Post Readers sound off on latest U.S. Supreme Court rulings

Palm Beach Post
·3 min read
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The opinions in our readers' letters are theirs and not necessarily those of The Palm Beach Post Editorial Board.

Where's the free-speech logic here?

The Supreme Court ruled that a web designer in Colorado can use her religious beliefs under the guise of free speech to justify discriminating against same-sex couples. The Court overturned Roe v. Wade because there is no explicit right to abortion in the Constitution. Using the same logic, the Court must uphold Colorado’s public accommodation law protecting minorities from discrimination because there is no explicit right to discriminate in the First Amendment. That is assuming logic and consistency rather than Trumpian ideology in the Supreme Court.

Bob Barth, Boynton Beach

Student debt relief activists participate in a rally as they march from the U.S. Supreme Court to the White House on June 30, 2023, in Washington, DC. In a 6-3 decision the Supreme Court struck down the Biden administration's student debt forgiveness program.
Student debt relief activists participate in a rally as they march from the U.S. Supreme Court to the White House on June 30, 2023, in Washington, DC. In a 6-3 decision the Supreme Court struck down the Biden administration's student debt forgiveness program.

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Court's color-blind logic nonsensical

The Supreme Court struck down the use of affirmative action by universities, citing the 14th Amendment, the Equal Protection clause, as their reason. According to the majority opinion, there is no longer a need to protect people of color because we have become a color-blind society. The only rational conclusion to this belief is that the rarified atmosphere that the justices live in, aided and abetted by gifts from their billionaire friends, must be doing something strange to their brains. The majority also stated that, "... we have never permitted admissions programs to work in that way and we will not do so today." Are they also referring to legacies and athletes who are favored in their statement?

Ellie Schweitzer, Palm Beach Gardens

Affirmative action ruling spot on

The U.S. Supreme Court got it right in its recent affirmative-action decision. Whatever is given to "A" is taken away from "B". It is always a zero-sum situation. As Chief Justice John Roberts said in another landmark discrimination case in 2007: "The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.”

Gerald Farmer, Ocean Ridge

'Let-them-eat-cake' rulings hurt the Court

First, the majority of the Supreme Court moved to restore a state’s right to control women’s health care by overturning the longstanding constitutional right to seek an abortion. On a number of occasions it has allowed state’s new redistricting maps to stand by declining to review clearly discriminatory gerrymandered redistricting. Now, the Court in the elegantly crafted words of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson: “With let-them-eat-cake obliviousness, today, the majority pulls the ripcord and announces ‘colorblindness for all’ by legal fiat.” We will see how that works out. Let’s hope it is not as disastrous as the Chief Justice’s last landmark case, Citizens United.

Bill Morris, Palm Beach Gardens

Are veterans-preference next for the Court?

I am a veteran having served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam Conflict. I am worried that the Supreme Court’s ruling striking down affirmative action will eventually lead to rulings that will harm our military men and women who have fought for and served this country. We as a nation have correctly and purposely supported our veterans through many special Federal programs that give preference to veterans. We have given special treatment to our veterans in government hiring and contracting. I am very concerned that with this affirmative action ruling, the Supreme Court will consider these veterans’ programs unconstitutional. We should not let this happen. Are our veterans next? Support for our veterans should be a top priority.

Charles Self, Palm Beach Gardens

The Palm Beach Post is committed to publishing a diversity of opinions. Please send your views to letters@pbpost.com or by mail to Letters to the Editor, The Palm Beach Post, 2751 S, Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach 33405. Letters are subject to editing, must not exceed 200 words and include your name, address and daytime phone number. We only published names and cities with the letters.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Divisive High Court rulings prompt varied Post readers' response