April 25, 2020 Issue, Page 4 of 10

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Page 4 The Elk City News, Elk City, Oklahoma Saturday, April 25, 2020 Thanks to the Supreme Court, ‘10 Angry Opinion Page “ElkCituNews Men’ can no longer send you to prison Serving Western Oklahoma since 1901 Some ‘weird’ By Michael McGough, and order” advocates in but not all, rights specified in trials. The decision over- Los Angeles Times other states might have lob- the Bill of Rights are incor- rules a shaky 1972 precedent Most Americans - includ- bied their legislatures to porated against the states by in which a fractured court ing those who have seen the allow non-unanimous ver- the 14th Amendment, which seemed to say that unani- days we live film “12 Angry Men” - prob- dicts. There are precedents was added to the Constitu- mous juries were required ably assumed that the U.S. for such a chain reaction, tion after the Civil War. in federal trials but not state Constitution requires that ju- notably the move by sev- That amendment man- trials. This decision doesn’t ries be unanimous in order to eral states to weaken the dates that people not be de- mean the end of so-called prived of liberty without “selective incorporation” in in now convict someone of a major insanity defense after a jury crime. found John W. Hinckley Jr., due process of law and also which some of the Bill of But that wasn’t true un- who attempted to assassi- refers to the “privileges or Rights (or judicial interpre- til Monday, when the U.S. nate President Ronald Rea- immunities” of citizenship. tations of them) don’t apply By Don Munsch, Editor Supreme Court, reversing a gan, not guilty by reason of It long has been understood to the states. We're doing profiles of valedictorians and salutatori- shaky precedent, ruled that insanity. (Alas, the Supreme that the First Amendment’s For example, the Seventh ans from the three high schools in our coverage area — unanimity is required in state Court ruled last month that guarantees of free speech Amendment’s guarantee EIk City, Merritt and Canute — and I interviewed one of as well as federal courts. the traditional insanity de- and freedom of religion of a jury trial in civil cases the students the other day and asked what the end of the The court ruled in favor fense was not required by as well as the 4th Amend- hasn’t been imposed on the school year has been like, with buildings closed and stu- of Evangelisto Ramos, who the Constitution.) ment’s ban on unreasonable states. But the court now has dents doing distance learning because of the COVID-19 was convicted in 2016 by a Juries may reach a verdict searches and seizures are in- said that most of the signifi- pandemic. 10-2 vote in the murder of more quickly if they needn’t corporated against the states. cant protections of the Bill Well, “weird” is how he described it. I don’t think I a woman whose body was be unanimous, but (as “12 Butit was only in 2010 that of Rights - the ones dealing could add anything to that. found in a New Orleans Angry Men” dramatizes) the the court ruled that the states Tf you had told me six months ago that we would be trash can. Louisiana now requirement that all jurors were bound by the court’s with personal liberty - do ap- asked to stay home as much as possible, that schools and requires unanimous jury agree makes it likelier that (then recent) interpretation ply to the states. That’s not “non-essential” businesses would be closing and that we verdicts for serious crimes, juries will deliberate care- of the Second Amendment's just a legal nicety. At a time when the rela- would be asked to keep face-to-face interactions with but Oregon continues to al- fully and explore all possi- right to keep and bear arms. non-family/non-household members and strangers to a low non-unanimous verdicts bilities. Unanimity promotes Monday’s ruling concerned tionship between the states minimum and use “social distancing” in public ... yeah, in felony cases. After Mon- impartiality. another provision of the Bill and the federal government I would thought that is weird. I also might have initially day’s decision, no state will Second, this ruling is im- of Rights, the Sixth Amend- is being newly debated - for guessed that we were at war or something, if some sooth- be able to convict people of portant because it continued ment. It guarantees a crimi- example, in relation to immi- sayer had told me what life would be like now. serious crimes by less than atrend in which the court has nal defendant the right to gration - it’s important that But then, the country didn’t cease operations during unanimous juries. held that protections in the trial by an impartial jury, but there is no daylight between previous wars. Life went on even as we fought overseas. Given that only one state Bill of Rights that originally doesn’t specify that the ver- the two when it comes to Fighting this coronavirus pandemic is like fighting in a now allows non-unanimous applied only to the federal dict must