A32 EZ RE THE WASHINGTON POST.SUNDAY, MAY 15 , 2022LETTERS TO THE EDITOR[email protected]MICHAEL DE ADDERABCDEFREDERICK J. RYAN JR.
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HE HISTORY of U. S. foreign
policy is, in part, a story of the
ebb and flow of isolationist senti-
ment, s ometimes e laborated into
an ideology of “America First.” History
also confirms that “America First” was
America at its worst: the slogan of
pre-World War II isolationists who urged
the Roosevelt administration to avoid
Europe’s troubles. The United States’
postwar rise to global responsibility
marginalized such ideology — until Don-
ald Tr ump rode to the White House in
2016 decrying the allegedly unfair costs
of U. S. security commitments and trade
agreements, then governed accordingly.
So it is no surprise that opposition to
the Biden administration’s request for
$40 billion in aid to Ukraine would
re-emerge, mostly in Republican circles,
or that the objections would boil down to
“what’s in it for us?” The Democratic-led
House of Representatives approved the
assistance with a large bipartisan major-
ity on Tuesday, but all 57 votes against it
came from the G OP’s r anks. The measure
is expected to pass the Senate; it is
backed by the bulk of the GOP, including
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
(R-Ky.), who made a surprise solidarityvisit to Kyiv with three GOP colleagues
on Saturday.
But Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), saying,
“My oath of office is to the U. S. Constitu-
tion, n ot to any foreign nation,” slowed it
with procedural obstacles. Mr. Paul sug-
gests — hyperbolically — that spending
less than 0.2 percent of U. S. output
helping Ukraine will fuel inflation. “We
cannot save Ukraine by dooming the U. S.
economy,” he said. Blake Masters, a
Republican Senate candidate in Arizona,
says America’s leaders “are buffoons who
hate you so... they’ll keep defending
Ukraine’s borders while turning their
backs on ours.”
To repeat, such claims tap a deep vein
in public opinion, which is why Mr. Paul
and other Republicans make them. Of
course our government’s first duty is to
its own citizens. All the more reason to
tell the America Firsters that security
engagement abroad is not a zero-sum
enterprise, but an investment in stabiliz-
ing situations that might otherwise spi-
ral out of control, a t much greater cost to
the United States than, say, $40 billion.
Russian aggression in Ukraine, which
threatens not just that country but also
the sanctity of international borderseverywhere, represents such a situation.
Not only is the U. S. investment compara-
tively modest, it is part of an effort to
which NATO partners are also making
significant contributions — and accept-
ing what are in some cases painful
sacrifices, especially by curtailing Rus-
sian energy imports. T he probable appli-
cations of Finland a nd Sweden for NATO
membership, along with Germany’s de-
cision to ramp up defense spending,
indicate that Europe is actually shoul-
dering more of its own defense burden
rather than free-riding off the United
States. And that’s not to mention the
burden — in combat — that Ukraine is
bearing.
U. S. and NATO efforts are working.
Russia’s war has stalled, as President
Vladimir Putin backhandedly acknowl-
edged by delivering a lackluster speech
on Russia’s Victory Day on May 9. He
could not credibly claim success or
threaten escalation. Republican isola-
tionist opposition to proposed aid for
Ukraine, however, is music t o Mr. Putin’s
ears. It’s not too early to wonder — and
worry — how much more powerful
America Firsters will be if Republicans
regain control of Congress in November.America at its worstWhy a return to ‘America First’ isolationism is bad for the U.S.H
ERE WE go again. The United
States and many other nations
appear to be starting another
covid-19 wave due to an omicron
subvariant that is more transmissible
than the last. But this t ime l ooks d ifferent.
Cases a re going up, but s o far without the
accompanying serious disease and death
that characterized earlier waves. That
should not lead to complacency.
