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Dear friends of VTIPG and the Community Change Collaborative,
We share five articles each week that we find timely and meaningful that address concerns related to the state of our democracy and civil society. We aim to offer pieces that illuminate significant dimensions of our country's policy and governance challenges and the state of social norms that sustain the possibility of addressing those concerns. Please note, the views expressed in these essays do not necessarily reflect the perspectives of VTIPG faculty or staff or of Virginia Tech. We upload these articles and stories to our website. You may find that archive at News and Opportunities at http://ipg.vt.edu. Thank you to Dr. Jake Keyel, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at Rowan University, for serving as this week's editor.
If you would like to suggest an article for consideration, please contact the address below.
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Our first piece this week comes from Vox. It discussed how a Republican-controlled Supreme Court could hand former President Donald Trump an election victory if the race is close.
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A second selection, from The Guardian, analyzed a recent New York Times and Sienna College poll that shows a divided political landscape among the American electorate.
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The Hill published our third story, which discussed incendiary devices destroying hundreds of ballots in Washington and Oregon, incidents that a state election official called a "direct attack on democracy."
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A fourth article, from The Hill, is an opinion piece that lamented the Washington Post and L.A Times decisions not to issue presidential endorsements in the upcoming election.
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Lastly, we feature an NPR story that discussed the prospects of a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas prior to the election.
Brief synopses of these articles appear below. We hope the perspectives they offer encourage reflection and conversation!
Best wishes,
Billy Parvatam
VTIPG Communications Coordinator
pbilly97@vt.edu.
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Photo: U.S. Supreme Court. Credit to Wikipedia. |
If Harris wins, will the Supreme Court steal the election for Trump?
In this piece, Vox Senior Correspondent Ian Millhiser discussed the potential role that the Republican-controlled Supreme Court could play in the upcoming presidential election, arguing that a close race could result in a Bush v. Gore (2000) decision, where five Republican-appointed justices handed the presidency to George W. Bush. The Court has already ruled in favor of former President Trump twice this year. First, SCOTUS argued that he did not violate the 14th Amendment by engaging in an insurrection during the January 6th, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Second, the Court ruled that Trump had broad immunity from criminal prosecution for crimes he committed as president. Milhiser argued that those decisions prove that the Court has already laid the framework to hand the election to Trump should the results be close.
Millhiser, I. (2024, October 28). "If Harris wins, will the Supreme Court steal the election for Trump?" Vox. https://www.vox.com/scotus/376150/supreme-court-bush-gore-harris-trump-coup-steal-election
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Photo: Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris debate, September 10, 2024. Credit to Vox. | |
Majority of US voters say democracy is under threat but are split on who to blame, poll shows
Guardian reporter Edward Helmore analyzed a recent New York Times and Siena College poll that showed a deeply divided political landscape in the country. A majority of voters agree that the government is mostly serving itself and elites rather than for the broad public and common good. However, both sides also believe the opposing party's presidential nominee would be a threat to democracy if they are elected. Those clear divisions in the country come as the 2024 presidential election is projected to be a close race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
Helmore, E. (2024, October 28). "Majority of US voters say democracy is under threat but are split on who to blame, poll shows." The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/28/election-democracy-poll
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Photo: First responders pull out the burning contents of a ballot box, used to collect early votes ahead of the Nov. 5 U.S. election, after it was set on fire in a suspected arson in Vancouver, Washington, U.S. October 28, 2024. Credit to Reuters. | |
Fires set in Washington ballot drop boxes 'direct attack on democracy'
This PBS article discussed hundreds of ballots being destroyed in Oregon and Washington by incendiary devices, events which Washington State election auditor Greg Kimsey called a "direct attack on democracy." Ballot drop boxes have faced criticism from Republicans. Former President Donald Trump has tied them to his 2020 election defeat, a contest he has fraudulently claimed was stolen from him. Washington voters have been encouraged to check their ballot status online. If their returned ballot is not marked as "received," they can request a replacement.
Johnson, G., & Rush, C. (2024, October 29). "Fires set in Washington ballot drop boxes “direct attack on democracy.” PBS. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fires-set-in-washington-ballot-drop-boxes-direct-attack-on-democracy
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Photo: Jeff Bezos, owner of the Washington Post. Credit to Wikipedia. | |
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Jeff Bezos kills the once-great Washington Post
Bill Press argued in this piece that the decisions of billionaires Jeff Bezos and Patrick Soon-Shiong, owners of the Washington Post and L.A. Times respectively, not to make any endorsement in the upcoming presidential election not only signals cowardice but also stupidity. Press pointed out that both papers have been leading critics of former President Trump, and contended that democracy was teetering on the brink after he engineered the January 6th, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Additionally, both papers have made endorsements for other offices across all levels this year. Therefore, Press argues Soon-Shiong and Bezos's reasoning that newspapers should not make endorsements is contradicted by those down-ballot endorsements. Press points to both men's large number of federal government contracts as a likely factor in this decision.
Press, B. (2024, October 28). "Jeff Bezos kills the once-great Washington Post." The Hill. https://thehill.com/opinion/4958091-billionaires-ban-newspaper-endorsements/
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Photo: Residents and members of a civil defense team conduct search and rescue operations after the Israeli army targeted Asma School, run by the United Nations agency that aids Palestinians in the Shati refugee camp in Gaza Strip on Sunday. The wounded, including children, were brought to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. The bodies of those killed were also brought to the hospital. Credit to NPR. | |
Israel awaits the U.S. election before a Gaza cease-fire, an official says
This NPR article by Daniel Estrin discussed reporting from Israel that the Israeli government is awaiting the results of the 2024 U.S. presidential election before pursuing a new Egyptian cease-fire proposal with Hamas to end the conflict in Gaza. The latest draft proposal calls for an initial two-day cease-fire between the two sides and an exchange of prisoners. Additionally, Israel would withdraw troops from the Gaza-Egypt border and allow for the return of displaced Palestinians to North Gaza. Despite the Biden Administration's desire to get a deal done, a breakthrough will likely not occur before the election.
Estrin, D. (2024, October 28). "Israel awaits the U.S. election before a Gaza cease-fire, an official says." NPR. https://www.npr.org/2024/10/28/nx-s1-5168008/israel-hamas-war-gaza-ceasefire-us-election
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