab ‘em by the pussy.
YES. Thank you. You always come through so eloquently and succinctly . Ya nailed it. I would see your “ brain in a jar of formaldehyde “ and add a fungus infested toe nail.
Bless you for that. Joe Biden is a good, decent hardworking person who fought to make democracy work for everyone and to be the responsibility of all of us. We Democrats let him down. He was a devoted father and husband who lost his first wife and baby daughter in a tragic accident. He lost his one son probably due to consequences of his service in our military. And he struggled to help his surviving son from the emotional struggles of the above. And when he needed our support to preserve our democracy, we dismissed him as a doddering old man and spit in his face. And I am ashamed and disgusted of any part I may have played in this.
We now have a population of around 375 million. Many more people than when SCOTUS was created. We need more justices.
Sorry to have to point this out, but your claim that “Constitutional experts - liberal and conservative - argued against” doing so ignores the facts of who says we SHOULD expand the court…
https://www.takebackthecourt.today/court-expansion-overview
Don’t be sorry - just pointing out it is complicated and experts have different opinions. I am open to anything that keeps democracy.
Good to learn your mind is open not closed. Also… tell me you don’t get the context of my use of the word “sorry” without telling me you don’t get the context. SMH. Enjoy your weekend. Bye bye
Steve, I'd like to see SCOTUS expanded to 13; one for each federal District Court, and one Chief Justice. I'd like to see CJ as a rotating position, with a 5 year term. Other things that I'd like to see is the banning of the "Shadow Docket" and a mandatory retirement age of 75. That is what Oregon Courts have, and it seems to work pretty well.
Agreed, and I think there should be term limits of eighteen years for federal Judges and Supreme Court Justices.
Thanks for letting me know how Oregon’s court system works. Sounds like a good approach to me! And yes! One SCOTUS justice for every Federal District Court plus a Chief Justice!
And maintaining an uneven number...
Interestingly, I've been associated with the Lane County Circuit Court since my first assignment to court transport in 1987 lasting through 2023 as a retiree doing courthouse security. In that time, about a dozen judges have left via "aging out" (to borrow a DCI* term). Two of them were still on the top of their game, and both died within a year of their retirement. The others were either ready to go or really, really needed to go.
Biden could not have expanded the court because of, uh, you know, Manchin.
There are two sides to the expansion. That’s why Biden didn’t expand the Court.
Interesting point… to which I must ask … Isn’t the job of the President to decide between two sides of any issue (choosing the side that benefits the American people the most)?
It is his job, but my guess about President Biden is that if he expanded SCOTUS and someone less thoughtful than he followed him, that person would likely add more than he had. But there’s always another year. This court MUST be “corrected” somehow. Long live the three ladies!
Frank Mitchell,
Fascism....not my ideal form of government...NOT the ideal of "freedom for all" for which we have shed our blood in the past.
I stand for "freedom for all"! We, in America, are made to lift one another up!!! Where is Kamala Harris? She knows how to govern!!!!
I believe our country is better because of every race of human being who give of themselves everyday from the most humble form of work to working as scientists, professors, lawyers, doctors, nurses, caregivers, teachers, firemen, police officers engineers....etc. We need one another!!! We together make our country great!!!
Three Teddy Bears and Six Kangaroos
Three teddy bears
and six kangaroos
Lifetime appointments
Not for you to choose
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
On full display
Of three court justices
A statement of their day
Of the other six?
Who’s to say?
Can they be replaced?
Perhaps some day
As we watch in horror
A King’s holding court
Over an entire Nation
Empowered by his cohorts
What can we do?
Please stay tuned
As we empower the teddy bears
And oust the kangaroos!
There is only one way to oust the kangaroos, and even that way cannot help with a Republican in the White House.
I admire the 3 women, but being in the minority and writing blistering dissents does not stop us from descending into fascism. Unfortunately. Right now, I feel the 2 Ds: Despair and Disgust.
Impeach & replace the facsists
Good luck with that. It takes a majority in the House to impeach (the GOP hold a slim majority in the House) and it takes 2/3 vote in the Senate (67 votes) to convict and oust. The GOP hold an even better majority in the Senate.
Like it or not, unless someone kills someone on 5th Avenue, no one is getting impeached OR replaced on the Supreme Court for at least a while (i.e. years).
SIGH...
Dr Richardson has remarkable strength. Without ever losing balance, her calm, measured prose can stir the reader to bitter anger, almost tears of rage.
And just like HCR will go down in history of a historian in perfect storytelling and truth, we lost another author of character…Bill Moyers. What integrity of character- so opposite from the fantasy world of clown DJT.
Bill Moyers Dies at 91: PBS Icon on Corruption of Corporate Media | Democracy Now!
https://youtu.be/Do6go3_YvPs?si=JYjjDUbjGZ749KEt
💔I have so missed his journalism/reporting/interviewing…was bereft when he retired, now brokenhearted to hear he’s passed. He now joins a pantheon of great truth tellers from down the decades. We were lucky to have been witness to the gifts he gave us. I hope some of the outlets (PBS, etc) rerun some of his sterling work for us to experience once more.