According to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, daily new cases in
the United States are at 87, 382 on average
and in recent days have broken through
100,000, four times the level of mid-
March. That’s higher than occurred dur-
ing t he first summer of the pandemic, and
is most certainly a serious undercount
since many people are testing at h ome and
not reporting. The spread is being pro-
pelled by subvariant BA.2.12.1, which is
25 percent more transmissible than was
the previous BA.2, which was 30 percent
more transmissible than the original omi-
cron. While the virus hasn’t yet reached
the level of ultra-transmissible measles, itis climbing ever higher, reports scientist
Eric Topol. This means that tens of mil-
lions of the unvaccinated remain fertile
territory for i nfection, and some who w ere
infected by the first omicron might be
susceptible to reinfection. Omicron had a
quick spike and decline in South Africa,
and again in t he United States. B ut there’s
no clarity on the shape or duration of a
coming wave, except that cases are rising,
centered now in t he Northeast.
New covid hospital a dmissions are also
rising, f rom an average of 1,427 on April 5
to 2,6 56 in the latest report. But ICU beds
occupied nationwide by covid cases are at
a low point of the pandemic, and a very
small proportion of total ICU capacity.
Deaths are still falling from the omicron
peak. Both probably reflect the consider-
able immunity built up from vaccines and
natural infections, although no one
knows h ow durable it will be. Overall, this
wave may mark another step from pan-
demic e mergency to a predictable endem-
ic phase o f living with the virus.
Clearly, we are a long way from thefraught early days of 202 0, and another
wave should not trigger the same alarm.
But given the transmissibility of the latest
variant, wearing face masks indoors in
crowded situations remains an impor-
tant defense measure, and it matters that
they are quality and properly fitted. Fre-
quent t esting — e ven with the less precise
antigen rapid tests — is another line of
defense. And vaccines remain effective
and free. We’d like to see boosters for all,
and the rollout of vaccines for the very
young as soon as possible.
Congress is dallying over the $10 bil-
lion covid relief bill, and every week of
delay will prove costly in the fall. The
Biden administration was rash in pre-
dicting 100 million infections in the
autumn based on modeling; no one
really knows that far ahead. But t wo n ew
subvariants have already emerged in
South Africa. The new phase of the
pandemic should lead everyone to be
soberly realistic about the possibility of
more variants and new waves. Less
alarmed, but more prepared.Another new covid wave?Be less alarmed, more prepared.P
UBLIC SAFETY and schools.
Those two issues are key to the
health of any city, and they
explain in large part why the
District of Columbia rebounded from its
hard times in the 199 0s to thrive. Mayor
Anthony Williams ( D) o verhauled police
and strengthened city services; Mayor
Adrian Fenty (D) reformed schools.
With the District again emerging
from hard times — an unprecedented
pandemic that has upended every as-
pect of life in the city — those areas have
taken on renewed importance and, as
before, the future of the city will depend
upon the actions of the person voters
choose as their next mayor. Mayor
Muriel E. Bowser (D) has provided
capable and steady leadership, made all
the more remarkable by the fact that a
year into her second term the global
covid- 19 pandemic hit. Her sure-footed
response — executing a shutdown of the
city virtually overnight, setting up test-
ing and quarantine sites, overseeing a
vaccination effort with a high rate of
participation, navigating a reopening of
D.C. that put students back in the
classroom — makes her uniquely quali-
fied to continue to lead the city as it
seeks to come back from the difficulties
of the past two years. In addition to her
deft handling of the pandemic,
Ms. Bowser can point to success in
reducing homelessness, investing in af-
fordable housing and — no small feat —
standing up to then-President Donald
Tr ump and his threats against the city.
Ms. Bowser faces challenges from two
D.C. Council members — At-Large mem-
ber Robert C. White Jr. and Ward 8
member Tr ayon White Sr. — and a third
opponent, former Ward 5 commissioner
James Butler, in the June 21 Democratic
primary. Robert White h as d one a dmira-
ble work on behalf of returning citizens,
and Tr ayon White has been a passionateadvocate for the underserved residents
east of the river. But neither is equipped
to deal with the challenges that lie
ahead, and they are on the wrong side of
the critical issues of public safety and
schools. B oth voted to c ut p olice f unding
— over the mayor’s protests. Tr ayon
White favors a retreat from mayoral
control of schools, and Robert White’s
confusing and sometimes conflicting
answers on the topic should b e cause for
concern.
