To the editor:

The proposal to turn Kansas justices into politicians is clearly a bad idea. It’s a thinly veiled attempt to create legal sock puppets for powerful special-interest groups.

That said, it’s important to remember that all judges, whether state or federal, acquire their positions by way of politics, whether elected or appointed. The same is true for many other governmental positions at all levels. In short, a person does not become a judge without political connections or political capital, and despite all the attention focused on electing judges, the appointment process is equally susceptible to favoritism and abuse.

One need only view the current federal judicial appointment process to see a clear pattern of non-merit appointments. The Kansas federal bench is now almost entirely MAGA-appointed. Although current Gov. Kelly has done a commendable job appointing candidates with actual courtroom experience as judges, past gubernatorial administrations have based judicial appointments on pure patronage grounds, such as political party, ideology, campaign assistance, contributions or family relationships. The ineptness of such judges is viewed not by the public, but by a limited number of courthouse practitioners.

The point? Voting matters not only for the upcoming amendment but also for all political positions with “merit” appointment authority, such as senators and governors. People comment endlessly on social media, but only a small percentage actually vote. I hope this changes.

Mike Warner,

Lawrence