lummi island wine tasting july 15-16 ’22
Special Event Friday!
In addition to regular bread pickup this Friday, we are also hosting an informal meet and greet for two candidates for our local legislative district. The event will be outside in the midst of bread pickup. A similar event a few weeks ago added at most a dozen people to our regular bread pickup and wine tasting visitors.
Hours this weekend: 4-6pm both Friday and Saturday
This weekend we will be open as usual from 4-6 Fri-Sat, with limited outdoor seating available on the deck for those who wish to stay outside.
Covid cases remain low at about 2 per 1000, considerably lower than chances of getting the annual flu. However, the Beach Store cafe is closed this weekend due to an outbreak from last weekend, so caution is still very much appropriate.
We will continue taking basic precautions in the wine shop: windows open, air filter operating, outside seating options. We do continue to request that the unvaxed remain outside for tasting. Fyi, the forecast is for some sun Friday and clouds (no rain!) Saturday.
Bread Pickup This Week
Poolish Ale – the preferment here is also a poolish, made with bread flour, a bit of yeast and a nice ale beer for the liquid and fermented overnight. Mixed the next day with bread flour and fresh milled whole wheat. This makes a great all around bread with a nice crisp crust – $5/loaf
Buckwheat Walnut & Honey – A flavorful artisan bread made with a poolish preferment, fresh milled buckwheat, and bread flour. Though buckwheat contains no gluten, this bread is not gluten free as it also includes bread flour made from wheat. Buckwheat has an earthy flavor that in this bread is balanced with a little honey and toasted walnut; goes well with meats and cheeses – $5/loaf
and mmm, pastry this week…
Traditional Croissants – Made with two preferments, a sourdough levain and a prefermented dough – aka “old dough” where a portion of the flour, water, salt and yeast is fermented overnight. The final dough is then made with more flour, butter, milk and sugar, laminated with more butter before being cut and shaped into traditional french croissants. –2/$5
To get on the bread order list, click on the “Contact Us” link above and fill out the form. Each week’s bread menu is sent to the list each Sunday, for ordering by Tuesday, for pickup on Friday. Simple, right..? If you will be visiting the island and would like to order bread for your visit, at least a week’s notice is recommended for pickup the following Friday.
Wine of the Week: la Roque Pic St. Loup Rouge ’17 France $19
The “Pic” in the small French wine region of Pic St. Loup is a 640-meter (2000 ft.) “Tooth” of granite that dominates the view for miles in every direction– powerful, beautiful, vaguely remote, and iconic. It looms over a collection of very special, well-drained, limestone-rich vineyards. About an hour north of Montpellier on the Mediterranean coast to the south, it features hot days, but is also far enough north to have Atlantic-influenced cool nights that induce slow, full ripening.
The wines from Pic St. Loup must be predominantly syrah, grenache, and mourvedre (as in nearby Southern Rhone) and fairly consistently have a certain gravitas. The vines must be at least six years old (not the usual three) before considered mature enough for making red wines, but are perfect for making excellent rosé! Vineyards are scattered among rugged terrain that slopes up from the Mediterranean. Atlantic influences make the local climate cooler and wetter than elsewhere in Languedoc.
Wines from this little region typically share an earthy complexity accented by spicy, herbal aromas and flavors of the wild aromatic herbs that flourish in the area, commonly known as “garrigue.” Pic St. Loup reds typically show bold, spicy, and earthy complexity, deeper color and depth of flavor, and more elegance and refinement than wines from the hotter Languedoc plains to the south.
The Economics of the Heart: Prevalent Majoritarian Prejudice
http://static.wixstatic.com/media
Last week we mused on the Supreme Court’s recent reversal of a pregnant woman’s right to choose whether to give birth from an unintended pregnancy. We implied this Court is “Talibanesque,” a metaphorical reference to the political reality in Afghanistan that women have no rights except those specifically given them by the Koran.
An old friend found the metaphor, um, hyperbolic and sent us a thoughtfully scolding note. Curiously, he also expressed a confidence that those same Red states with extreme penalties would soon change their laws to make family planning legal again under reasonable conditions, no big deal. Seems at best like a long, cruel, sadistic slog to wind up where we started… “Well, Gromit, I guess that worked out about as well as could be expected!”
As Attorney General Merrick Garland put it, “The Supreme Court has eliminated an established right that has been an essential component of women’s liberty for half a century and safeguarded their ability to participate fully and equally in society.
