Supreme Court
Re “Rulings Give States Broad Immunity Against Lawsuits,” June 24: Welcome to the America of Justice Anthony Kennedy, or, excuse me: the 50 Americas of Justice Kennedy. The 50 “sovereign” states, by definition 50 entities over which no superior power rules. Welcome to the Balkan States of America, where some federal laws exist in some places, other laws in other places, but never all laws in all places.
Welcome to the California of Justice Kennedy, where no current political administration need follow any of its own state laws if they were enacted by some distasteful preceding rival administration.
Welcome to the new public education financing plan of Justice Kennedy, the plan in which the UC system can market all the stolen property it can get its hands on, be it the life’s work of any living intellectual, to the complete array of miniature “Star Wars” action figures.
After finding nothing actually written in the Constitution to support his thesis, Kennedy says, “The founders’ silence is most instructive.” Personally, I hear a muffled howl from Gettysburg.
KEN BURKETT
Los Angeles
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The justices tread very dangerous ground in “shielding states from federal laws that regulate the workplace and protect patents and trademarks.” States should not be given sovereignty, which in effect makes the United States nothing more than a confederacy of 50 independent countries. Such antiquated thinking is reminiscent of the United States circa 1860.
The court’s recent rulings have in effect usurped power from the federal government and, in particular, Congress. With the right to regulate commerce through the commerce clause substantially eroded, one wonders what the justices will rule next. Can a return to slavery be far behind?
BRADLEY J. STARR
Placentia
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