I remember him from “Texas Observer” days. He was part of purple Texas, where my congressman was “Henry B.” Gonzales. Then Kennedy was assassinated….
Thank you for mentioning Bill.
And others can trigger the anthems of angels!
I, too, recognize Dr. Richardson's strength and historic professionalism. I do not believe she intends to urge us to "bitter anger" and "rage". Those emotions interfere with rational thinking. I believe she intends to help us understand the full score of an issue, so we can base our thinking on a solid foundation and act in our best interests and those of the nation as a whole.
What I also read into this history is that nothing is irrevocable, even when the SCOTUS makes decisions. A future SCOTUS can reverse the decisions the current one is making. Stay the course.
And use the dissents as a basis. And we have gotten some very good blistering dissents!
Amen Dana. Couldn't agree more.
This current SCOTUS already did that with Roe, if you’ll remember, with Justices Kavanaugh and Gorsuch poo-pooing such an eventuality at their hearings, cynically claiming that “settled law is settled law” or some other ridiculous version of ‘Ollie, Ollie oxen free.’ Within the year, some Texas district then issued a finding that allowed those two fine gentlemen to make “settled” law suddenly disappear.
Now we wait for the Court to “suddenly” reverse Lawrence or Obergefill. And POOF, marriage equality — once “settled” law, will be no more. Justice Vergogna Thomas is chomping at the bit.
Before this GOP-selected Court, I wouldn’t have thought any of this was possible. Now the Court just ruled that relief from an unconstitutional law can only come if you’ve personally filed a lawsuit. Millions and millions who haven’t are just plain out of luck. That’s never happened before, either. Before today, I never thought that would be possible.
We are entering a very dark, legal black hole of despair for millions. I don’t see any magic wands lying around to “suddenly” make it all go away.
Wonder how Justice Thomas would rule if someone challenged the 1967 Loving v. Virginia case…perhaps that would cut too close to home….
Good point. Hypocrisy everywhere is straining my brain. Crowds of children seeing naked emperors in a world where, any visual artist knows, there are NO white people.
Barbara, when he wrote his concurrence in Dobbs, he mentioned three of the four "privacy" cases that Roe was based on: Griswold v. Connecticut (contraception access), Lawrence v. Texas (proscribing the outlawing of same sex sexual contact), and Obergefell v. Hodges (same sex marriage). For some reason, he neglected to mention Loving v. Virginia (permitting interracial marriage). I just cannot put my finger on why that one is different. <sarcasm font>
I know, right?! The hypocrisy runs strong in him.
Actually like it or not there IS a difference. Gay rights are NOT enshrined in the Constitution according to Thomas. On the other hand the rights of people of color ARE so enshrined in the 14th Amendment.
So Thomas sees the Loving decision as holding up the Constitution while Obergefell creates a new right that doesn't exist. He would argue that the US needs to pass a new amendment like the 14th to grant gays those rights.
It's a terrible position but one that most conservatives ascribe to.
Good point, Jon. I lament that we can’t even get the ERA ratified due to Congressionally imposed deadlines (adjusted at least once)…sigh…I’ve been waitin’ a long time to see this happen—maybe 🤞in my lifetime….I mean, come on, really? 🤦🏻♀️ A new amendment for LGBTQ+ might take a dang long time & I really really hate that folks I care so much about feel the sting of backsliding on this 😡.🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🇺🇸☮️
Perhaps Our dear Justice Thomas is hoping for overturning Loving v Virginia as his way out. I for one can understand.
Gjay….yeah, that thought occurred to me too!
Good one.
Right, and this decision to strip district courts of the power to stop the illegal executive orders from negatively affecting millions of Americans while the case works its way through the legal system will now allow the government to implement illegal measures in the meantime.
Imagine that after the next thirty days, the parties at risk are not able to bring class-action suits to block the government from sweeping up first-generation citizens and deporting them to any country, because now they are stateless. Will trump and his minions send these people to foreign prisons for life for the crime of being born in America?
After much gnashing of teeth, pain, strain, and societal murder, more often than not.
Looks like Dred Scott was reversed by the Fourteenth Amendment, today's Supreme Court right-wing Justices seem to enthusiastically remove previously long-honored Constitutional rights and liberties from citizens.
I like your thinking. We have the amendment process and the ability to change the dynamics of Congress at the polls. "Nothing is irrevocable". Otherwise, we'd never have Brown v. Board of Education...
I live in SoCal where many of us are aware of the Japanese concentration camps and have friends who were kids in these camps. I have been calling the DHS detention centers concentration camps. It is a disgrace that DOJ/DHS and the private sector are blocking our congressional representatives access to these camps.
