Lynch Pen | Burden of proof is on voters to decide

We are very fortunate to live in America with our system of government and freedom of political speech, in spite of the corruption and abuses. At least a system of checks and balances exists that comes into play when things start to get too far out of control. Currently we have a group referred to as the Tea Party providing an avenue for people to express their dissatisfaction with our government and we have news media which, though frequently very biased, does keep us abreast of things happening outside our immediate area.

The financial abuses in the Republican Party in Florida and at the national level only further my belief that you can’t take a political party label, or affiliation, as a guarantee of integrity.

Nowhere do I find an exemption that keeps dishonest people out of politics.

We are fortunate that most people are honest, but the burden of proof is on us to separate the good from the bad when we select a political candidate to support.

In watching the Democratic Party senate debate from Little Rock last week, we were pleased at the openness of the debate but surprised at the number of cutting remarks between the two leading candidates in the race for the primary.

The third individual was Little Rock businessman D. C. Morrison.

Morrison gained more recognition because it was the first time we had any information about him.

He sounded more like the Southern Conservative Democrat that I remember folks talking about as a child. In trying to find out more about him, the Internet report I used indicated he had supported Ron Paul for president and Asa Hutchinson for governor in the last election cycle which helped explain his conservative fiscal views.

When I read news reports of conditions of other nations - both political and financial - I give thanks that America is still the greatest nation in the history of the world. We must continue to fight to protect what we have been given by our forefathers but we can still save it if we do our share.

With the Democratic Party primary such a highprofile race nationally, a lot of Democrats will probably be voting in that election rather than participating in local elections which are being conducted in the Republican primary.

This is one of the great things about primaries, but also a very limiting factor when one party dominates a county such as we see here in Benton County.

Because my ties to either political party aren’t all that tight, the party affiliation of the candidates in county offices doesn’t affect my voting choices. I would still prefer we have a choice in the November general election for county positions rather than have the election over at the endof the primary process.

A Democrat who understands law enforcement and budgets shouldn’t be discouraged from seeking the position of sheriff, just because Republicans always win. A good manager who understands organizations, personnel and budgets shouldn’t be limited - because of political party affiliation - from seeking the office of county judge.

Knowing the state codes governing spending county money is a requirement regardless of party.

The candidates in all races, county, state and federal, need financial support and we should help them in that area if we can. However, the thing they need most is our vote when we go to the ballot box and our willingness to share our assistance in their campaign efforts.

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Leo Lynch, a native of Benton County has deep roots in northwest Arkansas. He is a retired industrial engineer and former Justice of the Peace. He can be contacted at [email protected].

Opinion, Pages 4 on 04/28/2010