The present Ultra-conservative Court majority, ruthlessly constructed by Gollum wannabe and lookalike Mitch McConnell (My Pweshish…!) has finally negated over a century of precedent with the their special brand of “interpretivism:” if the founders didn’t say it explicitly, there is no Constitutional allowance for it unless Congress puts it in a statute.
The alternative to interpretivism is textualism. Yes, yes, it Is confusing, but the textualists, according to influential legal scholar John Hart Ely, recognized that the Founders deliberately left certain things ambiguous for Supreme Courts of posterity to sort out. The “clause-bound” interpretivists, (aka originalists) he argued, had neither the imagination nor the principles the Court must have to balance majority governance with protection of minority rights. That could only happen when the interpretivist view was tempered by the textualist view, making it responsive to the changing wishes of a popular majority. see more
The takeaway is that the present Court majority are interpretivists, relying on their own interpretations of written law. They are also almost all Catholics who have been taught that abortion is a Mortal Sin. By implication, for you non-Catholics, if they allow abortion to exist, they could spend Eternity in Hell. So it seems entirely reasonable to be concerned about their, you know, Objectivity.
The Warren Court, which made the Roe v. Wade decision, was Ely’s perfect example of what the Court should do: “structure decision processes to ensure everyone’s interests will be represented, and apply those decisions in a way that cannot be manipulated to reintroduce in practice the sort of discrimination that is impermissible in theory.” “The Constitution,” he wrote, “has proceeded from the sensible assumption that an effective majority will not unreasonably threaten its own rights, and has sought to assure that such a majority cannot systematically treat others less well than it treats itself.”
Ely thought it was the continuing function of the Courts to balance power and justice between majority and minority in order to sustain democracy that marked the work of the Warren Court through broadened access to the processes and bounty of representative government…Insofar as political officials had chosen to provide or protect X for some people (generally people like themselves), they had better make sure that everyone was being similarly accommodated or be prepared to explain pretty convincingly why not.
This is the very kind of balancing thinking that the current Supremes have just thrown away, demonstrating that Ely was hopelessly optimistic. Today’s Justices do not qualify as either interpretivists or textualists. Rather, they have shown themselves to be self-interested, religious, and political, and NOT, like the Warren Court, equally protective of the rights of the majority and the minority.
This Week’s $5 Tasting
Bodega Garzon Albarino ’19 Uruguay $15
Pale yellow with greenish reflections, this Albariño is intense in the nose, with peach and citrus notes. The freshness and minerality mid-palate is superb, with remarkable acidity and a round, crisp finish.
MAN Vintners Pinotage ’18 South Africa $11
Pleasing character with aromas of mocha and dark coffee beans accented by red berries, nutmeg, and vanilla spice; pairs well with spicy or gamy dishes. Dark berries, plum and a smoke on the nose. Rustic yet silky and juicy, with wild cherry flavors, smooth tannins and well-controlled acidity and good intensity to the plum and mocha flavors.
Chateau la Roque Rouge ’17 France $19
65% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre. A lithe and expressive red, with fine balance and well-structured flavors of dried cherry, plum, and boysenberry, featuring hints of tarragon and cream on the finish.
lummi island wine tasting july 8-9 ’22
Hours this weekend: 4-6pm both Friday and Saturday
This weekend we will be open as usual from 4-6 Fri-Sat, with limited outdoor seating available on the deck for those who wish to stay outside.
Covid cases remain low at about 2 per 1000, considerably lower than chances of getting the annual flu. However, the Beach Store cafe is closed this weekend due to an outbreak from last weekend, so caution is still very much appropriate.
We will continue taking basic precautions in the wine shop: windows open, air filter operating, outside seating options. We do continue to request that the unvaxed remain outside for tasting. Fyi, the forecast is for some sun Friday and clouds (no rain!) Saturday.
Bread Pickup This Week
Multi Grain Levain – Made with a sourdough culture and a flavorful mix of bread flour and fresh milled whole wheat and rye. A nice mixture of flax, sesame sunflower and pumpkin seeds and some polenta add great flavor and crunch. And just a little honey for some sweetness. A great all around bread that is full of flavor – $5/loaf
Rosemary Olive Oil – Made with bread flour and freshly milled white whole wheat for additional flavor and texture. Fresh rosemary from the garden and olive oil to make for a nice tender crumb and a nice crisp crust. – $5/loaf
and mmm, pastry this week…
Gibassiers – A traditional french pastry from the south of France. Made with a delicious sweet dough full of milk, butter, eggs and olive oil. The addition of orange flower water, candied orange peel and anise seed bring great flavor to these pastries. After baking they are brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with more sugar. – 2/$5
To get on the bread order list, click on the “Contact Us” link above and fill out the form. Each week’s bread menu is sent to the list each Sunday, for ordering by Tuesday, for pickup on Friday. Simple, right..? If you will be visiting the island and would like to order bread for your visit, at least a week’s notice is recommended for pickup the following Friday.