More importantly, 9 people have died in ICE detention centers. One was a Canadian. It appears that there is no current investigation as to how they died. Were they murdered? Were autopsies performed? Where are the bodies? Congress should get off it's butt and demand an investigation!
Write your congress person, or perhaps an organized protest based on this issue is needed!
Accountability doesn't exist. within that system My friend, Douglas Menjivar was raped at the Joe Corley Detention Facility (owned by GEO Group) in 2014. We did everything we could, we reported it everywhere, we got the story on page 1 of The Houston Chronicle.They released him, but never conceded that the rape occurred. 3 weeks ago, ICE detained Douglas at his scheduled check-in. He is now in the same GEO Group detention compound in Conroe, TX. We're fighting again. I'm so sick of this.
The heinous words here are “at his scheduled check-in.” How disgusting can the U.S. get?! (No, don’t answer that…)
Horrible story, reminiscent of Stalin’s reign. Thank you for working so hard to right a cruel injustice.
Shame on us for letting this happen. Shame on voters who stayed home and didn’t vote. Shame on willfully ignorant, privileged white Americans who chose to avoid involvement in protecting our ever fragile democracy. Shame on those who now yield in advance. And thank you for continuing the fight for human rights, for the rule of law, and for our Constitution.
This is so disgusting.
Absolutely, we need accountability.
I’ve not heard about a Canadian citizen dying while being held prisoner by ICE. Has the Canadian government filed a complaint, lawsuit, investigation anything? I would hope they would make a huge, very public, very noisy big deal about this. If not Canada then at least the governor of the state in which the person was held. Actually every ICE related death that has occurred should be blasted out a thousand times a day through every media possible. That method worked/works for republican lies, it should work for the truth too.
This is the first time that I have heard about the deaths of people being held by the government. I don't doubt that people have died, I have absolutely no doubt that trump and his government will never willingly admit to government abuse of the people they are warehousing and constantly moving to make it more difficult for them to pursue legal remedies, and be deported more easily without due process.
Amen. I live in Nor Cal. Many friends and neighbors suffered through internment and lost all of their assets and property. Particularly agricultural property which was productive and valuable. Shameful.
The whole thing is a disgrace; any loss of any property is unacceptable, being moved to and held in concentration camps because of race is criminal. It wasn't long ago that I thought we as a country had evolved enough so that our citizens couldn't be treated that way again.
It appears now that I was wrong, and there is a significant number of people who are enthusiastic about their delusions of superiority of either race or religion, who delight in the extent of pain and cruelty they can inflict.
Do you know, Janet, of the George Takei manga novel, "They Called Us Enemy"?
I often use English and Japanese versions of this for junior high kids here (I live in the mountains of Kyushu, Japan). George Takei was four years old when his Los Angeles Japanese-American family was shipped off early in WWII. He later became a star on Star Trek. Helped much in Martin Luther King Jr.'s civil rights campaigns.
Near the end of "They Called Us Enemy" Takei tells the story of the 442nd -- the Japanese-American combat team famous for its heroism fighting for America and democracy in the European theater.
I love that you use George Takei’s memoir in your classes. Yes, I had a copy and gave the book to a friend who had been in a camp. I just read about his new illustrated book! I am a member of JANM, Japanese American National Museum that is located in DTLA.
I've got to get the Takei book- I follow him on BlueSky, and he's such a delightful combo of wisdom and humor. Thanks for the rec.
Also, let us not forget the contribution of immigrants from China building the Sierra Nevada portion of the transcontinental railway link east coast to west coast, most particularly of them blasting tunnels through the solid granite mountains rising up from Donner Lake at Donner Pass. This excellent article, published by the Truckee Tahoe historical society preserves the unvarnished truth regarding its local immigrant story.
https://www.visittruckeetahoe.com/nature/chinese-truckee-history-ca
Absolutely, we must never forget. Two months ago I was chatting with my PT therapist who is Chinese/American. He was praising some of 47’s economic plans and how he wished we could return the more simple life of the 1950s. I mentioned how people of color are mistreated, didn’t have the right to vote, and told him about our CA history: Chinese could not own property, the SC decision regarding citizenship, etc. I was amazed that he was unaware of some of this history or didn’t think about it.
And so far as I can tell, unlawful.
Our "President" gets away with a lot mainly because far too many Americans know very little (if any) history.
Donold, himself, is one of those that knows very little, if any, history. He just wants to drone on and on about nonsense like his tired old schtick about the late, great Hannibal Lechter. https://substack.com/@aaronrupar/note/c-129679039
Seemingly only satisfied hearing himself talk and when he's disparaging anyone that is threatening to him or challenges him or this regime. Too incurious, self- absorbed and scatterbrained to have any interest in American history but always taking glee in inflicting his cruelty and despotism upon Americans.
Horhai, looking forward to the day I can read about Donold as……HISTORY….the past tense can’t come too soon!
I doubt he realizes how many people will cheer at his passing. How sad to live a life with so much potential for good but spent on hatred and evil doings.
