Readers' views: Examples of how democracy can work, Supreme Court's legitimacy and more
Here's what community members had to say in three recent letters to the editor we received. Submit your own thoughts here.
Murphy, Young show how democracy can still work in United States
Each Sunday, I have Alexa remind me to tune on “In Focus’’ before I leave for church. As a lifelong Democrat, my next comment may surprise some. Panel participant Republican Mike Murphy, former state legislator, who espouses I'll always vote Republican, offers well thought out nonpartisan comments.
Murphy is an example of what should make democracy work. He does not follow the party line but uses his experience, intelligence, and vision to answer questions important to all of us. It is obvious other participants of both parties and political science faculty on the panel respect him as he gives his opinions based on knowledge.
Like U.S. Sen. Todd Young, he is an example of the kind of citizen who should be running our state and country. The Republican Party is in trouble, but hopefully with leaders in their party like Murphy and Young we can get our country back as the example of democracy to the world. We can demonstrate that democracy can work and why we should be educated voters, not party line voters. Thank you “In Focus” for giving us unedited news and opinions. If we ever needed it is now.
K. Jane Adcock
Plainfield
Questions for Senate candidate John Rust
A few observations, and two questions, for John Rust, candidate for U.S. Senate.
The observations are: Real GDP increased 4.9% in the third quarter of 2023. Profits increased 3.4% in the third quarter. Both real personal income and disposable income increased .4% in November. Personal saving, as a percentage of disposable personal income, was 4.1% in November. The third quarter deficit was 2.9%, down from 3.2% in the second quarter. U.S. infrastructure went from a D+ to a C- due to the Infrastructure Investment Act. All of this was accomplished with little to no help from Republicans.
The questions are: 1) Will you work across the aisle, for the good of the nation, or will you imitate the present Republican caucuses and oppose everything that the president and/or the Democrat caucuses propose? 2) If you are truly interested in We The People choosing our leaders, will you promise to propose a bill making ALL federal elections subject to ranked choice voting?
Curtis Berndt
Indianapolis
Supreme Court's legitimacy at stake with upcoming Trump cases
The United States Supreme Court will soon consider at least three cases involving former president Donald Trump. These cases will test whether this Supreme Court can be trusted to act fairly and impartially in politically charged cases. To preserve its legitimacy, the court must avoid acting as if "law is nothing more than power, nothing more than five votes supported by doctrines of convenience." (Edward Lazarus, Closed Chambers, 1998).The court has not yet agreed to hear two of the cases -- whether Trump is ineligible to be president under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, and whether a former president is absolutely immune from prosecution for crimes allegedly committed while in office. Most observers expect the court to take up these cases soon. The court has already agreed to decide the scope of a federal statute that makes it a crime to corruptly obstruct an official proceeding. Trump (and many others) have been charged with violating this statute.These cases will give the court an opportunity to reassert its role as a neutral, non-partisan defender of the law and the Constitution. Regrettably, the court's recent actions have encouraged the perception that the justices are just partisans in robes. From Bush v. Gore to the Dobbs decision overruling Roe v. Wade, it is difficult to conclude that the court in politically charged cases has been applying the law impartially regardless of who the parties are or what the justices' political and religious beliefs may be. The widely reported ethical problems of Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito are also contributing to the serious decline in public confidence in the court.The country cannot afford to have the court making, or even appearing to make, decisions based on raw political power.Fred Biesecker
Indianapolis