Happy Flag Day

Dear Ted and Jody:

I got pictures both yesterday around sundown and this morning at dawn. This morning, I then came home and went back to bed as I had only four hours of sleep last night. I did have some difficulty getting back to sleep as I, for the life of me, could not think of what to write today. But I did get to sleep for a couple of hours. After awaking and doing my morning routine, I switched on the television and lo and begorrah Justice Thomas has written a majority opinion that bump stocks were still legal. It would appear that the majority on the Supreme Court is more steadfast in its strict interpretation of the 2^nd Amendment than it is in its interpretation of the 1^st Amendment. https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2024/06/14/bump-stocks-now-legal-again-as-supreme-court-strikes-down-gun-device-ban/

I initially thought of writing “ It would appear that the majority on the Supreme Court is more religious in its strict interpretation of the 2^nd Amendment than it is in its interpretation of the 1^st Amendment.” While the use of religion in that context would both be appropriate and an almost joke, it would also be potentially misleading. For the majority seems bent on making sure, as Lawrence O’Donnell (MSNBC, The Last Word, at 10 PM Eastern Time Week nights) says, “Making sure mass murderers are able to buy the most efficient means to commit mass murder.” And, the majority on the Supreme Court seem bent on insuring that gun manufacturers can still sell more guns and gun enhancements even though there are already more guns than people in the US.

It is also interesting that when it comes to guns, the majority on the Supreme Court seems willing to expand the definition of what the founders meant in the 1791 Amendment by “arms.” If one understands what was meant by arms in England in the period preceding our revolt, the free Englishman had the privilege of personal weapons: first bow and arrows, spears and then muzzle loaded long guns. This was the tradition the founding fathers built upon. Arms would not have included cannons or rockets. Yet, the majority on the Supreme Court has seemed to include most advancements in weaponry save actual machine guns. However, given the ability of Justice Thomas to delve into mechanics and other things which he is far from well trained, one might expect that ban to be the next to fall.

So, thanks to the Justices who seem to be bent, I found something to write about this morning.

Love, Ed