Yes I will be giddy when that day comes Barbara. Celebration Day!
I have this fantasy that I hear from my house the honking of vehicle horns and whoops and hollering and come outside onto the street to see what the ruckus is….oh, the king is dead….long live no-king ever. Kinda sad to feel this way, but I do….it’s not in my nature, but I’ve been pushed to the brink of civility.
Or know how usefully it informs the present, and hints at a basis for likely futures.
It seems obvious that our SCOTUS in days gone by was made up of more decent human beings than our current one. As far as I am concerned, Thomas and Alito are matching suppurating pustules on the buttocks of our jurisprudence, and Kavanaugh, Gorsuch, and Coney Barrett aren't much better. Roberts is now right up there with Carl Schmitt and Rudolf Freisler, both of whom twisted German law into a pretzel to accommodate Hitler.
On the lighter side, I got myself a cap that from top to bottom has the words, "Freedom - Democracy - Truth". The FDT are in red, and the rest of the words are in different colors. It is common knowledge what FDT stands for. I wore it into Panera with my wife, and a female MAGAt became visibly furious, but couldn't really say anything. Too bad for her.
It was on June 27, 1991 that Justice Thurgood Marshall the first Black Supreme Court Justice announced his retirement due to health issues. This is when President George H.W. Bush appointed Clarence Thomas. Marshall refused to endorse him, feeling betrayed, that Thomas was the opposite of everything he had fought and stood for.
Replacing RBG with Coney Barrett seemed a similar betrayal.
Except RBG was the one doing the betraying by not resigning when Obama could have replaced her.
Sadly, Joe Biden managed Thomas's confirmation hearings in a way that all but guaranteed Thomas would get on the SCOTUS. I'll never forgive him for that.
Me either. I still believe Anita and always did.
There were two or three other women with similar complaints about Thomas, but Biden wouldn't let them testify. As head of the Senate Judiciary Committee, he had that power.
So, Thomas got on the SCOTUS, and because Biden broke his promise to be a one-term president and hung on too long, Trump is back in the White House. if Biden had bowed out a year before the election and the Democrats had been able to have a proper primary, I believe the result might have been different. Biden messed up the country big time.
Biden should not have run for a second term but Trump hornswoggled enough of the electorate to vote for him. I don’t know if it would have been any different if there had been a Democratic primary. Donold was never going away, steamrolling and blustering his way into the White House at any cost, which was funded by Musk. It’s Elon, Donold, his enablers and supporters, the people that voted for him (or didn’t vote at all) that deserve the blame for fucking up this country big time.
You bring up a good point about American voters having been hornswoggled by Trump, but he had a lot of help doing the hornswoggling. Here's a link to one of the best stories I've read about how Trump won:
https://newrepublic.com/post/188197/trump-media-information-landscape-fox
Yeah, I guess you can be a “good ol’ boy” regardless of pigmentation.
That’s for sure. Must be some real self loathing there or maybe it’s Ginny’s tough love indoctrination that really got Clarence to sell out completely…to sell all of US out completely…and down the river…
In my view, Thomas is like a Nazi who was secretly half-Jewish. Self-loathing doesn't even begin to unlock the fucked-uppedness of his psyche. I think I just made up a word, but it seems to me to be apt.
You’re also describing Stephen Miller, a monstrous Nazi that seems to have disavowed that he is Jewish.
Yes. Miller is a monster. He's been more or less disowned by his synagogue in Santa Monica. Every time I look at a photo of Miller, I see Reinhardt Heydrich.
I want that hat! To be fair, there have been some really horrible people on the SC before now who came up with some really horrible descisions! "This Supreme Court brought to you by...Citizen's United because why do you really want democracy when the rich people can just enslave the rest of us!" Of course, Roberts was in on that one but long before him, there was Dred Scott and Plessy and Korematsu and Bush v Gore and...
Me too…want one as well!!!!
Well said, Dana, we are being set up by the ultra-rich for the new era, in which they see themselves as masters of the universe, who have no use for the people anymore, because of technical advances like AI and robotics. As long as they control the government, the government won't benefit the people.
I don't know how the economy will work after AI-robotics takes over all of the jobs, who will have the money to buy the products and services that businesses offer?
People will always need things and need to pay. barter or make them. And physical robots to do manual labor will likely be more expensive than 'white-collar' AI where all you need is a box to hold it in instead of an actual body with mechanical arms, legs, etc that break down so my guess is they plan on having AI replace us in the good well-paying white collar jobs and use us as slaves doing the manual blue-collar labor. This Administration has not quieted my fears with them gutting federal positions (which are mostly white collar and require a college education), trying to force people to have more kids and trying to make manufacturing jobs seem fun and masculine. If an over-used 'robot' breaks a limb, that could be a big expense to replace, if a human worker breaks one, just bring in another human from the teeming masses of desperate poor (white as they are trying to push out the brown) humans who were forced to be born. I do not think the Tech Bros care very deeply about their fellow human beings. Here's Thiel: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:im222o74y5q6krasprsou6bc/post/3lsnwryket224
Mine has the words Foxtrot Delta Tango. But I like yours better!
