Reevaluating Jimmy Carter

The Carter Presidency is often thought to be a “failed” presidency.  It ended on a sour note with the Iranian hostage crisis, and Carter lost to Reagan by an overwhelming margin in 1980.  

Maybe it is time for a re-evaluation.  Carter avoided a crisis in Latin America with the treaty turning over the canal to Panama.  He pushed a human rights policy that helped the global rise of democracies.  He achieved full diplomatic relations with China.

Through his personal diplomacy he managed to get Egypt and Israel to agree to the Camp David accords.  The cabinet departments of energy and education started under his presidency.  He appointed more women and Black judges to the federal bench than all previous presidents combined.  He stopped environmentally disastrous dam proposals of the Bureau of Land Management and the Army Corps.  There’s more, but that should at least indicate that he wasn’t the failure he is often accused of being.

"Destroy the drug labs"

Trump really is nuts.  According to Trump’s former Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Trump asked if the U.S. could launch missiles into Mexico to destroy the drug labs and wipe out the cartels.  Trump thought the launches could be kept secret.  

Esper’s conclusion on Trump:  “”He is an unprincipled person who, given his self-interest, should not be in the position of public service.”

Somebody needs to tell the Republican candidates for U.S. Senate in PA.

State courts on gerrymandering

While the Republican U.S. Supreme Court has refused to interfere with state legislative attempts to gerrymander electoral districts (are you surprised?), a number of state courts have been willing to act.  In April the New York supreme court and the Kansas supreme court rejected districts drawn by the legislators.  The North Carolina court has imposed some limits.  Pennsylvania’s court has required new district lines.  These decisions affect both Democratic and Republican gerrymanders.

This is important because state supreme court justices, while not bound by each other’s rulings, do read the papers.  Every time a state court says no to gerrymandering, other state courts will be encouraged to act.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Norman Mineta, 1931-2022

Norman Mineta’s parents were not American citizens.  They weren’t allowed to be; the Immigration Act of 1924 did not permit Japanese immigrants to acquire citizenship.  Norman, born here, was a citizen.  The 14th Amendment says if you are born in the U.S., you are a citizen.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, when Norman was ten, he and his family were forced to live in a race track stable and then in the Heart Mountain internment camp in Wyoming.  The Japanese internment was one of the most shameful acts ever perpetrated by the American government.  Incidentally, the Japanese roundup and imprisonment was approved by the Supreme Court.

In the internment camp he met a young Wyoming Boy Scout named Alan Simpson.  They remained friends even when Mr. Simpson, a Republican, served in the Senate when Mr. Mineta, a Democrat, served in the House.

When I moved to San Jose in 1973 Mr. Mineta was the Mayor, the first Asian American mayor of a large city.  In 1975 he was elected to Congress from Santa Clara County and served 21 years in the House of Representatives.  George W. Bush later appointed him as Secretary of Transportation.  

It is difficult for us to imagine that at one time Republicans and Democrats were able to see past party lines and work together.  

Demonstration in Allentown

Linda and I participated in a pro-choice demonstration in front of the Federal Courthouse on Hamilton Street in Allentown this afternoon.  I was amazed that less than 24 hours after the Supreme Court decision was leaked, there were demonstrations across the country.  

The one in Allentown was attended by about 75 people, mostly women but at least one old white guy.  The main speaker was Rep. Susan Wild.  The mayor of Allentown was there, as well a number of Democratic state legislators.  

It was noted that 26 states have already passed “trigger legislation” banning abortions once Roe v. Wade is overturned.  Heartbeat is used as a standard.  I don’t know what will happen to people on life support who have left instructions to “pull the plug” in cases of terminal illness.  I assume as long as the heart can be kept beating, it will be illegal to terminate their lives.

I also think that the next step will be attempts to overturn Griswold v. Connecticut, the case that said states could not ban birth control products.

Roe v. Wade overturned

It hasn’t been officially announced, but it has happened.  Alito wrote the opinion.  Now the battle will be state-by-state, with an underground of people who can send pills to women in states where abortion is illegal or pay for transportation to states where it is legal.

I also think we should demand legislation that men are responsible for children they have fathered.  DNA testing should make this easy.  They will be required to pay child support until that child turns 18.  If they do not, they are subject to a court order seizing their wages or any assets they possess.  

Tucker Carlson is a bore

Some people are inherently boring.  I’m thinking here of Tucker Carlson.  While I have never listened or watched Mr. Carlson, I know who he is, and I also read that he has a tendency to repeat the same crap about “replacement theory” and other racist nonsense.  Why somebody would spend their time being bored with this claptrap is beyond me.  Don’t people have better things to do with their time?  I certainly do.