Wine of the Week: Bieler Cote du Rhone Villages ‘la Jassine’ ’20 $15
https://www.wine-searcher.com/images/region/cotes-du-rhone-villages-valreas
The Bieler family made this wine with fruit from the Lavau family vineyards in Valréas, where slightly cooler temperatures promote freshness and ripen more fully. The vines are planted in red clay soil on ancient terraced stony slopes. The warm Mediterranean climate and the cool mistral winds keep the grapes rot-free.
The blend is 80% Grenache, 20% Syrah from vineyards in the Village of Valréas in the Southern Rhône Valley, giving it the appellation of “Côtes du Rhône Villages.” A higher proportion of Mourvèdre and Syrah, greater ripeness, and slightly lower yields are the quality factors that distinguish Côtes-du-Rhône Villages from the more generic Côtes-du-Rhône. This wine was fermented for a month on the lees with native yeast in concrete tanks. A third of the fruit was fermented whole cluster (with stems) for spicy, savory notes. A tiny 3% of the wine was aged in new French oak, resulting in lovely aromas of raspberry, black cherry, garrigue (rosemary, thyme), chocolate and tobacco, with soft, round tannins.
The Economics of the Heart: Black Markets and Back Alleys
It might make sense to regulate abortion if our species were endangered by a declining population, or by low probabilities of pregnancy, or very limited periods of fertility. Quite to the contrary, the reality is exactly the opposite: Globally, about half of all pregnancies are unintended, and about half of those end in abortion. Between 2015 and 2019, there were 121 million unintended pregnancies/yr, with 61%, or 73 million ending in abortion.
Curiously, unintended pregnancies are higher in countries with abortion restrictions and lower where it is broadly available, including the northern hemisphere, where education and incomes are higher. Therefore it is quite fascinating that our own, um, “highly developed” country has now adopted such a self-defeating, Taliban-esque regulatory policy that is destined to make everything it touches Worse.
We have come to this dark moment in our history by the intrusion of religion into our civil law. Like Monty Python, we really weren’t expecting the Spanish Inquisition, and now here it is, and it’s scary and annoying and will cause of lot of damage and tears. But it will not be effective and it will not last long, because we humans are not designed to tolerate such intrusive constraints for very long.
The economic reality is that we all have the will and imagination to live as we must. If abortion cannot be done legally, it will be done illegally. It will be riskier, more expensive, and more inconvenient, but it has been part of family and tribal planning management for thousands of years.
Prohibitions of any kind will create black markets for what is needed and desired, and it is certain there will be just as many abortions with these laws as without. For our species getting pregnant is so very easy, and raising a child is so very difficult, that no one but the prospective parents have the right to make such consequential decisions for others on the truly idiotic assertion that Their Religious Superstitions are somehow more valid than someone else’s.
Suffering comes in many forms. Every woman I know who had an abortion was both torn apart in deciding and relieved by whatever decision they made. It is not casual, thoughtless, or selfish. It is agonizing contemplation of their ability to take on such responsibility in the circumstances of the moment.
It is as easy for us to imagine that every circulating soul gets born over and over as karmic conditions dictate as to imagine that it only gets the one shot in this particular womb to be born into this or some other world. Tragically, these Catholic Justices are too steeped in their dogmatic concept of Sin to have any actual compassion for the senseless suffering they are causing. The tide will turn.
This Week’s $5 Tasting
MAN Chenin Blanc ’21 South Africa $11
Using only free-run juice preservea a clean and natural character, refreshing acidity, and delicious ripe fruit flavors and aromas of quince, pear and pineapple. On the palate, fresh stonefruit and apple flavors are backed by refreshing acidity, minerality and a pleasing, rounded mouthfeel.
Adorada “eau de California” Rosé California $14
Brilliant coral color with aromas of strawberries, red grapefruit, rose petal, and jasmine; palate of strawberry, orange zest and a touch of white pepper spice with bright acidity to balance the fruity creaminess. And all presented in a Very Fashionable Package!