My absolute favorite is Foxtrot Delta Tango with a picture of Smoky Bear saying "Only We Can Prevent Fascism", but I was afraid that would be too provocative. If someone objects to mine, I can just ask them if they have a problem with Freedom, Democracy, and Truth. Cheers.
In my humble opinion, too many critics of the Supreme Court don't appreciate what Roberts writes pretty often in his opinions. Namely, that some issues really should be decided by our elected representatives in Congress, not by the courts. Even David Brooks on the PBS News Hour referenced this point on FRI re: the state legislature's decision in South Carolina not to fund Planned Parenthood. In that case, Brooks said, the principle of federalism is that state elected bodies can make policy decisions that affect their state.
Of course he would. States making decisions that affect all of us(ever travel?) leads to a hodge podge of laws. See: abortion rights. Just depends on where you live? Reminds me of Medicare in its first iteration. Wisconsin was more generous in pay outs than some other states & people moved just for that reason. States Rights is a bogeyman for Republicans
States rights can be a bogeyman, but federalism and local control on some issues has a firm place in our Constitution via the 10th Amendment. If the Republicans ever passed a federal law outlawing abortion, that would be an opportunistic reversal of Trump's campaign position that abortion should be left to the states. I don't think they'll pass a nationwide law on that.
Not yet anyway. But I think our country's political future is uncertain. Given the complete unpopularity of virtually everything in the Big Beautiful Bill and the fact that Trump is now underwater on most issues with prices scheduled to go up from his tariffs in the next month or so, I'm starting to imagine a circumstance under which the midterms could be cancelled.
Good column in the NY Times today on what happened in Belarus. Here's the link.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/28/opinion/belarus-democracy-lukashenko.html?unlocked_article_code=1.SU8.bjGa.G_0pOXEkVg-j&smid=url-share
Hi, Robert Gray -
Your point is valid, in a perfect world in which all members of the Supreme Court are principled and honor their oath. Members of this court, however - Roberts included -, have shown a level of corruption that, while not unprecedented, matches anything we've seen before.
Here's a question for you. If a Democratic president had, by executive order, revoked the Second Amendment, and Judge Kacsmaryk of Texas, a darling of the right, had slapped a nationwide injunction on the order, do you think the six who voted for the majority in the current case would have voted the same in my hypothetical? I do not, but I will be curious for your reply and your reasoning. Cheers.
Good question, Joel. I don't know the answer. I would hope they would vote the same based on the principle. I believe they did consider the fact that they are creating a landmark. I didn't appreciate Trump praising the Supreme Court's decision and I also don't like him pressuring the Fed Chair. Presidents have done some of that before, of course.
Hi, Robert -
Thanks for the prompt reply. The one thing going forward is that the ACLU is filing a nationwide class-action lawsuit against this decision. One legal scholar who was featured in an article I read in a source I respect said that he expects that lawsuit to succeed. I hope so.
Really, Joel? A MAGAt knew what your hat meant? I'm shocked. (Though I'm embarrassed to admit that I hadn't heard of FDT. It's a pretty succinct slogan--I wonder if its one Democrats could really push, since I keep hearing pundits and podcast hosts complaining that Dems don't have a unifying message yet to win back voters.
Thanks for some history!
And my normal -
Call. Write. Email. Protest. Unrelentingly.
Use/share this spreadsheet as a resource to call/email/write members of Congress, the Cabinet and news organizations. Reach out to those in your own state, as well as those in others. Use your voice and make some “good trouble” ❤️🩹🤍💙
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13lYafj0P-6owAJcH-5_xcpcRvMUZI7rkBPW-Ma9e7hw/edit?usp=drivesdk
We’ve got to focus on one thing — first things first. There’s a “big, beautiful” pile of financial slop, ideological cruelty and legal incoherence in the Senate right now. Don’t force the Parliamentarian to do all the heavy lifting by herself.
Tell your Republican Senators to STOP THE SLOP!
"In 1889 the Treasury Department—which then oversaw immigration—decided that a native-born child could not be sent out of the country with her foreign-born mother. Nor did the government want to hurt the U.S. citizen by expelling her mother and leaving her without a guardian. So it admitted the foreign-born mother to take care of the citizen child."
Sounds like the government of 1889 had more common sense and compassion than ours does today. Now deporting US citizens is what they want, even if they have medical issues that can not be treated in the home country of the parent. How far we have fallen.
The Trump Administration is reflecting Steven Miller's abject hate of immigrants much the way Heinrich Himmler's hate of Jews forged that horrible period of the 1930s!
And Miller force feeds Trump this BS, Trumps latches on to it as, to his (absent) mind, justification, and spews it for the right wing parrot heads to repeat often enough to be believed.