Third terms can be perilous for may-
ors. Ms. Bowser said she is aware of that
and will guard against complacency and
staleness. She needs to take to heartsome of the criticism of her administra-
tion — such as how it botched the
operation of its forensic l ab and turned a
blind eye to the conditions at the
D.C. jail. Her relations with other parts
of the government — the council and
attorney general — need repair, and we
would urge Ms. Bowser, if reelected, to
make the first move. B ut third t erms c an
also be times for big things to happen
when mayors have the knowledge and
experience to tackle problems and un-
dertake initiatives they might not have
attempted in their first or second term.
We have confidence in Ms. Bowser and
urge voters to reelect her.For D.C. mayorMs. Bowser has earned a third term.BILL O'LEARY/THE WASHINGTON POST
Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) at a news conference on April 25 in D.C.According to the May 11 Economy &
Business article “Musk says he would
allow Trump back on Twitter,” Elon Musk
said it was “morally w rong” to b an former
president Donald Trump from Twitter.
Morally w rong? No.
It is morally wrong to spew lies and
misinformation f or years a nd years and t o
foment insurrection for personal gain.
Twitter was morally r ight.
Eleanore Meredith , LovettsvilleThere’s no morality in lyingRegarding the May 1 0 Health & S cience
article “Private lands: The next step in
conservation”:
When you consider that two-thirds of
the land in the continental United States,
85 percent of grasslands and more than
half of forest lands are privately owned, the
importance of preserving private lands is
clear. In Maryland, Virginia and most of
the Northeast, the numbers are even high-
er. We can’t pretend the relatively small
amount of land that makes up public parks
will be enough to prevent the habitat and
biodiversity loss that is being accelerated
by climate change; in that scenario, our
parks would become habitat museums.
For those who argue that conservation
easements are unfair or too restrictive,
when an easement is put into place, the
landowner usually can negotiate terms, for
instance, to allow for building or to subdi-
vide the property w ithin agreed-on param-
eters. In return for the development rights
they give up, owners get meaningful tax
breaks that pass to each subsequent owner
of the land — to another buyer or heirs. The
goal is to protect the land, and the way to do
that is to protect landowners such as farm-
ers and ranchers from being forced out by
high taxes. But, yes, you’re going to give up
something to get those significant tax sav-
ings. That s eems fair, doesn’t i t?
Does a conservation easement d ecrease
the v alue of t he l and? If you’re a developer,
sure. That’s part of the point. But for
private individuals who aren’t looking to
develop, the land has value precisely be-
cause i t has been preserved.
Paula Whyman , BethesdaThe value of landknell of Roe v. Wade. Could its demise
adversely a ffect Loving a nd related cases?
Though Loving should survive, as it has
been the law for 55 years and for other
reasons, the case most in danger is Oberge-
fell v. Hodges, which, in 2015 in a 5-to- 4
decision, legalized same-sex marriage.
There are now as many as six of the nine
justices — including Chief Justice John
G. Roberts Jr., who dissented in Obergefell
— who, on the reasoning in Justice Samuel
A. Alito Jr.’s purloined draft opinion, could
reverse Obergefell and decide that the le-
gality of same-sex marriages should be left
to the individual states.
Let us beware of the disasters that live
in the minds o f men.
William D. Zabel , New York
The writer is chairman emeritus
of Human Rights First.If the Supreme Court allows states to
regulate abortion, chances are there will
be few abortions those legislatures will b e
able to ban. T hat’s largely because 5 4 per-
cent of abortions now are by drugs, not
surgery, a nd those numbers are growing.