Bieler Cote du Rhone ‘la Jassine’ ’20 $15
Brooding aromas of raspberry, black cherry, garrigue, chocolate and tobacco which build and concentrate on the palate; hilltop fruit delivers a rich mouthfeel with soft, round tannins on the finish.
lummi island wine tasting july 1-2 ’22
Hours this weekend: 4-6pm both Friday and Saturday
This weekend we will be open as usual from 4-6 Fri-Sat, with limited outdoor seating available on the deck for those who wish to stay outside.
County-wide figures show that current Covid cases now seem to include everyone, regardless of vaccine status. Overall cases remain low at about 2 per 1000, considerably lower than chances of getting the annual flu. Symptom severity is roughly correlated with vaccine status, and over 70% of those around us have now been vaccinated. So at this point in the pandemic risks are still real, but far less threatening, and we all have to judge risks for ourselves.
We will continue taking basic precautions in the wine shop: windows open, air filter operating, outside seating options. We do continue to request that the unvaxed remain outside for tasting. Fyi, the forecast is for a mostly sunny weekend!
Bread Pickup This Week
Pear Buckwheat – Begins with an overnight poolish preferment mixed the next day with bread flour and fresh milled buckwheat; the preferment allows the dough to begin to develop before the addition of toasted walnuts and dried pears soaked in white wine. – $5/loaf
French Country Bread – A a rustic country loaf made with bread flour, fresh milled whole wheat, and and a bit of toasted wheat germ. After building the levain with a sourdough culture and mixing the final dough it gets a long cool overnight ferment in the refrigerator. This really allows the flavor to develop in this bread. – $5/loaf
and mmm, pastry this week…
Rum Raisin Brioche: A delicious brioche dough full of eggs, butter and sugar. Filled with golden raisins and chunks of almond paste and (wait there’s more!) topped with a chocolate glaze before baking.- 2/$5
To get on the bread order list, click on the “Contact Us” link above and fill out the form. Each week’s bread menu is sent to the list each Sunday, for ordering by Tuesday, for pickup on Friday. Simple, right..? If you will be visiting the island and would like to order bread for your visit, at least a week’s notice is recommended for pickup the following Friday.
Wine of the Week: Natura Organic Rose ’21 Chile $12
courtesy www.naturawines.com
Natura is an offspring of Italian winery Banfi which controls numerous wineries worldwide in addition to its iconic Brunello vineyards and winery in Montalcino, Italy.
The Natura rose is a blend of organically grown Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot from hand-picked, organically grown grapes from the prime growing regions of Chile’s Central Valley, pressed and fermented on the lees in stainless steel tanks.
Vineyards are maintained in a rich interdependent ecosystem that effectively manages pests and keeps the soil healthy. Flowers and native plants thrive throughout the organic vineyards that provide natural pest control and keep soils healthy. The use of chemicals has been replaced with natural compounds and compost from spent grape skins and stems.
Tasting notes: Bright light pink; aromas of fresh strawberries, flowers, and wet stones, with light, bright, and crisp flavors of strawberries and nectarines on the palate; a bright, elegant, and supple accompaniment for summer dining. Made from organically grown grapes with Ecocert certification.
The Economics of the Heart: Republican EntRightlement
American democracy has been in the cross-hairs of the Republican Party for at least fifty years, at least since the horrible 1968 campaign season when Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy were assassinated. The dreamy era of 60’s Woodstock, San Francisco flower children, and unbridled optimism came crashing down under the same dark forces that took Nixon to the White House.
We now know that well before Watergate in 1972, Nixon’s “plumbers” had spent months and $250k very effectively sabotaging Ed Muskie’s campaign for the Democratic nomination because they thought he would be a more formidable opponent than George McGovern. Ironically, in comparison Watergate was an unlucky afterthought that went south. History shows us that Republicans have been relying on dirty tricks, bullying, and “alternate facts” ever since. Reagan won in 1980 by deliberately wooing Southern Democrats with racist rhetoric, and blue collar voters with welfare society mythology.
The real game-changing turning point came in 1987 when Reagan’s FCC very deliberately eliminated the Fairness Doctrine, opening the door for all manner of hyperbole, personal attacks, and outright lying that led to ubiquitous, 24/7 radio and TV outrage monologues by the likes of Limbaugh, O’Reilly, Beck, Hannity, and the rest. That’s when “News” got strategically deployed as carefully scripted Orwellian Propaganda, and Republicans started actually believing in their own Entitlement to Power.
