Tag: Constitution

White Rural Rage:  The Threat to American Democracy  by Tom Schaller and  Paul Waldman

White Rural Rage:  The Threat to American Democracy  by Tom Schaller and  Paul Waldman

Posted on by Jack

The book “White Rural Rage:  The Threat to American Democracy”  by Tom Schaller and  Paul Waldman brings together a huge amount of information to discuss rural areas, their problems, and potential solutions as well as the current political situation which contributes to these problems and presents a threat to American democracy.   I think that may be the longest and most complicated sentence I’ve written lately, so let me explain.

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Tyranny of the Minority: Why American Democracy Reached the Breaking Point

Tyranny of the Minority: Why American Democracy Reached the Breaking Point

Posted on by Jack

I just finished reading “Tyranny of the Minority: Why American Democracy Reached the Breaking Point” .

It is by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt whose earlier book “How Democracies Die” I had reviewed about 4 years ago. They are professors of government at Harvard University. They like many other Americans were shocked by the violent insurrection of January 6, 2020.
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History on Abortion Laws – Roe v Wade

History on Abortion Laws – Roe v Wade

Posted on by Jack

Previously, I had written about the Supreme Court overturning Roe v Wade. I do not believe an originalist interpretation of the Constitution makes sense or at least should not be the most important consideration.

But some Justices on the Court seem to believe that the interpretation of the Constitution and laws should be based on 18th or 19th century beliefs. Or guesses as to what we think was believed.

But here is a bit of the relevant history.
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Did the Supreme Court ignore the 9th and 14th Amendments in Roe v Wade ?

Did the Supreme Court ignore the 9th and 14th Amendments in Roe v Wade ?

Posted on by Jack

I read an interesting piece on 14th Amendment of the US Constitution today. It was written Heather Cox Richardson, an American history professor. We’ve only been free subscribers for a week or so and enjoy these articles.

It covers quite a bit but I just wanted to comment on one part of it:
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On overturning Roe v Wade

On overturning Roe v Wade

Posted on by Jack

The Supreme Court has overruled Roe v Wade. Why?

As Justice Alto says in the majority decision:

“Abortion presents a profound moral issue on which Americans hold sharply conflicting views. Some believe fervently that a human person comes into being at conception and that abortion ends an innocent life. Others feel just as strongly that any regulation of abortion invades a woman’s right to control her own body and prevents women from achieving full equality. Still others in a third group think that abortion should be allowed under some but not all circumstances, and those within this group hold a variety of views about the particular restrictions that should be imposed.”

So one paragraph into it, I am in agreement. It is a complicated issue. So how should we decide? But it goes downhill from there. The disagreement begins.
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Not a good week for Separation of Church and State

Not a good week for Separation of Church and State

Posted on by Jack

The Supreme court has been busy demolishing the Separation of Church and State.

In Kennedy v. Bremerton School District the conservative majority ruled 6-3 that both the Free Exercise Clause and the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment require a public school district to permit a football coach to publicly pray on the field following a game.

Does the publicly funded coach have a special obligation to be religiously neutral? Can a random person from the stands come onto the field to offer a prayer from any religion?
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The People’s Constitution

The People’s Constitution

Posted on by Jack

I’ve read several books on the US Constitution. This was a great addition and I think one of the best. I learned quite a bit, especially the histories of the amendments as we try to progress toward a more perfect union.
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A Republic, If You Can Keep It by Neil Gorsuch

A Republic, If You Can Keep It by Neil Gorsuch

Posted on by Jack

I am presently reading A Republic, If You Can Keep It by Neil Gorsuch. The title comes from Benjamin Franklin who was asked after the Constitutional Convention what type of government we would have. He replied “A Republic, if you can keep it.” Now that the republic has lasted several centuries the question is still whether we can keep that republic. This book is Justice Gorsuch’s answer.
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America’s constitutional conversation begins

America’s constitutional conversation begins

Posted on by Jack

A history that is important today as we try to understand the United States constitution. The full title is The Words That Made Us: America’s Constitutional Conversation, 1760-1840 by Akhil Reed Amar.
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Can we keep our republic ?