I'm always curious to know to what extent Trump is entirely unaware of American history or if he purposely misstate the facts because nobody is going to challenge him in the moment, and then his misinformation will be recorded, played and replayed on social media and on tv and quoted in the print press. Whichever it is, how can we set the record straight beyond the limited readership of LFAA? Once Trump has unleashed his baseless pronouncements, they become dangerously enshrined in narratives of our history on many sites and in many media.
He doesn’t purposefully misstate the facts. Facts don’t exist in his universe. He’s not trying to deceive. He’s trying to create a narrative that fits his purpose. He’s a bullshitter. https://theconversation.com/trump-isnt-lying-hes-bullshitting-and-its-far-more-dangerous-71932
Yeah, they’ll have his pic in the encyclopedia to illustrate the quintessential “bullshitter”.
Great article. Thank you. I've been thinking lately that he's become more delusional for some reason, but the truth is, whatever his psychological diagnosis, he's been delusional all along.
His followers always gobble up trumps delusional rhetoric and continue to devolve every minute. They won't realize until it is way too late that they have betrayed themselves with their racist, misogynistic, and religious beliefs.
Will they ever see how they are being manipulated with toxic social media algorithms and right-wing propaganda?
Is there any wonder that buried in the big, ugly bill, the Oligarchs are trying to make it impossible for states to regulate AI for ten years.
I know right? Perhaps Kill 🐂💩Bill would be a good protest sign or bumper sticker. AI is coming and it's very powerful. We cannot allow it to destroy truth. The show Black Mirror only hints of such calamity.
Yes Mystic, that’s a big question; When will they ever learn. Some are bigots and worse who are unlikely to change and don’t seem to notice the silo they are in. Some are struggling hard just to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads. (I remember seeing a bumper sticker once that said ‘I’m so poor I can’t even pay attention’. And others seem to think that things will take care of themselves. I only hope more awareness will be raised.
Lying bigly, with no trace of shame, and indeed with gushing self-congratulation, is Trump's most developed evil superpower.
Or The Lying King. For all we know this birthright thing is his way of getting back at Bruce Springsteen. 🎶Born in the USA🎶 might make a great protest song.
And add “clueless & ignorant” as other superpowers! He has them in bigly amounts.
To be fair, that was the downside of sending a 34-times convicted, twice-impeached, dumb, illiterate, criminal, sadistic, pussygrabbing felon and 4-year-old sociopathic man-child to the White House.
Other than that, of course, it’s all been just peaches and cream, chicken tacos, feasting and fun…. 🤪
Well yeah there's a long list of downsides to expressing your love of bullshitters at the ballot box.
That’s the goal, Fox has been playing this game on “entertainment news” for decades. W/Dickie were made to sound great. Chump is a stable genius….
Awww, let’s let him out of the stable and put him out to pasture….
I prefer prison, but presidential vipers seem to have immunity.
Agree! No Diet Coke, no bronzer, no smartphone’s Truth Social, no hairspray, no golf….just Dumpty-Trumpty sittin’ in jail….no winnin’, just wailin’!!!!
And as the most dangerous bullshitter in the world he deserves a straight jacket.
The real chump, raw and real. Scary thought. Broke would help too
He doesn’t read: he doesn’t write: other people do it for him.
So I suspect he has a vague sense of history and makes up what works for him to sell his BS…
My husband was born in the US to Canadian citizens. Two of my three grandsons were born abroad to our daughter who, like us, is an American citizen. Her sons also qualify to be American citizens and are so recognized as a result of hoops our daughter had to jump through, including presenting each of her infant sons for inspection at the US Embassy in the country where she resides. Consequently, the notion that any law or practice governing US citizenship could be ruled ephemeral by the US Supreme Court, depending upon the political leaning of its Justices, scares me.
How about all those people out there who like me were born of American parents, who were out of the country because one parent was in the military defending our country. To get my passport. I had to go through naturalization procedures, and get a naturalization certificate. And now this can be declared illegal by the reigning regime? I’ll bet there are a lot of us reading this column.
Yes, many of us, like you and me, concerned about the reigning regime upending our current citizenship understandings and realities should make our voices loud and clear.
Wow, I thought that as long as one of your parents was a citizen, you were a US citizen no matter of where you were born.
You are lucky that because your husband was born in Canada, you have an exit if you need it!
Yes, I have looked into that. Under Canadian citizenship laws, all he would need to do is produce one or both of his parent’s Canadian 1906 birth certificates, which he has, and he could be declared a Canadian citizen.
The Supreme Court decision did not rule at all on the merits of the birthright citizenship executive order - they dodged the issue and focused instead on restricting nationwide injunctions. In doing so, they effectively cleared the path for Donald Trump to bypass Congress and to rule the country by executive order. It will lead to a patchwork of rights across the country and will overburden the courts with cases. The only saving grace is the much more difficult route of nationwide class action certification. a path left open by justices Kavanaugh and Sotomayor. It is originalism gone mad.
