Seven countries are included in the ban: Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Venezuela, and North Korea. How many terrorist attacks in the U.S. have been carried out by a person from one of those seven countries? Zero. Nada. Zilch. Bupkes.
Trump has been making anti-Muslim statements for years. If you point out that Venezuela and North Korea are not Muslim countries, those were thrown in to deflect criticism. This is an anti-Muslim ban. No question.
George Will points out that Madison’s system of checks and balances no longer works. Will says it is not because Madison had a bad idea. It is because people like the Supreme Court justices or the Republicans in Congress do not live up to Madison’s expectations. Madison could not have anticipated Supreme Court Justice Gorsuch or a President like Trump or Republican leaders like McConnell and Ryan.
The Supreme Court recently upheld the right of a storekeeper to refuse to serve a gay couple because of “animus” against religion by state officials. Evidently the Supreme Court is very worried about the rights of evangelical Christians. Muslims? Not so much.
In her dissent Justice Sonia Sotomayor said, “Our Constitution demands, and our country deserves, a Judiciary willing to hold the coordinate branches to account when they defy our most sacred legal commitments.” It may deserve that, but it is not getting it.
In its decision the Supreme Court overturned the Korematsu decision. Well, that was nice. Overturning a decision of 74 years ago. I wonder how many of The Five would have sided with Korematsu at the time. I think we know the answer to that.
Never depend on the Supreme Court. That was the branch that gave us Dred Scott, Plessey v. Ferguson, Korematsu, Citizens United, and now, the travel ban.
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