A county neighbor recently suggested (Herald, Dec. 17) I do some research into the assault on our “justice system” over the last 30 years, as well as the “war on law enforcement.” One need not go back 30 years to find this assault on our “justice system,” which has been under assault by our own Supreme Court.
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 2010, established personhood for corporations and opened the floodgates of dark money in our elections.
Shelby County v. Holder, 2013, eliminated the preclearance requirement of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This decision opened the door to a whole raft of states, led by former Confederate states, passing laws that make it more difficult to vote.
Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee, 2021, dismantled what little remains of the Voting Rights Act, and ensured that every voter suppression law passed in the wake of the 2020 election survives judicial scrutiny.
To research the “war on law enforcement” we need only recall one year ago, on Jan. 6, 2021, when the insurrectionist mob waged war against various law enforcement agencies in charge of policing and protecting the Capitol building and the members of Congress. As we vividly saw, the seditionist mob assaulted uniformed officers, stormed and vandalized the nation’s Capitol, defacing our most sacred symbol of democracy. Yes, we saw on TV the war on law enforcement.
I shall address the 1950s, to which my county neighbor alludes, in a separate letter.
Gene Orr
Hesperus
