The Dark Waters of Constitutional Ambiguity The recent Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in the Jackson, Mississippi, lead contaminated water case has left many stunned and questioning the fundamental right to safe drinking water in the United States.
On its surface, the decision appears to be a technical interpretation of constitutional rights, but it reveals a more profound issue: the erosion of public trust in government.
The Trump appointed Judge Kurt Engelhardt's ruling that the Constitution does not provide redress for every governmental wrongdoing is disturbing, given the fact that at least nine states have recognized clean drinking water as a protected right.