We have seen in the J6 hearings that the Republican sense of Entitlement still supersedes even their allegiance to our Nation and the Constitution. The clear takeaway is that most current Republican officeholders were either actively engaged in supporting the coup, or at best have been passively engaged in allowing it to happen and saying nothing. Many of the handful whom we thank heartily for having come forward to testify say they would vote for Trump again. Even worse, it is likely that the many evangelicals among them also support the breathtaking elimination of our Constitutional freedoms by McConnell’s brutal Supreme Court.
We close today with a takeaway worth pondering from a conversation we had last night with an old friend we have not seen for a long time, Tarso Ramos (Myra’s son), who is the Executive Director at Political Research Associates in Boston. Their broad goal is no less than: building a more just and inclusive democratic society in which supremacist and authoritarian forces no longer wield significant cultural or political power.
So the closing thought for today from that conversation (my brief takeaway) is that our two-party system as it exists now and has historically existed, is by its nature both dysfunctional and obsolete. It has neither the will or the structure to deal with the multiplicity of demands being placed on it in our overpopulated and overstressed global environment, nor does it any longer have the checks and balances necessary to protect itself from authoritarian corruption within.
This view corroborates what we old-timers have seen unfold in our lifetimes, going from a world of 2 billion to 7 billion of us, profoundly straining global resources, while stuck in the limitations of our primitive, tribal, primate minds.
to be continued…
This Week’s $5 Tasting
Natura Rose ’21 Chile $12
Cold-soaked before pressing and cold-fermented on the skins to develop rich and nuanced aromas and flavors of grassy lime, tropical fruits, and lychee, with a crisp, lingering finish.
Pascual Toso Chardonnay ’17 Argentina $14
Aromas of ripe green apple, pineapple and mango; full, fresh palate with bright acidity, finishing with a slight toasty hint on a smooth, lingering finish.
Sea Sun Pinot Noir ’19 California $21
A deep, alluring pinot, strikingly soft and rich on both the nose and palate, with scents of baked cherries and pie crust, and silky notes of brown spice and vanilla.
lummi island wine tasting june 24-25 ’22
Hours this weekend: 4-6pm both Friday and Saturday
We just learned that anyone in the wine shop last Saturday afternoon may have been exposed to Covid. One guest developed very mild symptoms on Sunday for one day. We have tested negative so far, with no symptoms.
County-wide figures show that new cases seem to include everyone, regardless of vaccine status, and that symptom severity is roughly correlated with vaccine status. At this point in the pandemic we all have to judge risks for ourselves.
We will be open as usual from 4-6 Fri-Sat, and there will be limited outdoor seating available on the deck for those who wish to stay outside. We do continue to request that the unvaxed remain outside for tasting. Fyi, the forecast is for a sunny weekend!
Bread Pickup This Week
Multi Grain Levain – – Made with a sourdough culture and a flavorful mix of bread flour and fresh milled whole wheat and rye. A nice mixture of flax, sesame sunflower and pumpkin seeds and some polenta add great flavor and crunch. And just a little honey for some sweetness. A great all around bread that is full of flavor – $5/loaf
Polenta Levain –– Also made with a levain, also known as sourdough, in which the sourdough starter is fed and built up over several days, then mixed with bread flour and polenta in the final dough mix. This bread is a nice rustic loaf with great corn flavor. – $5/loaf
and mmm, pastry this week…
Brioche Tarts au Sucre – otherwise known as brioche sugar tarts. A rich brioche dough full of eggs and butter is rolled into a round tart and topped with more eggs, cream, butter and sugar. These are delicious topped with fresh fruit inlace of a traditional shortcake. As always, quantities are limited, be sure to get your order in – 2/$5
To get on the bread order list, click on the “Contact Us” link above and fill out the form. Each week’s bread menu is sent to the list each Sunday, for ordering by Tuesday, for pickup on Friday. Simple, right..? If you will be visiting the island and would like to order bread for your visit, at least a week’s notice is recommended for pickup the following Friday.
Wine of the Week: Monte Tondo Veneto Corvina ’20 Italy $12
Corvina (click link and scroll down) is one of several grapes historically grown in the Veneto (Venice) wine region of Italy. Others include Rondinella and Molinara; the three are often blended together into Valpolicella. Corvina and Rondinella grapes, in turn, are sometimes dried before pressing, yielding a concentrated juice which is used to make amarone. The same skins are then typically used many times in additional fermentations to make ripasso, a valpolicella that is richer for the treatment.
The Monte Tondo winery is located just outside Verona. As a separate varietal, this corvina has an appealing lightness and low alcohol content that make it a good pairing with light summer meals on the deck or patio.
