Original Sins
As a longtime reader of Texas Monthly, I expected a serious left lean in Michael Hall’s “Our Next Supreme Court Justice?” [September 2024]. It did not take long! Mr. Hall quickly defines originalism as a concept rooted in the eighteenth-century U.S. Constitution.
Are the amendments to the Constitution chopped liver? They are one of the great feats of the founding fathers, who realized that changing times could necessitate revisions to the original document. Our governance should not be left to a minority of elites, be they business monopolies or a press made up of like-minded individuals who rely on groupthink to push their beliefs on a vulnerable public.
Juan Campo, Houston
James Ho’s idea of originalism makes me believe he longs for a return to the 1700s, when primarily wealthy landowners, many of whom were slave owners, made the rules for America. I believe Ho and his intellectual ilk could justify the return of slavery, no voting or property rights for women, and racial segregation, etc.
I am saddened for the regressive actions that originalism will bring about.
Jake R. Vasquez, Mansfield
Land of Bilk and Honey
I read “Why Is Texas Breaking Out in Hives?” [September 2024], and I find it ridiculous that people like Art Holbrook, who must be financially well off, can avoid taxes through a benefit created for farmers despite not being engaged in agriculture. I have been a commercial beekeeper in Texas for 52 years. On my own 115 acres, I use 108 for timber production, 7 for bees. And yes, I take advantage of the tax benefits.
I certainly think that it would stir up a very angry beehive to change things now. San Jacinto County now has its own beekeeping association, which serves to educate dozens of people about how to keep bees so they can reduce their taxes.
I find it very amusing that some folks will spend a pile of money to get bees established on their property when actually paying the taxes might be cheaper.
Christopher Baldwin, Shepherd, Texas, and Belvidere, South Dakota
Editors’ note: A story in the October 2024 issue, “Love Thy Neighbor, or Not,” incorrectly referred to the type of fence behind the French Co. and its location. It is wire, and it runs between the venue and a portion of Marci Roberts’s property. A story in the same issue, “Ted Cruz Would Like to Reintroduce Himself,” misstated the name of Fifth Circuit judge James Ho. It also misstated the percentage of migrants apprehended at the border who are repeat crossers and the number of migrants deported by the Biden administration. In fact, an estimated 25 to 60 percent of migrants apprehended at the border are repeat crossers, and the Biden admin has deported or turned away some 4 million. The article also incorrectly stated that Cruz suggested contesting the 2020 election results in only states with legislatures controlled by the GOP; Nevada, one of the proposed states, was controlled by Democrats.
This article originally appeared in the November 2024 issue of Texas Monthly with the headline “Roar of the Crowd.” Subscribe today.
