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Saints!

Friday
March 29th, 2024
L&T Opinions Page

OUR OPINION, L&T staff

 

Kansans don’t have to look to New York to see the influx of the rise of socialism and dictatorial control. The evidence is clear in the current political climate right here in the Sunflower State.

In the run for the governor’s office, several Republicans jumped in the race in what was supposed to be a replacement for Gov. Sam Brownback. Plans, fundraising and organizing a statewide effort takes years of planning, and several top Republicans in Kansas did the hard work to prepare for the race.

When Brownback stepped down and Colyer assumed the office, the state media acted as if Colyer was the incumbent candidate being challenged for the “first time since 1954” according to the Lawrence Journal-World. But Colyer would have had to run for the office himself without the few months of service he provided since Brownback’s departure earlier this year.

He served the state well, helping solve the school funding crisis created by the Kansas Supreme Court, he helped repair the funding issues for state government, and he was a well-respected leader.

Enter Secretary of State Kris Kobach who has been viciously attacked by every left-wing group in the country, by the Kansas media, and he still narrowly defeated Colyer despite the overwhelming effort against him.

Now, the race is over, but the ugliness of gestapo-tactic politics that feeds socialism and tyranny have already begun.

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Laura Kelly has already declared Kobach an enemy of the state and that she alone can save us all.

Greg Orman has also declared the party system null and void, and only he can save us all.

And Kobach, too, will make the case for Kansas to move forward and protect our values, only he can save us all.

What none of them realize is this rhetoric is the makings of dictatorial control, where we look for a savior rather than a system of government that is designed to serve the people of Kansas.

We shouldn’t put blind faith in any of them.

In the end, the faith is in each of us, and when we all cast ballots, we should trust the system and our fellow Kansans on whoever is chosen to be in the governor’s office.

For too long, we have seen the never-ending attacks and a lack of respect at the national level for the people’s choice.

Three of our last four presidents — Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump, won the White House without a majority of the popular vote. Barack Obama did win a majority of the popular vote as did Bush in his second term.

But none of them were allowed to serve all of America because we wouldn’t respect the system or the will of our fellow Americans.

Since this list involves two Democrats and two Republicans, it is clear both sides have joined the effort in disrespecting the process, and more importantly, disrespecting the will of the voters by disrespecting the person chosen.

We focus on the candidate because we have bought the lie that they are the key, that we will fail without a dictatorial leader that believes in our issues.

Once the election is over, we have to put the disappointment aside and focus on the winner.

That happened last night in the Republican primary when Colyer conceded the race to Kobach, offering his full support despite a narrow loss for the Republican nomination.

Colyer’s lesson in defeat should be the model for Kansans to follow moving forward.

We don’t need a savior in Topeka. 

There will be three names on the ballot, and Kansans will choose one of them to be governor. The chances are high that whoever is chosen won’t have a majority of the votes.

Whoever wins won’t be as important as Kansans trusting the system and believing in our neighbors and friends who will join us in making the decision.

Democracy is not about choosing a dictator. Even Kim Jung Un is elected in North Korea.

It’s about the system that gives us all the chance to participate and make the decision, and then honoring each other by supporting the outcome.

This governor’s race is not about Kobach or Kelly or Orman. They don’t hold the power until we give it to them. And we give it to the Kansas Legislature. And in some slight way, we give it to the Kansas Supreme Court.

The trust is not in them. The trust is in you. Don’t abdicate your power in the process. Vote. And then respect your fellow Kansans by supporting the next governor.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR, Reita Isaacs, Liberal

 

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