PUBLIC VIEWPOINT Judges Adhere To Our Laws

— In response to Randy Alexander’s column “Defend your rights - Bill gives neutral approach to dealing with foreign rulings” (Feb. 6):

Senate Bill 97 does NOT deserve our support. Mr.

Alexander states, “The bill is not ‘anti’ any specific group or religion but is pro Arkansas Constitution and United States Constitution.”

I am confident that most Arkansans agree that the Arkansas Legislature should only pass laws that are needed - that serve a genuine public goal. This law is not needed and it serves no public goal.

The judiciary in Arkansas has demonstrated itself to be independent and fair. There is nothing happening in Arkansas courts that would suggest that judges need to be told how to determine the applicability of relevant legal systems to a legal conflict. Arkansas judges routinely make decisions about “conflicts of law,” from local, state, federal and sometimes, eveninternational. There has been no cause demonstrated that would suggest you should not continue to trust the judicial branch of Arkansas government to adhere to its state and federal constitutional constraints.

Senate Bill 97 represents a disturbing trend. Without being transparent with their message, similar bills have been filed in over 10 state legislatures. The public debate and discussion really comes down to the Muslim legal system and Islamic concepts such as Sharia law and a suggestion that “our judges” cannot be trusted to adhere to “our law.” Certainly, on its face the language can be said to be neutral, but is there any genuine doubt among the sponsors as to their intended target?

I respectfully ask you not to support a legislative action that is not needed, and one that surreptitiously gives support to a mindset of intolerance. Senate Bill 97 not only does not support the public need, but it undermines the confidence we rightfully shouldhave in Arkansas’ judiciary.

JON COMSTOCK

Rogers

***

BELLA VISTA’S FORGOTTEN ROAD

I would like to remind the mayor and his Road Department that Cardinal Road in Bella Vista is part of the city, and they did annex the area in 2007.

We had three snowstorms and Cardinal Road was ignored three times. Not only did the Road Department not clear the road, they blocked it at each end when the plow trucks passed through on the paved roads of Burghead and Robin.

This morning (Feb. 14), the school bus got stuck on Cardinal Road with kids aboard, which would not have happened if the city had not ignored the needs of the taxpayers and voters on Cardinal Road.

LARRY KEATON

Bella Vista

Opinion, Pages 12 on 02/20/2011

Upcoming Events