In Reverse

The disassembly plans of the San Francisco Bay Bridge followed the original construction plans in reverse. As the bridge got slimmer, stripped of its steel muscle, I was struck by a parallel retraction of people's rights by U.S. Supreme Court decisions: January 2010 - Citizen United v. FEC, allowed previously forbidden anonymous foreign corporate donations to political causes; August 2018 – Shelby v. Holder, struck down a key provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act ensuring that governments do not deny minorities voting rights; June 2022 – Dobbs v. Jackson, reversed Roe v. Wade that recognized women’s rights to abortion; July 2024 - Trump v. United States, Justice Sotomayor: “Relying on little more than its own misguided wisdom about the need for “bold and unhesitating action” by the President . . . .the Court gives former President Trump all the immunity he asked for and more. Because our Constitution does not shield a former President from answering for criminal and treasonous acts, I dissent.” While the dismantling of the bridge is now complete, the highest Court continues to restrict our rights, freedoms and equal protections awarded by the US constitution.