Commentary

The U.S. Congress has passed a bipartisan gun safety bill, representing the first federal gun safety legislation to be passed in a generation. The legislation, which has been signed into law by President Joe Biden, is limited in scope. But among its provisions is the closing of the so-called “boyfriend loophole” which allows some people with a record of domestic violence to still buy firearms. Under current federal legislation, intimate partner relationships are defined only as those in which two people are or were married, live or lived together as a couple, or have a child together. People who were in a dating relationship are largely excluded from this definition.

The onslaught against women’s rights doesn’t end with the overturning of Roe v. Wade; it begins with it. And what comes next will threaten every gain that has been made for women’s rights in America over the last five decades. It will reduce our economic prosperity, limit our educational achievement and employment access, and increase our risk of being victims of intimate partner violence — not to mention the risks associated with back-alley abortion procedures. New state laws will have dire consequences for women whose pregnancies are nonviable and possibly even those experiencing miscarriages, which could be seen as suspected abortions in states where access is restricted.

Indulge me for a moment, friends, as I tell you a story: Once upon a time there was a kingdom whose subjects were told of a possibly brighter future, one that was attainable if they committed to finishing a race with a pricey entrance fee. Some subjects could easily afford this fee, but for those who couldn’t, the kingdom said, “We got you! We’ll give you a loan, but we’re going to add a series of obstacles on your route, depending on how much help we give you. Good luck!”

Mail-in balloting is already underway for the July 19 primary and early voting in person begins Thursday, July 7. But for independent voters – called “unaffiliated” in state law – and members of third parties – people who choose not to register as a Democrat or Republican — there is not much reason to vote. Maryland is one of 14 states that has what is known as a “closed primary.” In 36 other states – some of which have no party registration at all – any eligible voter, including independents, can vote in partisan primaries in some fashion.

Maryland made a historic commitment for the fiscal year that began July 1: At least 40% of spending on climate change and green infrastructure — including renewable energy, public transportation, affordable housing, and environmental cleanup — needs to go to the 16% of communities who need it the most. That’s the opposite of how things often work. I grew up in Curtis Bay, a neighborhood in South Baltimore known for environmental injustice.

Charles Carroll of Carrollton wasn’t in Philadelphia when the Second Continental Congress voted to break from Great Britain on July 2, 1776, nor was he there on July 4 when Thomas Jefferson’s draft of the Declaration of Independence was ratified. He wouldn’t get there and add his name to the document’s signers for some weeks, but when it came to the idea that the 13 colonies must free themselves from England, he got there long before many of his fellow Marylanders.

A 20-year-old who is partying with friends learns that they want to rob a local drug dealer. He lends them his car and then goes to sleep after giving them the keys. A person is accidentally killed during that robbery and the 20-year-old is charged, not as an accessory to a robbery, but with the murder of the person who died during the robbery. The 20-year-old gets convicted of felony murder and is now sentenced to life imprisonment.

When my first children’s book on civics — “How the U.S. Government Works” — was published in 1998, I began doing book talks in schools, libraries, book stores, and fairs. Inevitably, at least one person in the crowd would see the title of the book and say something to the effect of: “This guy must be nuts. He actually thinks the U.S. government works!”