The Supreme Cult strikes again

 As a native and lifelong resident of West Virginia, I find it particularly galling that the disastrous Extreme Court Supreme Cult Supreme Court EPA decision bears the name of a state suffering from the impacts of climate change and urgently in need of a transition to just and sustainable economy.

 West Virginians are intimately familiar with the human and natural consequences of not adequately regulating industries that harm our people, land and rivers.

 The history of this state is punctuated by industrial disasters and the slower but potentially more devastating impacts of pollution and environmental degradation. This SCOTUS decision will only make things worse. The struggle continues...

Along those lines, here's a link to a response to the decision from the national AFSC and here's the accompanying call to action.  

And when you pray...

The US Supreme Cult is on a roll lately, privileging gun rights over public safety and local democracy, and rating reproductive rights for rapists over the same for women.. The latest one is an affirmation of the kind of religion that gets rammed down people's throats whether they want it or not.

This statement on reversing Roe from the American Friends Service Committee, previously posted here, sums up my position on that issue. As for the latest ruling on prayer, I'll defer to a higher authority.

“Take care not to practice your righteousness in the sight of people, to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven...And when you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they will be seen by people. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But as for you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you." Matthew 6:1, 5,6 New American Standard Bible

Or, if you prefer the King James version: 

 "And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." Matthew 6:5, 6

I can hardly wait to see what they roll out next, but I'm especially dreading the ruling on climate change in a case that embarrassingly bears the name of West Virginia, which could have devastating consequences for the environment and public health.

It looks like a long and ugly road ahead.