Can we keep our republic ?

Posted on by Jack

After the Constitutional Convention Benjamin Franklin was asked what type of government we would have. He replied “A Republic, if you can keep it.” That is old news. Well over 200 years old.

Now the question to us is ‘ Can we keep our republic ? ’ I asked this several years ago in a different context.

But now the same issue arises again as Republican state legislators pass a host of bills to suppress the vote and even override vote.

Can we keep our republic ? I hope so. It seems now is the time to act to save the republic known as the United States of America

The trouble with originalists such as Judge Amy Coney Barrett

The trouble with originalists such as Judge Amy Coney Barrett

Posted on by Jack

I have trouble with Originalists. I had trouble understanding Justice Neil Gorsuch and Justice Antonin Scalia . Now I have trouble understanding Judge Amy Coney Barrett. I am certainly less than thrilled by the Republican rush to confirm Judge Barrett to the Supreme Court.

For more on my views on Justice Neil Gorsuch see Are women people ? – legally speaking.
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Not a coup, President Trump

Not a coup, President Trump

Posted on by Jack

This is not a coup, Mr. President. You may not like it President Trump but the 25th amendment is part of our constitution.

So former Deputy Director of the FBI Andrew McCabe says he and the Assistant Attorney General discussed using the 25th Amendment to the Constitution to legally remove a President from office and President Trump considers it an attempted coup. For the benefit those of his followers who do not understand the word “coup” which after-all is foreign in origin, he added “(overthrow government)”. Here is the tweet, a favorite means of Presidential communication in the last 2 years.
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Can we keep our republic ?

Can we keep our republic ?

Posted on by Jack

Benjamin Franklin was asked after the Constitutional Convention what type of government we would have. He replied “A Republic, if you can keep it.” Now the question to us is ‘ Can we keep our republic ’ that the Constitution gave us ? .

The founders left us with a set of three competing branches that denied excessive power to any one branch since if one branch grew too strong the others would limit it. This system of checks and balances has worked well for over 200 years. However now it is being challenged as never before.
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Democracy Amendments and change for the better

Democracy Amendments and change for the better

Posted on by Jack

Our democracy is in trouble.  Our political system is broken.  We have seen these problems growing and continuing to get worse.  How can our democracy be saved? Does “The Democracy Amendments”  hold the answer?

The full title is “The Democracy Amendments: How to Amend Our U.S. Constitution to Rescue Democracy for All Citizens”. The author is Rick Hubbard. It is available in both Kindle and paperback editions.

I think Rick Hubbard identified the problem and suggested a solution and I agree that it would be nice.  However, I don’t think this or any like it will happen anytime soon.

Still, I think the book worthwhile.  It gives a good summary of many problems with our democracy.  It proposes a solution.  Not a solution that I think will work but important because we will never solve this or any other problem without a good idea about the proper direction of move.

In the 2016 election many people voted for change.  Unfortunately the result seems not to be a change for the better,  I hope this book and more like it will get the people thinking about change and the type of change that will be good for our democracy.

The people can change our democracy.  Let’s hope the next time that we will have change for the better.   It will be a difficult road and we will face a good bit of resistance. It may take more time than some would like but it can be done.

The Quartet: Orchestrating the Second American Revolution

The Quartet: Orchestrating the Second American Revolution

Posted on by jack

I had read two previous books by Joseph J. Ellis about the founding of the United States several years ago . I had liked these books and when I saw he had written a new book with emphasis on the transformation into a nation or the Second American Revolution, I was eager to read it.

The Quartet: Orchestrating the Second American Revolution , 1783-1789 actually begins in 1781 when the final state ratifies the Articles of Confederation. This loose confederation of the states had many problems due to the supremacy of states and lack of power in the weakly united confederation that pretended to be the United States.

For example, under the Articles the confederation called the United States had no way to force the states to honor the terms of the peace treaty which ended the American Revolution. They could ask the states but some chose to ignore the request. There was no way to raise money to pay our national debt. The United States was deeply in debt from the war but could only ask the states to give it money. The requests were frequently ignored. Continue reading “The Quartet: Orchestrating the Second American Revolution”