Letters to the Editor: The Supreme Court’s Wisconsin decision shows how democracy ends

To the editor: Most of human history is a record of “the many” ruled by “the few.” There are few examples of “the many” in power, which is what makes our Constitution’s “we the people” resonate so powerfully.

That’s why Harry Litman’s column on the U.S. Supreme Court’s partisan decision on the Wisconsin primary election is so important for us to read and think about. Are we moving toward some type of autocracy or dictatorship?

Our three branches of government aren’t providing checks and balances when the Supreme Court echoes the executive’s wishes and the leader of the Senate refuses to consider bills passed by the House.

The basic premise of democracy is that the representatives who reflect the majority’s wishes are chosen to lead. However, if through suppression and gerrymandering voters are selectively culled, all bets are off.

Margaret Harrell, Hermosa Beach

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To the editor: All five conservative justices voted one way on the Wisconsin primary, and all four left-leaning justices voted the other way. The conservatives outnumber the liberals, so the conservatives won.

If the left-leaning justices outnumbered the conservatives, that probably would have made the court’s decision thoughtful and correct to Litman. Maybe he should look in the mirror and say, “I believe in partisan politics, just not theirs.”

Tom Blood, Huntington Beach