North Dakota Set to Ban Books

 Book banning is akin to book burning, and North Dakota is poised to join other red states that have acted to “protect” readers from exposure to explicit sexual material regardless of its artistic or social merit. Librarians who make such material available can be prosecuted as criminals.

The next step will be the outlawing of books, films and art that convey controversial ideas or politically objectionable viewpoints.

This assault on free expression is part and parcel of the march to curtail voting rights, impede equality of opportunity, enshrine gun rights and impose religious uniformity.

Make no mistake, this nation is at an inflection point: It will either overcome these dangerous incursions and emerge a freer and more open society or it will descend into the darkness of autocracy.

As Biden Visits Ukraine Republicans Carp

 

Shame on those Republican House members whose patriotism is so shallow that they criticize the Commander-in-Chief even as he exposes himself to potential danger by traveling to a war zone to show support for a beleaguered ally. This is clearly a new era when partisanship no longer stops at the water’s edge but is waged worldwide even when it weakens America’s essential foreign policy interests.
The new breed of Republican politicos is committed to criticizing every move made by the President no matter how successful. They can find no action taken by Mr. Biden worthy of even grudging approval; every policy is wrong-headed, incompetent, or un-American. If this continues to be the prevailing posture of one of the two major political parties that constitute the structure of our electoral system this country is destined to become ungovernable.

Republicans Recite Constitution

 Republicans, bent on demonstrating their professed patriotism, began the current Congressional session by reading aloud the Constitution. Everyday members of the House recite the Pledge of Allegiance and now, are required to pledge a second time at the start of each committee hearing.

Notwithstanding their patently exhibitionist performances, Republicans would do well to honor the oath each took, to uphold and defend the Constitution. Reading the document aloud, and constantly repeating the Pledge, rings hollow and does not camouflage nor excuse the disrespect shown by many Republican representatives for the rule of law and the ideals of a true constitutional democratic republic

Barr Pressed Durham To Find Flaws in Russia Investigation

 Everything we suspected about the Durham probe of the Russia investigation has been proven true by a sterling bit of journalism by New York Times reporters.

Durham, though a prosecutor with a reputation for rectitude, succumbed to Donald Trump’s importuning and the corrupt prodding of AG William Barr and tried to manufacture a false narrative that would condemn Hillary Clinton and justify the wild claims of a Deep State conspiracy spewed by Trump and Fox Network propagandists.
Durham came up with nothing other than two failed prosecutions, disaffected colleagues who resigned rather than be associated with his tainted report and a damaged reputation. Barr, notwithstanding his belated recognition of Trump’s chicanery, will leave a dark stain in the history of the Department of Justice.

The Classified Documents Fiasco

 

The Biden administration has handed Donald Trump a get out of jail free card, at least so far as the Mar-A-Largo documents case is concerned. Granted there is a vast difference between the circumstances underlying Trump’s retention of multiple top-secret documents and obstruction of their recovery and Biden’s apparently minor slip up which was speedily remedied.
The American public, the right-wing media and Republican politicians are not known for drawing fine distinctions. The sure to be raised defense of “whataboutism” will likely persuade the Justice Department to forego an otherwise slam dunk prosecution of Mr. Trump, knowing that it may be extremely difficult to convince a jury to unanimously agree that there a rational basis to treat the two matters differently

South Carolina Constitution Includes Right to Abortion

 

The satisfaction being enjoyed by supporters of a woman's right to abortion, stemming from a decision of the South Carolina Supreme Court, unfortunately, may be short-lived. The court struck down a state law which banned abortion after six weeks, finding it to be violative of the right to privacy explicitly provided for in the state's constitution.

However, the United States Supreme Court may soon render a decision that strips state courts of the power to interpret their own constitutions and confers unfettered authority upon state legislatures to do so. If the US Supreme Court so decides, abortion rights will be imperiled in a host of states and the democratic principle of separation of powers will be shattered.

Propriety and the Supreme Court

 

Much to the consternation of Chief Justice John Roberts and other justices, the public's opinion of the Supreme Court has sunk to an historic low. This loss of public favor is attributable, in large measure, to the nature of the Court's recent decisions, which appear to be politically and religiously driven. While little can be done to alter that dynamic, other than to appoint more open-minded justices, there are measures which can and should be taken to dissipate the "stench" which now envelops the Court.

Most importantly, the justices should have no connection with or participation in events sponsored by the Court's Historical Society which raises money from unidentified donors who pay to meet the justices even as they have cases pending before the Court. At the very least, the identity of the donors should be made public.

The justices should be subject to the same code of ethics which governs the conduct of all other federal judges and they should not be absolved from the need to recuse themselves from matters in which their spouses may have an interest.

All of the seats in the courtroom should be available to the public and none should be reserved for the privileged few. Finally, the proceedings should be regularly televised so that all may observe the arguments made to the Court and the responses made by individual justices.