The wine is fermented and aged in stainless steel, which preserves the freshness and lively spiciness of the grape while maintaining a supple and
smooth character. After bottling it is aged another several months before release.
Notes: Ruby red color; bright lively nose with fresh cherry, black berry and black pepper hints. Medium-bodied and well balanced, with moderate acidity and supple, well-integrated tannins. Dark fruit core with cherry, chocolate and spicy notes. Moderate length with a smooth, seductive finish and a spicy aftertaste. Food pairing: Ideal with typical Mediterranean dishes, roasted and grilled meat, salami.
This Week’s $5 Tasting
Charles Krug Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc ’20 Napa $15
Cold-soaked before pressing and cold-fermented on the skins to develop rich and nuanced aromas and flavors of grassy lime, tropical fruits, and lychee, with a crisp, lingering finish.
Monte Tondo Veneto Corvina ’20 Italy $12
Organically farmed; bright nose of fresh cherries and black pepper; fresh and lively palate of cherry, dark chocolate and spice, with supple, well-integrated tannins and a smooth, seductive, slightly spicy finish.
Charles Krug Cabernet Saugvignon ’18 Napa $30
Cranberry and briary aromas with hints of brown butter and clove leading to a palate of cranberry and black currant flavors nicely integrated with lightly toasted oak, all leading to a smooth lingering finish of berries and butter.
The Economics of the Heart: Rights and Wrongs
In recent years we have watched our country become increasingly dysfunctional. It seems to be a global trend. Perhaps we are a crazy species, or perhaps the Internet is the new Tower of Babel. We were resourceful enough to have survived this long, but we are looking more and more like an experiment gone terribly wrong. Or, as the Creator might quip on the Daily Show, “Well, Trevor, we didn’t know how these humans would work out in an interdependent ecosystem, and, well..now we know!”
Let’s start with the unfolding public hearings of the House Jan. 6 committee. The ongoing revelations of the detailed history of how January 6 insurrection evolved into actuality have lately revealed two very important things. First, there was indeed an ongoing conspiracy directly instigated by the Tweetster to overturn the 2020 election and stay in office for another term. Second, that conspiracy recruited millions of supporters with the Big Lie and came dangerously close to succeeding in stealing the election.
The near-success of the project created a blueprint for more blatant attempts by Republicans to rig elections in their favor in Red states nationwide. Many have already changed the rules for voting and vote tabulation, reducing oversight by replacing neutral Secretaries of State and election workers with partisan Republicans. These new laws are designed to keep Democrats from voting, and for keeping their votes from being counted if they do manage to vote.
The Good News is that the revelations of the Jan 6 Committee have been well documented and well presented, mostly by a carefully selected handful of conscientious Republican officials at both the state and federal level who chose follow the law rather than the Tweetster. The Bad News is that most of the Republicans in office at all levels still believe that all Americans should be bound by their religious superstitions, racial biases, and sense of divine entitlement. Their King James is better than the Books of a hundred other religions, all based on some culture’s beliefs and tradition (i.e., superstition), and all made up by imperfect humans under the auspices of divine revelation– all equally hopeful, all equally flawed.
Deep concern for this very development is why the framers were so careful to make their new country a secular one that allowed the practice of all religions but favored none. They recognized and feared the tyranny of any government that claimed divine right.
Fast forward to today, when the Ultra-Right Supreme Court just decided that every American has the right to carry a loaded gun anywhere and anytime. In his 66-page argument, Justice Thomas (he of the MAGA and Jan 6 co-conspirator wife) wrote:
“The constitutional right to bear arms in public for self-defense is not ‘a second-class right, subject to an entirely different body of rules than the other Bill of Rights guarantees.’ ” Thomas wrote, referring to a previous Supreme Court ruling. “We know of no other constitutional right that an individual may exercise only after demonstrating to government officers some special need.”
Hmm. “No other Constitutional right,,,??” Really? There seems to be a special kind of blindness in whatever form of “justice” these guys are peddling. The clear and transferable implications are that women do NOT have a right to manage their own bodies and their reproductive burdens, that the sudden appearance of guns in holsters Everywhere will NOT affect any sense of public safety and well-being, and that no polluter or nuisance-creator need worry about ever having to pay for damages imposed on others. As if, you know, turning all of America into Deadwood or Tombstone is what the framers Really had in mind.
If these six clowns really believe this crap, then any lingering hope for Roe is reduced to a flicker, and the Originalists have laid the first asphalt on their brave new Road to Hell for our country.
2072 Granger Way