To the editor: Because England's kings and queens were not elected, the country's citizens had little control over the actions of these leaders. For this reason, the founders of the United States decided that a monarchical system of government did not allow citizens to participate sufficiently in national decisions.
Now all this has changed. The Supreme Court has given the president powers equivalent to those of a king. As Nixon said in his interview with David Frost: “When the president does it… that means it is not illegal.”
According to the Supreme Court, “official” acts are not subject to prosecution. But what are official acts, and who is to judge what they are? With the Chevron decision and now with this decision, the Supreme Court has crowned itself ruler of this nation, giving itself almost complete power to overrule the legislature. America is now headed toward the end of democracy as we know it.
Harry Schwarz, Agoura Hills
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To the editor: For many years it has been postulated that no enemy of the United States of America can conquer this country, that it can only be destroyed from within. That postulate is now in effect as the Supreme Court of this country has destroyed America by granting Donald Trump immunity for his crimes against this nation. The excuse they have provided with the exclusionary phrase “official acts” is hollow because they did not list the acts that are “official” and left that to the discretion of a common criminal.
This decision should not surprise Americans. The Roberts court is a criminal and has been since 2010. It is now harming this country at an even faster pace.
Glenn Shockley, Winnetka
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To the editor: I am a young voter in my twenties and I have never been more afraid for American democracy. The 2024 presidential election will be only the second one I have participated in and I fear it may be my last. Any naive optimism I once had about the intentions of our political establishment has collapsed in the face of a flagrantly corrupt Supreme Court and its Republican-appointed ideologues.
My generation has been forced to watch as our rights and protections are dismantled by prejudice. It has now become clear that our judiciary is committed not to the ideals of the Constitution, but to the constitution of its own ideals. I desperately hope that Americans of all generations will see this unjust conduct for what it is: a mortal threat to democracy, both in the United States and abroad. If Donald Trump and the Republican Party come to power next January, our Great Experiment will be a dismal failure.
Sam Dulys, Los Angeles
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To the editor: How thoughtful of the Supreme Court, on the eve of Independence Day, to give us back our kings.
Kurt Weldon, Winnetka
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To the editor: “The president does not enjoy immunity for his unofficial acts, and not everything the president does is official. The president is not above the law,” wrote Chief Justice John Roberts. Is inciting a riot and conspiring to overturn a legitimate election an official act of the president of the United States? Is it part of his responsibilities under the Constitution? In her dissenting opinion, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote: “Because our Constitution does not protect a former president from criminal and treasonous acts, I dissent.”
However, the court does not recognize the treasonous and criminal acts perpetrated by Donald Trump, so the district court in Washington, DC, is ordered to define what an official act is. A case for treason, violation of the Espionage Act, and seditious conspiracy can be brought against Trump. In addition, the July 11 sentencing date for his 34 felony convictions in New York would be a good day for Judge Juan Merchan to give Trump four years in prison, ahead of the Republican nominating convention this month.
Craig Simmons, Northridge
