You be the judge

Readers speak out on the looming battle over the next Supreme Court appointee

Newest justice might judge Trump

THE SUPREME COURT might decide if the president has committed treason. Is it OK for him to appoint his own deciding judge?

Over 240 years after the founding of the United States, three extraordinary cases may be heading to the court. The United States Senate must not allow the Supreme Court to become a political tool of a potentially criminal administration.

There are three reasons that the Republicans should suspend all work on appointing a ninth Supreme Court justice. If they will not then the Democrats should do everything in their power to block the president’s nominee. The Supreme Court has often operated with only eight judges, and it is essential right now in U.S. history that we have an evenly divided court — four leaning liberal, four leaning conservative -— in preparation for historic proceedings against the president of the United States.

Potentially criminal case No. 1: It appears that Donald Trump has used the office of the president to funnel millions of dollars to his family, his businesses and his own bank accounts. This is a criminal abuse of power. Given the nature of this case, it will quickly end up at the Supreme Court for resolution. It is wrong to allow the accused to appoint his own judge.

Potentially criminal case No. 2: It appears that Donald Trump has used the office of the president to obstruct investigations into his family and himself. Again, if this happened it is a crime against the people of the United States. It is wrong to allow the accused to appoint his own judge.

Potentially criminal case No. 3: It appears that Donald Trump has committed treason against the United States of America. If this is true, then it is the first time that treason charges against a sitting president have come before the Supreme Court. There is no precedent. It is wrong to allow the accused to appoint his own judge.

For these three reasons, it is essential that the United States Senate allow the Supreme Court to function with eight justices until all the cases above are resolved. JOEL HORN Corrales

Liberals’ ‘concern’ for kids is a sham

I AM APPALLED by recent comments by our two U.S. senators. — (Martin) Heinrich and (Tom) Udall — over their comments and opposition to President Trump’s nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court. He has unrivaled judicial temperament. He is an obvious loving family man. He supports and defends the U.S. Constitution. So why would any American or New Mexican be surprised that our two U.S. senators will oppose him? Like all liberal Democrats, they should be embarrassed to stand publicly and state the real reason they oppose President Trump’s nominee.

That is because they oppose any and every attempt to stop the unfettered, anytime for any reason support for abortion. They use code words such as “women’s health,” “women’s rights,” “health care,” but the sick reality is that they want to support the right to kill an innocent baby right where it should be the safest and most secure — in the mother’s womb. This issue has become Democrat orthodoxy — the right to kill innocent babies should be readily available to any woman.

Yet, they claim to want to defend illegal “children” at all costs. A recent UNICEF commercial should be the logical conclusion on this issue — “A CHILD is A CHILD.” However we know their reasoning and argument is that this absolute statement only applies to illegal (immigrants) entering our country. I demand that our two senators stand for the rule of law, and for me and others in our state who find their position unconscionable. If I see them stand and oppose this Supreme Court nominee, I will know that they stand alongside the disgusting “comedienne” Michelle Wolf who just pronounced “God bless abortion.”

I have a hard time even typing those words, but that is who you are siding with. Any individual who professes to be a person of faith, I believe that I can assure you with all that is in me, God does not “bless abortion.”

In every other way, liberals claim “it’s the children” on almost any issue. Our two senators have no legitimacy or credibility to say they support children if they continue to support abortion on demand. I am disgusted, saddened and discouraged that these two senators can turn a literal life-and-death issue — one that could mean ending the life of the next senator from New Mexico, or the next president, or the next Albert Einstein — (into an abortion) for sheer convenience. The statistics do not lie; there are only a very tiny fraction of abortions each year that are conducted because of the health of the mother or rape or incest. The sheer hypocrisy of what our two New Mexico senators represent leaves me shaking my head and my heart.

A disgusted and saddened New Mexico citizen. BRAD A. KING Cloudcroft

Elections still have consequences

REGARDING RESISTANCE to any Supreme Court (nominee) by President Trump, perhaps Trump could quote Most Revered President Obama: “Elections have consequences. I won.”

Then listen to the outrage from the left. JACK HERTZ Albuquerque

Focus on positives, not protesters

MILLIONS OF PEOPLE have watched with emotion the miraculous rescue of the boys and their coach who were trapped in a Thai cave. This story of international cooperation, bravery, sadness with the death of a diver, and the perilous journey out of that cave put other news on the back burner for awhile.

It was a relief to have a positive story to watch and to forget for a moment the picture of stupid people protesting the appointment of a very smart man to the U.S. Supreme Court, or the investigation of the FBI, the president and DOJ. Idiocy appears to be occupying the minds of many Americans.

The Thai rescuers had a vision and a plan, and they executed it with precision. There is a lesson here for all of us and especially those who spend time in the streets protesting simply because they hate the president of the United States. He was elected by the people and his presidency, to date, illustrates that he is keeping his promises.

Those who are protesting, if they are legal citizens of the U.S., have elected politicians to office who are supposed to represent their interest(s). Protests against the president (are) a waste of time and energy. They need a vision and a plan to elect people who will work on their vision. In (the last two years of) newscasts the people protesting the loudest, and the politicians representing them, have not offered any solutions to the problems being protested. Watching old movies is more enlightening than watching the so-called leaders of the minority pontificate and protest. We should be reading and watching newscasts about the positive aspects of life in the United States. There are good things to report, and occasionally there is a miracle. God is still at work. CHARLES WHITEHURST Albuquerque

Religious right will impose theocracy

AS A LONG-TIME American and an Independent it will be sad to see the end of this “great experiment” called democracy. And make no mistake it is that and the beginning of a theocratic rule by evangelicals. With total control of the presidency, the Congress and the Supreme Court, the religious right will play havoc with the society that we have known for over 242 years. They will feel unrestrained in their desire to remake America in their image! Remember Christ is a white European, not a brown Middle Easterner! Very sad! ROGER ELKINS Las Cruces