May the Fourth be With You!

“The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America: When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government.”

These words begin our nation's Declaration of Independence as it was written (original spelling) some 245 years ago. You can find the full document at the Archives link above. The Declaration ends with these words:

 “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”

The declaration continues after the first paragraph indicated above to reiterate the grievances which were ignored, the petitions which were torn up, and the rights and freedoms which were lost. It decries the absolute tyranny to which the King of Great Britain has subjected the colonists to suffer. And, in the end, those who signed their names put their lives and livelihood on the line.

It appears obvious to me that there are many in this country today who need to stop, reread these words and reflect on them and how they helped form our country. “Governments derive just powers from the consent of the governed”….seems to indicate that governments should act at the behest of those they govern. When millions and millions of Americans turn out to vote in a presidential election, to me that indicates that the public endorses announcing their options in elections. The record turnout of almost 160 million voters in 2020 demonstrated that this is the way America participates in free and fair elections. According to Pew research that election attracted almost two-thirds of all registered voters.

However, since the 2020 election day when the top of the ticket lost the election, many elected Republican officials have begun purging voter rolls, rewriting election protocols and regulations all in an attempt to remove or decrease voters of the other party. Our War of Independence was fought over a lack of representation among those who were writing the rules for the colonies. Today against unproven claims of voter fraud and a stolen election, wide-reaching changes are being made, especially in areas where black, brown, and tribal voters, many of whom support Democratic candidates, are living. Yet every one of these elected officials who are acting in this manner vowed to support the Constitution when they were elected. It is time to call out those who are not acting in the interests of all citizens of this country. As the Supreme Court demonstrated this week, we cannot count on it to uphold the right of all to vote.

The Supreme Court (SCOTUS) upheld a restrictive Arizona law that required voters to vote in their designated precinct; it did not even allow for a provisional ballot should someone wish to cast one. It also supported the prohibition of collective ballots being sent in from a community by a trusted emissary, as is often done in tribal areas or church communities and only allowed relatives or caretakers to submit ballots other than their own.

Instead of expanding options and rights of voting this 6-3 party-affiliated decision further restricted access to the ballot box. Paul Waldman, writing in The Washington Post notes that the Court will continue to take apart the clauses in the Voting Rights Act (VRA) even as it did against 2 clauses in Section 5 in Shelby County Vs, Holden, ignoring facts and the reality of voter discrimination. This decision written for the majority by Justice Samuel Alito attacked Section 2 of the VRA.

Waldman quotes Justice Elena Kagan in dissent:

“Justice Elena Kagan wrote that the majority had essentially invented its own reading of the VRA, and accused the majority of pretending not to know that such state laws are occurring in a context where efforts to suppress minority voters continue.”

He further cites, in addition to Shelby, more than ten years of negative voting decisions favoring Corporations over public financing, the Citizens United decision, Ohio Laws supporting voter purges, and the courts’ refusal to address partisan gerrymandering. Sarcastically, he wonders if SCOTUS would support the poll tax if it again became law. It is said that The New For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Act no longer have a chance in the Senate if the filibuster remains. With the Supreme Court refusing to protect voters’ rights, I think this is the only chance we have.

Waldman concludes with this statement: “Pretty much the entire GOP is now committed to the idea that if elections were fair, they’d lose — so elections must not be allowed to be fair.”

Isn’t that a dismal thought on this Independence Day?

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The Delta Variant continues to spread in the United States and has been found in all areas of the country. It is spreading most rapidly among unvaccinated young adults. President Biden came close to his goal of 70% of Americans vaccinated by July Fourth but did not quite make it falling short with just 66% tallied. Case numbers, which have been falling for weeks are again starting to show small increases. The presence of this new variant, combined with increasing openings of business and recreational facilities, also could be contributing to the spread. The two mRNA vaccines both continue to show effectiveness against the variant. Missouri, Texas, and Arkansas, all of which have lower vaccination rates, continue to have hot spots.

COVID stats- NY Times:

US totals: Cases: 33,681,336. New cases: 13,304. Total Deaths: 604,715. New deaths: 224.

MD totals: Cases: 462,535. New cases:96. Total Deaths: 9,749. New Deaths: 3.

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As I write this tonight, Fireworks celebrating our Independence Day are lighting the night skies around me. Somehow this Fourth does not feel as jubilant as others have. I am more uncertain about our freedoms and rights to speak out than I have ever been. If those on the right fear our votes, just how long will it be before they fear our voices and work to silence them? In Florida they are already trying to pass laws against peaceable assembly for more than a few persons; surely that is not constitutional, but would that restriction be upheld if challenged to this Court? President Biden is said to be dismayed at these recent court decisions, but just how many changes can he effect with Executive Actions? I think this is a time for a call to action and believe that the Fourth of July is a good time to start. Speak up, speak out, stand up for the rights we are guaranteed by our Constitution!

I cannot close without a word or two about the tragedy in Surfside, Florida where, for many, a dream home became a nightmare and death trap. My heart goes out to all of those families involved and the first responders working there. The suddenness of this collapse magnified the trauma for all whose families are impacted. There will be time soon to get questions answered as to why; maybe this might make cities think again about buildings so close to the ocean or in areas where hurricanes are frequent. Instead of 40-year reviews, perhaps stronger building codes, and more frequent inspections are in order. We still have more questions than answers.

The Extreme heat in the Pacific Northwest and Canada caused many to reconsider global climate change. To me, it certainly was a wake-up call. Someone has to be listening.  Congress – Time to take action on fossil fuels instead of listening to oil lobbyists?

Happy Fourth of July everyone!

’Til next week – Peace!