"Let Us NOT Go Gently into the Night”
The Dred Scott Supreme Court case (1857) is relevant today. The justices decided the states had the right to legalize slavery; thus, guaranteeing the constitutional right of slave owners in the Constitution.
Instead of resolving the issue of slavery, the court created a worse problem, ending in a bitter conflict among states.
Recently, in U.S. vs CASA, the Supreme Court majority, bought and paid for by billionaire Republicans, has enabled President Trump to end birthright citizenship in the 14th Amendment. How?
The court ruled that lower state courts have no jurisdiction over the President. Therefore, if Trump orders anyone, citizen or not, to be deported, for any reason, for any purpose, state and lower courts have no authority to stop him.
Their decision may end the birthright citizenship specified in the 14th Amendment. In effect, the U.S. Supreme Court has opened a ‘Pandora's box.’
Just like the Supreme Court did in deciding the fate of Dred Scott.
In an ironic turn of events, this radical Supreme Court decision has ignored the moral purpose Republicans fought and died for in the Civil War. This decision, like Dred Scott, will have fateful consequences over the days leading up to the 2026 midterm elections and the 2028 presidential election.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump can assert the powers of a dictator over freedom-loving people and degrade truth in a fog of lies, propaganda, evil and cruelty by masked ICE agents. Unfortunately, too many Americans aren’t paying attention.
40% of Americans have less than $400 in cash available for an emergency, while the Bezos wedding will cost $50 million and be glorified to Americans through a newscast. At the same time, millions of Americans remain indifferent about what it takes to preserve our democracy.
The legislative Republican majority is not loyal to the people and is fearful of a bully executive. The Supreme Court majority is bought and paid for by wealthy billionaires, and Americans have been programmed by Fox News, right-wing broadcasters and politicians proficient at gaslighting the American republic.
It pains me to say, “American democracy is in trouble.”
The Dred Scott case revealed what can happen. Do our Republican Congressmen have the courage to stop the ominous threat to our country? Saving American democracy requires a people’s movement to convince Congress’s primary responsibility is to the American people, not a demigod.
The words of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor accurately describe this decision and the rights our forefathers fought and died for. “No right is safe in the new legal regime the Court creates. Today, the threat is birthright citizenship. Tomorrow, a different administration may try to seize firearms from law-abiding citizens or prevent people of certain faiths from gathering to worship.”
David R. James, Eureka, Montana