Dear Editor;
I vote. Most of my friends do as well. I see all of the yard advertising signs, I occasionally read the ‘news’ paper but most of the information I get comes from the internet and thru word of mouth from people I talk to. I listen to local radio and try to catch as much local news as possible in the evenings, but what I’ve yet to hear about is a local debating scheme for elected offices, and I have yet to hear anything about national issues in local politics.
There is a 7th grade girl in Kansas City who had been banned from handing out fliers with biblical verses on them with an invite to a bible study. Schools can by law, quell speech if it’s disruptive, but if it’s not, they must allow it. A flier is a perfect tool for a young person to communicate with her full 1st Amendment rights intact. What does our elected, hired and appointed education professionals think about a child wanting to tell the rest of us sinners about whomever we call our God?
Gun control is another hot topic, nationally. Turn on just about any network newscast and gun control is going to be a talking point 2 of at least 5 days of any work week. The shooting sports are popular and profitable activities right here in Barton County, not to mention the rest of the state. I see that nearly all of the Sheriffs in Colorado are standing against new gun control laws enacted by that state’s elected officials.  Where does our law enforcement stand on gun control? Would our sheriff and  deputies help confiscate guns if the state or federal government were to request that support?  Would they assist in a check point where people are pulled over and ‘asked’ to submit blood, saliva or breath  samples for the Census Bureau and National Transportation Safety Board? Keep in mind that once the government gets your  DNA, it will ALWAYS keep it, forever, and those are 3 tools to get your DNA.  What is the purpose of such specimen collection? Doesn’t this sound like a violation of the 4th Amendment? The Census Bureau would tell you research.  What might Jefferson, of for that matter, JFK think about that kind of program?
Do our city, county and state leaders understand that if there is no law regulating an activity, they pretty much have no say in the matter? That is called “Rights retained by the people”. What do they think about enforcing federal law that is unconstitutional? Can our state opt out of said laws?
If you don’t know about some of the topics I’ve brought up, you might be part of the problem. Burst the bubble you live in and learn.
I’m writing this because in our modern society, filled with instant gratification, a million distractions and instantaneous communications, I have not heard of any one of our local and few state leaders answer any of these questions. Because they are not being asked! For what I see, local elections are about yard signs and popularity. Somebody, please tell me I am wrong!
Joe Gerritzen