There are lessons that could be taught at the county level, lessons those in Topeka and Washington, D.C., would do well to learn. These are in the areas of civics and civility.
At Monday morning’s Barton County Commission meeting, commissioners bid farewell to one of their own. After four years, John Edmonds is leaving the body to assume the 112th District seat in the Kansas House of Representatives, taking the issues of Barton County and rural Kansas to the state capitol.
 There were handshakes, a presentation of a silver-plated decorative box and lots of nice words. There was an air of decorum.
But, “we have not always viewed the world through the same lens,” Edmonds said. None the less, “we’ve always tried to do the right thing.”
Commissioners Jennifer Schartz and Kenny Schremmer echoed that sentiment. Despite the differences, both said they learned from their out-going peer and they all managed to work well together.
“This is the way it should be,” Schremmer said. He is so right, too bad many of those in the Kansas Legislature and in Congress haven’t figured this out yet.
Don Davis will be sworn in next Monday as Edmonds’ replacement, on the same day Edmonds takes his oath in Topeka. With the changing of the guard, it is clear this common sense way of getting along will the transition.
We can only hope that those at other levels of government can learn from this example.
Dale Hogg