To the editor: Columnist Robin Abcarian refers to flying an upside-down flag outside the home of Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. shortly after the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. Although the inverted flag became a symbol of the “stop the steal” movement, it has a long history in American military operations: it is a symbol of extreme danger.
Although Alito only spent three months on active duty as an Army officer, he would undoubtedly have been aware of this use of the flag. It is simply not believable that he did not notice this sign of extreme distress flying in his front yard for several days.
The US Flag Code states: “The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a sign of extreme distress in cases of extreme danger to life or property.” As an Army officer, Alito knew this; as a member of the highly partisan Supreme Court, he apparently forgot, blamed his wife, or chose to side with the insurrectionists, all of which is unacceptable.
Dan Caldwell, Malibu
The writer is a Navy veteran and professor emeritus of political science at Pepperdine University.
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To the editor: Why can Supreme Court judges act with such impunity? Answer: lifetime appointments.
Judges live in a bubble that we citizens cannot even imagine. Lifetime appointment to any judicial position is outdated and harmful to liberals and conservatives alike. Term limits would go a long way toward solving this problem, but good luck with that.
In the meantime, we have to tolerate supposedly intelligent judges acting like children.
John Beckman, Chino Hills
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To the editor: It turns out that the dreaded “Appeal to Heaven” flag, first raised by the forces fighting under George Washington during the Revolutionary War, has flown over San Francisco City Hall for decades. You can't make this up.
We all claim the American flag, so why did we fight over the Appeal to Heaven flag just because it was flying in front of Alito's vacation home?
There's only one reason: Democrats will politicize anything.
Nathan Post, Santa Barbara
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To the editor: If you don't think our country is falling apart, just look at the Supreme Court, where judges are supposed to put aside their personal opinions and focus on the Constitution and how it applies to the law.
The lack of truthfulness, integrity and decency that is evident in the behavior of this court is repugnant, and it is time we stop burying our heads in the sand and ignoring the problem.
It is clear that Justices Alito and Clarence Thomas have no right to be on the Supreme Court, and yet we are stuck with them for life. They have shown that they have no idea what truthfulness, integrity and decency mean, and they are ignoring their constitutional duty.
If they do not respect the ethical standards that apply to other judges, how can we expect our politicians and our society to respect the rule of law?
Sheryl Kinne, Van Nuys
