Reading archive 2022-07-20

Alan Dershowitz’s Martha’s Vineyard Cancellation: Recently, the emeritus Harvard law professor has felt shunned at his usual haunts. Is it “cancel culture,” or something else?

Opinion  The National Park Service’s absurd reason to reopen Beach Drive to cars - "After all, a full century of heavily subsidized motor vehicles has given us a society in which people, regardless of political affiliation, accept as normal such things as roadways with no sidewalks, jobs and schools and parks with motor-only access, deadly fires and droughts, widespread extinctions, bridges and highways that suck from our wallets billions in taxpayer dollars yet still can’t be maintained, and oil-driven wars and dictatorships that seem impossible to stop. And, of course, 40,000 U.S. traffic deaths a year."

D.C. Council to let drivers with unpaid tickets stay on the road

Opinion  This D.C. Council decision makes city streets unsafe - "Drivers speeding through city streets and running red lights are an issue, and council members say there needs to be more enforcement. But how? D.C. police are discouraged from enforcing traffic regulations. Instead, the city relies on traffic cameras. Yet the council’s latest action — it earlier barred the practice of suspending the licenses of those with traffic fines — removes one of the last remaining tools. The threat of being booted remains. 'Make no mistake, we are sending a message that will go and tell people they can run red lights, they can go significantly over the speed limit, and nothing will happen to them. They won’t have to pay their tickets,' said council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3). 'We’re inviting dangerous drivers. We’re making our streets less safe.'"