be unanimous. fundamental rights. Where war, though. It’s requiring some sacrifices. government also apply to ac- verdicts, the court’s decision Writing for the court, Jus- basic rights are concerned, But some people don’t want to sacrifice. They think so- might not seem all that mo- tions by state governments. tice Neil Gorsuch said that this must be one country. cial distancing and stay-at-home recommendations are a mentous. Legal nerds know that this the unanimity requirement Michael McGough is the huge inconvenience. That’s wrong for two rea- process is called “incorpo- that he said lay behind the Los Angeles Times’ senior I would submit that getting ill would be a bigger incon- sons. First, had the court ration”: a reference to the history of the Sixth Amend- editorial writer, based in venience. ruled the other way, “law court’s holding that some, ment must also apply to state Washington, D.C. For those who want to get out and about, there aren’t many options available. Most if not all entertainment op- What Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz are really tions are inaccessible. State parks are open, and I sup- pose one could go boating and fishing right now — if you own a boat and or like to fish. Whatever one is interested in, visiting a park is a great way to escape and get some fresh air. The travelok.com article I found on state parks describes measures put in place to keep visitors safe, with saying is coronavirus deaths matter social distancing encouraged and gatherings of 10 or more people prohibited. less than the freedoms of the majority Still, some people want to get out to places where large crowds gather in enclosed places. A story on one of the network television morning news shows this week piqued By Dahleen Glanton , beaches in Florida. straight. Of course, lots more opportunity.” my interest as it centered on complaints from Target Chicago Tribune As far as these folks are people will die if the restric- Such an idea shouldn’t be Workers Unite, which is reportedly an independent group Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz concerned, the country isn’t tions are lifted too soon. Dr. all that shocking. America’s of Target employees. They are becoming fed up with couldn’t resist weighing in in this crisis together. Every Phil was prompting us to re- education system abandoned shoppers who are not so much looking for necessities as on the coronavirus crisis. man, woman and child is on member whose lives are es- they just hanging around the store out of boredom and That’s not surprising. They their own. sential to America’s future black children a long time ignoring social distancing guidelines. One grocery store are entertainers who thrive Many of us were rightfully and whose are expendable. ago. Schools in predomi- union president suggested law enforcement needs to step on being in the spotlight. outraged by the blatant dis- He challenged us to con- nantly minority neighbor- in and enforce rules. Anyone who takes advice regard for human life dem- sider these questions: hoods always have been Then there are those sanitary rules that people should seriously from these televi- onstrated by Dr. Phil and Dr. What’s the big deal about substandard compared with follow regardless of whether the country is in a pandemic. sion personalities is an idiot. Oz. We saw through their impoverished people dying? suburban schools, where Example: Disposing used gloves in the parking lot of gro- But that doesn’t mean we thinly veiled message that Poor people always have students are mostly white should entirely dismiss what a virus that kills mostly old had a shorter life span than cery stores. they have to say - especially people and African Ameri- those who could afford bet- and affluent. C’mon, man. Is there anything more lazy than that? Just during this deadly pandemic. cans isn’t important enough ter lifestyles. Society has never cared tossing gloves on the pavement? Good grief. I have seen These pseudo doctors to jeopardize the freedoms Why should everyone in whether black children re- it happen here. The grocers in Elk City all have trash bar- didn’t become household ofthe majority. America be punished be- ceived a quality education. rels outside for waste. names by being stupid. Phil McGraw, cause more than 33,000 Let’s not act as if we didn’t an unli- And we're several weeks now into the social norm of They’ ve figured out how to censed psychologist, sug- people have died from CO- know that without a good following social distancing, but you still see lots of people tap into the psyche of the gested that the fallout from VID-19? People lose loved in public who are standing too close to strangers or violat- American public and use our shutting down the country ones all the time and the rest education, black teenage ing air space requirements. I was in a situation the other expectations, fears and prej- because of COVID-19 would of us don’t have to suffer. boys are likely to turn to vio- day, in an enclosed