Mifeprex, the main drug used since
200 0 when the Food and Drug Adminis-
tration approved it, is allowed for use up
to 10 weeks of pregnancy, and about
75 percent of all abortions in the United
States are before the 1 0th week, according
to the G uttmacher Institute.
Furthermore, t he interstate sale of pre-
scription drugs is protected by the Consti-
tution’s commerce clause, which allows
Congress to preempt the state, which it
has done by giving the power over drug
marketing t o the F ood and Drug Adminis-
tration. States can limit prescribing to
medical doctors, but they cannot ban any
drug that is for s ale in other states.
Finally, as many as 24 s tates, Guttmach-
er estimates, will not institute any bans on
surgical abortions, so women in the o ther
states can travel to those for a surgical
abortion. Interstate travel is r eadily avail-
able to lower-income women, as about
91 percent of Americans have access to a
car, according to the C ensus B ureau.
As a r esult, whatever the c ourt decides,
as a practical matter, will b e limited.
Ken Reid , McLean
The writer is a former editor and
publisher of FDAinfo.com.Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr.’s “leaked”
draft seeks to overturn Roe v. Wade be-
cause abortion was not specified in the
Constitution — meaning, the Framers did
not consider it a woman’s r ight. As I u nder-
stand it, “originalist” interpretations of the
Constitution derive from divining what
was in the Framers’ minds. A not-difficult
online search uncovered numerous arti-
cles on abortion being an accepted part of
early American life, from the Pilgrims into
the 19 th century. As one article summa-
rized: “A bortion was not just legal — it was
a safe, condoned, and practiced procedure
in colonial America and common enough
to appear in the legal and medical records
of the period. Official abortion laws did not
appear on the books in the United States
until 1821, a nd abortion before quickening
did not become illegal until the 1860 s. If a
woman living in New England in the
17 th or 18 th centuries wanted an abortion,
no legal, social, or religious force would
have stopped her.”
The Framers must have believed that
abortion is as much a woman’s right as
giving birth, which they also didn’t ad-
dress in the C onstitution.
Jeffrey H. Schwartz , PittsburghRegarding Jonathan Capehart’s May 8
op-ed, “The Alito draft is a warning to
LGBTQ Americans”:
In 1967, I led an American Civil Liber-
ties Union team in the Supreme Court in
the case of Loving v. Virginia , which, in a
9-to-0 decision, legalized interracial mar-
riage. We are now witnessing the deathOnly the first to fallI am t he parent of two Asian American
students attending Montgomery County
Public Schools and oppose a lawsuit
against MCPS brought by the Association
for Education Fairness that claims that
changes to admissions programs to make
magnet schools more accessible to low-
income students discriminate against
children like mine because Asian Ameri-
cans are less likely to attend low-income
schools [“Asian students are victims of
Montgomery County schools’ achieve-
ment gap,” Local Opinions, May 8].
In rural California, I attended low-
income schools ( as do about 30 percent of
MCPS Asian American students). Most
students qualified for f ree l unches. No o ne
I knew took test-prep courses, and coun-
selors did not talk about college. My chil-
dren have a very different experience.
Low-income students account for fewer
than 4 percent of students at t heir former
elementary school. PTAs subsidize tutor-
ing programs, enrichment classes in ro-
botics, foreign languages and chess, and
offer c ollege i nformation sessions.
Increasing magnet school access to a
wider swath of students in the district
benefits all students, including Asian
Americans. Social science research is clear
that more diverse environments improve
cognitive skills and problem-solving.
Should MCPS do more to improve learn-
ing for all students in the district and to
address long-standing educational barri-
ers facing Black, Hispanic and low-income
students? Absolutely. But stacking the deck
against low-income students for magnet
programs, especially with the false charge
that any attempt to address inequality is
anti-Asian, is only a distraction from tak-
ing bold steps toward a more equitable
future for all of our students.
Janelle Wong , BethesdaImproving access benefits all