A surprisingly large number of West Virginians voted for a prison inmate in preference to our incumbent President during the May Primary Presidential election.
Not so surprisingly, some immediately howled in protest about the embarrassment to the people and leadership of our Mountain State, even though there have been similar situations and outcomes, both before and since, in other States.
However, today's Martinsburg Journal editorial (Monday, 28 May 2012) had it exactly right when they cautioned the West Virginia Legislature to resist the temptation to "enact a knee-jerk reaction law to keep legitimate, if lessor known candidates off the ballot.'
The Journal correctly went on to point out "that would smack of a system intended to protect those already in power...".
Instead, of ham-fisted attempts to restrict the will of the voters, how about instead increasing ballot access for all putative candidates, regardless of their political party affiliation or other so-called "insider" bonafides?
After all, doesn't our government belong to the people, and not the other way around?
Just asking.
Not so surprisingly, some immediately howled in protest about the embarrassment to the people and leadership of our Mountain State, even though there have been similar situations and outcomes, both before and since, in other States.
However, today's Martinsburg Journal editorial (Monday, 28 May 2012) had it exactly right when they cautioned the West Virginia Legislature to resist the temptation to "enact a knee-jerk reaction law to keep legitimate, if lessor known candidates off the ballot.'
The Journal correctly went on to point out "that would smack of a system intended to protect those already in power...".
Instead, of ham-fisted attempts to restrict the will of the voters, how about instead increasing ballot access for all putative candidates, regardless of their political party affiliation or other so-called "insider" bonafides?
After all, doesn't our government belong to the people, and not the other way around?
Just asking.
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I believe that your question is answered by the Founding Fathers in both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.
ReplyDeleteLincoln left no doubt when he declared in the Gettysburg Address:
"We here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vair, that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."
Had this not happened in a Democrat primary, not a word would have been heard. After all, Lincoln County seemed perfectly happy to have a convicted felon from WV on their ballot for sheriff and the SOS, predictably, had her consistent lack of opinion.
It is my fervent desire that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish further in West Virginia.
Joan R. Gibson, President
Mountaineer Tea Party