A House Divided
To the editor:
Historians will look back on the week of June 19, 2022 as the time that this country took a major step towards entering MAGA land, as the fully MAGAnitized Supreme Court held that (1) states may heavily restrict or even criminalize abortion; (2) virtually anyone can walk the streets of New York City armed to the teeth; and (3) the Miranda warnings required of police are not based on a Constitutional right.
Looking at the reasoning of the abortion decision, is there any doubt that same-sex marriage, the right to use contraception, and the right to privacy in one’s sex life are next on the Court’s hit list?
Probably, in the not-too-distant future, we will see New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, the 1964 Supreme Court decision that protects news media from endless defamation lawsuits by public figures, and the Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council (1984) decision, which recognized the power of federal agencies to enforce regulations within the scope of their expertise, join Roe v. Wade on the ash heap of history, making the country almost ungovernable.
If, as expected, the radicalized Republican Party takes control of Congress in the 2022 midterm elections, the final nail in the coffin will be the election of Ron DeSantis or one of his ilk as president in 2024. At that point, we all will be residing in MAGA land, the MAGA disciples will have engineered a national revolution without revolutionary violence, and democracy in this country will have become a hollow shell.
While a large percentage of American voters obsess over the price of gasoline and the cost of groceries, many valued rights and liberties will end or be substantially eroded. What will happen next? As Lincoln said on June 16, 1858, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”
Stephen Greenberg
Wellfleet
The Pot Farm in Truro
To the editor:
Thanks for a well-written and timely article on the proposed pot farm and manufacturing facility on Old Bridge Road, Truro [“Out There Grown Is Out of Pot Farm Plan,” June 23, page A6]. My only criticism is that, if you had reached out to any of the residents other than the applicant for site plan approval, you would have heard from them that the road itself was the major issue.
Please come and visit. The road is only as wide as one car for most of its 1/3-mile length. There are only two places where one can back up to allow oncoming traffic to get by, and it has a hill with a blind spot that is hazardous at any speed. It is a very dangerous, inappropriate place for a commercial establishment.
I support the legalization of recreational marijuana use and look forward to the creation of recreational marijuana establishments in locations that are harmonious with the historic nature of the area and that do not result in the loss of the peaceful enjoyment of the neighbors’ residences.
James Hirshberg
Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. and Truro
