Foundation of our democracy is burning. Roberts SC has declared fire hydrants, sprinklers and smoke detectors illegal

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Marc E. Elias @marceelias
The foundation of our democracy is burning. It did not begin with Donald Trump, but he stoked the flames. The conservative Roberts Court did not light the match, but it has repeatedly declared fire hydrants, sprinklers and smoke detectors illegal.

Marc Elias: The GOP lit the match. The Supreme Court banned the fire department

The Republican Party has become a collection of arsonists targeting every part of civil society, liberalism and democracy. One faction aims at crushing the rights of individual citizens — shooting them in the streets of Minneapolis. Another works to co-opt large institutions — corporations, law firms and legacy media.

Lawyers and commentators need to recognize that in Court opinions, the dog whistle is too often louder than the fine print. The culture moves before the next set of lawsuits can even be filed.

We are in that critical window right now. Republican legislators are already redrawing maps. In some cases, they’re redrawing maps mid-election. The DOJ has already signaled it will help them. And, most importantly, the media is already starting to use the GOP’s framing.

Stopping this assault on democracy is not primarily a legal task, though the legal fights can matter enormously. It is a cultural one.

The fire is not coming; it’s burning hot, and the GOP is fanning its flames. The question is whether enough of us are willing to stand up for free and fair elections — plainly, loudly and without qualification — before the permission structure of Callais hardens into culture, and the culture decides this is simply how things are.

read more: https://www.democracydocket.com/opinion/the-gop-lit-the-match-the-supreme-court-banned-the-fire-department/