"I prosecuted Watergate and never feared for our democracy -- but Greg Abbott has me worried"
https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/greg-abbott-border-supreme-court-immigration-biden-rcna136746I am not an alarmist by nature. From my time as a prosecutor investigating the Watergate scandal, I have never doubted that justice would prevail or that democracy would survive. I never doubted that our union would last — until now.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s actions at the southern border and his reaction to the Supreme Court’s decision in favor of the federal government make me fear for the continued existence of the United States of America. So does his signing of an expansive new law that gives the state's law enforcement powers over immigration that rightly belong to the federal government, not to Texas or any other state. In fact, should the Supreme Court rule against the Biden administration‘s challenge to that law, that would have consequences for every federal policy, not just immigration policy.
It has long been accepted that the federal government controls immigration, national security, international relations and our borders. Despite the clarity of federal and state roles, in July last year, Abbott placed a 1000-foot-long string of buoys, separated by serrated saw blades and supporting a submerged mesh net, in the middle of the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass, Texas. Not only did this unconstitutional move spark protests from the Mexican government and migrant advocates, but also at least two migrants were found dead in the buoy barriers. In addition, among other incidents, a pregnant migrant was rescued but miscarried while stuck in the wire. That makes it inhumane, as well as unconstitutional.
Yet, while the courts forced Abbott to remove that dangerous obstacle to migrants and transportation from the Rio Grande, the Texas National Guard continued to install razor wire at the edge of the state’s land border. When federal agents cut that wire last fall, Texas sued the U.S. for damage to state property. Last week, the Supreme Court ruled against Abbott and affirmed the Department of Homeland Security’s right to remove the wire and to have access to the border to carry out the department’s duties. Two days later, Abbott issued a statement threatening to stonewall, much as then-President Richard Nixon did when he was subpoenaed for White House tape recordings that he didn’t want my team of Watergate prosecutors to have.
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= new reply since forum marked as read
don't want another Civil War."
Further, most of the U.S.A. doesn't know the horrors of the Civil War. If you want to know, read some books about
the "Civil War." It was totally awful. Very primitive medical care, not enough medicines, poor medicines, not enough
supplies, it took days to transport anything. (The railroads were not completed at that time in the 1860s) .............
ALSO: DON'T FORGET THIS ONE: NO TELEPHONES. (TELEPHONES WERE NOT INVENTED TILL LATER.}
Almost everyone traveled by horseback and stage coach.
It was a different time in society, that few people know about. No electricity, no phones, no cars, no taxi cabs, few railroads,
no trucks to transport goods, few colleges, most people could not read, NO TVs and NO COMPUTERS...(I just had to add
that one)..and think of this one:..........NO TOILETS as we know them....just outhouses.
The 1860s were different times. Yes, most people don't know U.S. History. (and I taught it in high school for close to
30 years.) All the U.S. History used to be in encyclopedias, but now it right there on the computer & the internet. ........
.........I have to add this one too...........(If you have the..."INTERNET" YOU ALSO HAVE A LIBRARY OF ENORMOUS SIZE)
...............(I am running out of gas, I need to take a rest...talk to you later.) 
I probably used to be more outgoing. I think we all understand the dynamics of our street. I had as many signs for Democratic candidates and issues in my yard that the local headquarters offered. 
