Jack Fruchtman
The relevance of the Declaration of Independence
Parades, flags, fireworks, parties, outdoor picnics, all are part of Fourth of July celebrations. In some places, the Declaration is read aloud. In others,...
Is felony murder fair and just?
Consider this scenario.Two people plan a bank robbery. One sits outside in the getaway car while the other one gets the money, but also...
Will Roe be preserved?
Suddenly, abortion and abortion rights are back in the center of discussion. Lost for the moment are local worries like the destruction of the...
The citizenship question and the census
“Though the law itself be fair on its face, and impartial in appearance, yet, if it is applied and administered by public authority with...
The Mueller report, William Barr … and us
Do we want or need to know what is in the 300-plus pages of the report that Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III filed...
What’s with the Green New Deal?
Last month, to great fanfare and some derision, Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York unveiled their ambitious plans...
On indicting and prosecuting a sitting president
As Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III, according to all accounts, releases his report to the new Attorney General William P. Barr, a key...
When rights and liberties clash
The Constitution guarantees us rights and liberties indispensable to a democracy. Are some more important than others? What if the First Amendment’s religious liberty...
Bipartisanship, ever?
The last week of 2018 and the first three of 2019 have demonstrated little to no movement in transforming Congress into a governing institution....
Looking backward and … forward
At this time of year, we should assess how things are going. From my perspective, I am somewhat hopeful. Here’s how.I am hopeful that...
Is ranked-choice voting in our future?
One of the most interesting features of the election season was the emergence of Maine’s statewide ranked-choice voting system, a first in the nation....
Now what?
The midterm elections have ended, the Republicans have held onto the Senate, and the Democrats will take over the House in January. The bluest...
Why did she do it?
For most of the year, pundits pounded their view that the blue wave was so powerful among those in anti-Trump America that the Democrats...
Where is Congress?
So often these days, the news moves so fast it’s hard, if not impossible, to keep up, even for diligent readers of the papers...
How’s the climate treating you?
As summer winds down, the air on the Island will become increasingly cooler and the humidity will diminish, as the poison ivy and sumac...
Questions and answers
Anytime is a good time to talk about the Constitution and Bill of Rights. But especially so these days.With so many references to these...
The president, civil liberties, and impeachment
James Madison long ago wrote that in establishing good government, he and his colleagues must find a way to allow reason, logical thinking, to...
With Kennedy out and Kavanaugh in, what might that mean?
Justice Anthony M. Kennedy’s retirement on July 31 has riled the left and thrilled the right. Despite his moderate conservative nature, for the past...
The broad implications of the Pereira decision
The Supreme Court of the United States essentially engages in two kinds of interpretation. The most well-known is constitutional, when the justices decide whether...
Court’s gambling decision may have other implications for Vineyard and beyond
When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the federal ban on sports gambling on May 14, it did more than allow states to provide for...