There were also further signs of tension within the court. Justice Jackson's excoriating dissent described the decision of the conservative majority on the court as "an existential threat to the rule of law". Justice Sotomayor declared that "“no right is safe in the new legal regime the Court creates". Justice Coney Barratt, individually singled out for praise by Trump, was stung by these criticisms and delivered a catty response: “we will not dwell on Justice Jackson’s argument, which is at odds with more than two centuries’ worth of precedent, not to mention the Constitution itself,” Barrett wrote, before spending another page discussing Jackson's dissent. She called it a "startling line of attack" untethered either to legal sources "nor any doctrine whatsoever". The 'doctrine' reference was something of a giveaway exposing the ideology of the majority.
Please let the Pope excommunicate Amy Cobdy Barrat for her inhumanity
The New York Times undertook and analysis of cases since she joined the court and found that she was the most likely member of conservative majority (along with the chief justice) to form part of the few liberal decisions by this court. They reported that in an internal vote she even voted against taking up the Dobbs case that overturned Roe v. Wade and the federal right to abortion, though she was ultimately persuaded to join the ruling. In March, she voted against the freezing of international aid and attracted the wrath of the MAGA right.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/08/amy-coney-barrett-under-attack-by-right-wing
Having said that, she joined the infamous immunity ruling and now this ruling that allows Trump to govern solely by executive order. Trump himself singled her out for praise.
If the late Pope wouldn't excommunicate Biden for his strong support of abortion "rights", the current one shouldn't excommunicate Barrett.
Biden was interested to uphold the law which left issues of abortion up to the women’s conscience. He was not forcing abortion. It’s a different argument. Barret is arguing the President can do what he wants and courts can’t restrain him. and what he wants us to harm citizens by taking their rights. She is supporting people being deported to third countries who are in a state of war even.
I’ve been waiting for someone more knowledgeable and articulate than I am to explain exactly what this ruling means across the country. States’ supposed rights brought us the Civil War. The SCOTUS “conservative” racist authoritarians are pushing for a similar result, when it suits their purpose, that is.
Marcia, there are people far more knowledgeable than me who are considering this decision and I was struck by how consistent their views were about just how awful a decision it is.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2025-06-27/nationwide-injunction-supreme-court-birthright-citizenship
https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=erwin+chemerinsky+on+SCOTUS+decision+to+restrict+nationwide+injunctions&mid=1BA1435D64BBC5BD3AAD1BA1435D64BBC5BD3AAD&mcid=7F31B5BFE6094561A7D4B9AE2244B27A&FORM=VIRE
This opens a BIG can of worms. Just where do any of us stand? If not being born in the land of the free and the home of the brave does not make one a citizen what then happens to any of us?
Indeed what happens to any one of us or to every one of us?
It seems that qall of us will be at the capricious ‘mercy’ of a bigoted, mean, unlawful, narrow minded bully of apparently limited mental capability who refuses to /or is incapable of understanding history or of following the law, and has not a speck of mercy.
Please forgive my lack of eloquence. It is late. I am tired and frightened. I can’t find enough negative words to pile on this flawed facsimile of a human.
How do we stop his mission to wreck our United States?
How do we stop the planned takeover by the 2025 planners after our country is wrecked?
Doc, start local, stay engaged & don’t turn away, but also don’t wallow in the despair (can be hard to avoid, I know)…civic engagement might seem a small thing, but when you are standing next to 100’s or 1000’s of folks expressing the same sentiments to save our democracy it is invigorating. Pay attention to your local city/county and state elected officials & support those who support democracy and 1st amendment rights to speech and assembly….and vote—do your homework to vet the candidates…all of ‘em—takes some effort to study & research, but is well worth the time & it helps you feel that you are, indeed, DOING something. We can do this!
Dear Barbara, thank you for shining a light for a colleague and compatriot.
In the middle of a dark and starless night, 12 miles out in the ocean, first night on a vacation from taking care of sick children, I was reading yet more news of trump going about his merry way of ceaseless destruction of the democracy that we now do not dare to take for granted, I found a moment of despair.
And there you were, shining your flashlight for navigation back to our common goodness.
We are not alone in our fight to save our democracy.
We are together.
With gratitude, doc
Hey, doc, when I want to hide under the bed in despair, that sinking feeling of dread tickles a flame into being…that flame gives rise to a fire of “oh, no, not on my watch if I can help it” impetus to act. I have posted here quite a few times since ‘Rump’s first term my “anthem” to give me juice—lost count since he was first elected how many times I’ve needed a boost from this song (btw, the whole album, Lives in the Balance, is SO relevant today). From the mid-80’s Jackson Browne’s Til I Go Down https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bmzimxfqgfw&t=15s (and it has a nice Reggae back-beat & danceable!!!)☮️
Thank you my friend!
When the internet is more steady I will down load your anthem. Coverage has been off and on out here ‘at sea’.