space, in which a woman and her udices to their advantage. be more devastating in the Why should people who lence and kill each other off. children invaded my personal space and I had to ask the They appeared on Fox long term than the death toll. are healthy because they’ve Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz were mother and kids to back off while I tended to my chore. I News last week with an He questioned why we’re so taken care of themselves be reminding us that it’s ridicu- hope I didn’t come off as rude, as that was my not inten- agenda, designed to rally concerned about the corona- treated the same as those lous to suddenly start worry- tion, but I don’t see how people don’t understand what the troops around President virus when more people die who haven’t? The majority ing about these throwaway social distancing is at this point unless they totally avoid Donald Trump’s efforts to each year from car crashes, of Americans aren’t going the news or just don’t know what’s going on in the world. undermine Democratic gov- smoking and drowning. to contract the virus anyway. populations when the future Note: I assign no blame on the children here, as they must ernors who are defying his Many Americans have Even if they do, they'll re- of the entire country is at be taught these new norms by their parents, who must call to reopen the country been quietly wondering the cover because the important stake. It’s time, instead, to before it is time. same thing. people in America have ac- focus on the greater good. model good behavior, too. The controversial remarks “Two hundred fifty people cess to excellent health care. Health authorities tell us we’re still a year or so away These men built successful were a reflection of where a year die from poverty, and Dr. Mehmet Oz, a for- careers by making a mock- from a vaccine. These days of lockdowns and social dis- many Trump supporters the poverty line is getting mer heart surgeon, told Fox ery of the things that most tancing may be indeed weird, but let’s continue to make stand on the issue. They such that more and more News’ Sean Hannity that re- some sacrifices and flatten the curve while we wait for a don’t want to be locked in- people are going to fall be- opening schools was an “ap- affect people’s lives - infi- treatment or vaccine to stop this heinous malady. side, and small groups of low that because the econ- petizing opportunity,” given delity, family dysfunction, them are starting to rebel. omy is crashing around us, that it may “only cost us 2 to weight, drug addiction and With COVID-19 still tak- and they’re doing that be- 3% in terms of total mortal- raising children. They allow ing a deadly toll on Ameri- cause people are dying from ity.” viewers to escape their own ca, their actions could mean the coronavirus. I get that,” Let’s not kid ourselves. dire circumstances by peer- Have something only one thing. These people McGraw said. “The fact of He’s talking about black have selfishly decided that the matter is we have people and Hispanic children. They ing into the lives of others the personal freedoms they dying, 45,000 people a year comprise the overwhelming who seem much worse off. enjoy are more important die from automobile acci- majority of public school It’s an escapism that some than protecting the health segments of our society find to share? dents, 480,000 from ciga- students in urban areas and safety of those who are rettes, 360,000 a year from where the virus is most prev- appealing. Dr. Phil and Dr. most vulnerable to the virus. swimming pools, but we alent, and are most likely to Oz know these folks bet- Across the country, of- don’t shut the country down suffer from chronic lung dis- ter than some of them know ficials have struggled to get for that, but yet we're doing eases such as asthma. Send your editorialto people to stay at home, de- it for this? And the fallout In other words, he seemed themselves. So when these spite evidence that it would is going to last for years be- to say, let’s sacrifice poor Trump surrogates say there’s save lives. Last week, small cause people’s lives are be- minority kids in order to “get nothing wrong with looking groups of pro-Trump pro- ing destroyed.” our mojo back.” out for No. 1 during the pan- editorGecdlalynews.com testers in Michigan, Wiscon- Forget that the number of “Let’s start with things demic, some idiots will lis- sin, Ohio, Kentucky, Min- drownings is wrong and that that are really critical to ten because it’s exactly what nesota, North Carolina and none of those causes of death the nation where we think Utah took to the streets de- is contagious and could have we might be able to open they want to hear. nounce the shelter-in-place been prevented by a vaccine. without getting into a lot of Dahleen Glanton is a col- orders. Over the weekend, Dr. Phil was telling Ameri- trouble,” he said. “I tell you, umnist for the Chicago Tri- people flocked to reopened cans to get their priorities schools are a verv appetizing bune.