Jack Fruchtman
It’s long past time to tone the rhetoric down
“Disagreeing better isn’t just about being nicer to one another — it’s about finding a way to disagree that moves us toward solutions rather...
‘Free Speech for Me – But Not for Thee’
The above title comes from a book by Nat Hentoff, columnist for the Village Voice, who virulently attacked censorship as a denial of Americans’...
Deportation based on looks, speech, place
Earlier this year, The MV Times reported that the Island’s Brazilian community “represents an estimated 20 percent of the year-round population, or about 4,000...
Unite to save democracy
On May 27, masked agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in unmarked vehicles removed nearly 40 undocumented immigrants from the Island with...
Birthright citizenship and universal injunctions
The MV Times has long reported that the Island’s Brazilian community numbers around 20 percent of the year-round population, which translates to about 4,000...
The Court’s emergency docket and immigrants’ fate
According to The MV Times, the destination or fate of the 40 undocumented immigrants picked up by U.S. Immigration and Enforcement (ICE) on May...
Militarizing deportations
Make no mistake, events in Los Angeles with 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 U.S. Marines (as of this writing) facing off against those...
Covering their faces, and no arrest warrants
The first time we saw it, for many of us the images were startling: The videotaped arrest in Somerville of Tufts graduate student Rümeysa...
100 days of the Trump administration and us
Many people on the Vineyard may be astonished by the sheer number and fast pace of executive orders issued from the White House over...
With the death of due process and the rule of law, no one is...
“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out — because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade...
Birthright citizenship and our Brazilian neighbors
“All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the...
Gas versus electric leaf blowers: A way forward
A growing controversy on the Island is the use of gas-powered leaf blowers. There may be a way to resolve the issues –– but...
Buyer’s remorse and the election
buyer’s remorse: “A sense of regret after having committed to an endorsement, policy, plan of action.” –second definition, dictionary.com
Millions of people voted for former...
The future of climate change
Vineyarders, like all Americans, are living in an era of vast environmental and climate change. For most of November, the entire commonwealth suffered under...
Affordable housing and conserving the land and waterways
The critical need for hundreds of affordable housing units on Martha’s Vineyard need not conflict with the Island’s environmental beauty. With smart growth, we...
The Court and guns, again
Many residents of the Vineyard are gun owners, hunters, even firearms collectors. But few likely own something commonly called “a ghost gun.” These weapons...
The Supreme Court term: winners and losers part two
In a major 2024 landmark decision, the Supreme Court undercut the authority of the federal administrative agencies in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo. This...
The Supreme Court Term: winners and losers
With the closing of the 2023-2024 Supreme Court term, it is critically important for Vineyarders to know who came out on top and who...
A study in contrasts: Two firearms cases
Island hunters and gun owners will be very interested in two cases the Supreme Court ruled on last month involving the possession of firearms....
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ‘is here to stay’
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is the brainchild of Elizabeth Warren. As a Harvard Law professor, she spearheaded the drive to protect consumers...