You’ve got it right:
NOT ON OUR WATCH!
That’s exactly the point. And now they can decide individual cases, according to how you vote or whether you were arrested or videoed pretesting or are gay or brown or what you wrote in this column.
Reminds me of an old Gary Larsen cartoon of a group of deer in the woods…of course they are standing upright (as only Gary would do) and a few of the deer are looking at another deer that has a bullseye on his chest…”Bummer of a birthmark, Hal” was the caption….think many of us now have that “birthmark” thanks to the ubiquitous “caught in amber” nature of the ‘net & social media…we won’t be hard to track down, 1st amendment notwithstanding.🎯
I believe that it IS happening. The voter roles as well as all of our personal information is compiled in one huge data base to be used for . . . US!?
That’s their point…
Thank you, Professor, for your always EXCELLENT teaching of American History.
I just wish this SCOTUS was not making as many horrendous decisions as the Dred Scott Case. Reform is necessary.
There are many, many American children frightened that their families will be torn apart, and that they will be forced to move because of this president.
"Everyone" should be protesting in the streets over this. If this regime targets one vulnerable group, be sure they will come for "you" eventually.
I worry, Beverly, that a generation of children are being traumatized by this and will carry the scars forward and even affect following generations. Of course the USA is only one such place, out of many, on earth having this impact. So much we could learn from Carl Sagan’s (a scientist/philosopher if there ever was one) wisdom about life on this “pale blue dot”….a pinpoint in the vastness of the universe.
Yes, this history is very good and interesting. I hope we could all recognize, however, that this SC decision is not the final decision on birthright citizenship. And that there are cases in which giving birthright citizenship is crazy, such as a pregnant woman flying into the U.S. from a foreign country just to give birth here. Or even happening to give birth here, then flying back to home country with her infant. If it requires a constitutional amendment to rid ourselves of those abuses, I would support it.
And, Robert, I read quite sometime ago (can’t put my finger on the source at the moment) that Russian/Eastern European women were lodged in Trump properties whilst here in the USA awaiting delivery of their dual citizen!!! If it is true then hypocrisy abounds….and that’s not even bringing up the issue of hiring undocumented workers @ ‘Rump properties….oh my!!!!🤦🏻♀️
I’ve heard about this many times. The examples cited were primarily Russian women. I’ve never read why this is such an advantage for them. The possibilities scare me a little.
A very sad commentary on our current state of affairs. That being said, we have 3 nephews and a niece born in Sweden; none of them have Swedish citizenship because one parent is Norwegian and one parent is American. Thus, they have Norwegian and American passports and citizenship but not Swedish anything, since neither parent has Swedish birth or citizenship. Many different rules across the great divide of nations.
Makes sense since most Swedes are of Swedish ancestry and until recently, there was not a lot of immigration there. In contrast to the US where all of us are from native americans or immigrants or people dragged over here against their will. Can your nephews and niece who were born in Sweden apply for Swedish citizenship if they wish?
Only if they marry a Swede and have children together.
But we have evolved to be different. Bomb that Statue of Liberty. She is a goner…
Better yet, JD, let’s welcome her to fight in the resistance….somehow I think that serene countenance obscures a badass defender of liberty. She could stick that freedom torch right up you-know-who’s ass!!!
Better idea but the war on her continues in cult land
Maybe France can gift us a battalion of Lady Liberty’s to join the resistance!!!
Good point, most other countries outside the Western Hemisphere do not have birthright citizenship.
Which is what made the US different.
Different and the reason we attracted so many souls from across the world. Including my ancestors, and likely yours. Surely the Drumpfs from long ago. My German ancestors probably had to deal with them centuries ago. Evil has incredible longevity…likely due to predatory tendencies.
In our crazy times, that SCOTUS decision may NOT be the most insane occurrence on the national stage.
Today Trump declared war on Canada.
Ostensibly this was a reaction to a Canadian tax on tech oligarchs, but Canad's choice came following the death of their own Johnny Noviello in ICE custody.
Trump has cancelled future trade talks.
Doug Ford may cut off power to NE border states.
Are we going to go to war w Canada?
Is our POTUS crazy?
Canada thinks so.
https://youtu.be/JyeOAwCUtEo?si=jXFxcWqTGTqQ355O
Canada is right.
The Canadians are correct. I'm a US expat, 74, living in Europe. If the US Psychoprez declares war in Canada, I will be signing up with the Canadian forces if they will have me! I think there are fellow US expats that will also be signing up!
I pray it doesn’t come to that, but with Trump as POTUS many previously unimaginable outcomes become possible.
TACO.
“Elbows up!!!!” Sigh…how we elected a “Wreck-it-Ralph” as POTUS really shames me as an American….I knew we had historical skeletons doing the Macarena in the closet, but this is an blatant clusterfudge of the “American narrative” we hold dear. Sad sad sad….oh, and mad mad mad.