I have posted a “Vote No” yard sign in front of my home here in Council Grove. I respect individuals who may disagree with me, but I also respect the Kansas Supreme Court justices whose thoughtful deliberations over the past seven and half decades provide more than ample evidence that fairness and integrity have been conserved by their decisions on issue over issue, encouraging fellow Kansans to feel we can live in peace in a society together with those whose ideas and beliefs may not always coincide with our own. In the mail the other day, I received a simply worded one-page flyer “paid for by Kansans United for Impartial Courts: Micah Kubic, Chair.” According to this flyer, a yes vote “replaces the current system with partisan political elections; enables billionaire political donors and special interests to influence judicial elections; makes it easier for campaign donors to get favorable rulings; [and] increases pressure on judges to engage in partisan politics.”
On the other hand, according to this flyer by Micah Kubic (Executive Director of the ACLU), a no vote “retains the existing merit-based system that Kansas has used since the late 1950s; shields justices from political pressure and campaign fundraising; continues to hold judges accountable through retention elections; [and] keeps justices accountable to the [State of Kansas] Constitution rather than partisan politics.”
I do worry that too often highly educated individuals, such as lawyers are, with their hard-earned Doctor of Jurisprudence degrees, too often seem to have gained an attitude of arrogance along with their education. Humility and discretion are such wonderful personality attributes that I was taught by my parents to hold in highest esteem.
I simply prefer that our Kansas Supreme Court justices -- and judges in general -- be allowed to make up their minds on matters of law in an atmosphere of trust and contemplation, insulated to the largest extent possible from the vicissitudes of political temperaments -- including mine, yours, and those of our neighbors.
I appreciate all who have written to the paper on this issue, and I hope to see many more such letters, presenting all the aspects that none of us is capable of perceiving without each other’s help. Sincerely, Robb Scott Council Grove