11/20 Letters: Judiciary must remain nonpartisan

Regarding “Judges right on districts” (Oct. 5): After reading several editorials about HB 717, judicial redistricting, I looked at the bill. It is quite difficult to determine the practical effect on our judicial system by county. The citizens of North Carolina deserve to know what the specific effect the bill has on our voting districts for judges and other court personnel. We need to understand the purpose of this bill and whether it corrects any deficiencies that exist. Representatives have an obligation to be clear to the citizens why this bill is being proposed, and I have not heard a reasonable explanation.

Also, SB 698 would reduce all judgeships to two-year terms. The citizens of North Carolina C also deserve to know the purpose of such a proposal. Why would any good attorney want to run for judge if they have to start thinking of the next election the next day? We already have legislators who have to do that, but to have judges run and raise money so frequently will certainly affect their independence. A nonpolitical, independent judicial system is the foundation of our democracy and this bill helps destroy that democratic principle.

Stop hog waste

A recent panel discussion on the hog industry sponsored by The Indy included Gene Baur, co-founder of Farm Sanctuary. The organization rescues animals from slaughterhouses or factory farms and transports them to a bucolic setting to live out the remainder of their lives.

During the panel discussion in Durham, people offered complicated solutions to the hog waste problem, but it was Baur who seemed to make the most sense. If we didn’t breed these animals by the millions to be consumed as bacon, pork and ham, the problem would not exist. He advocated not buying pork products, or moving back to getting meat from small family farms. He suggested moving to a healthier, kinder, more environmentally friendly way of eating.

Just because something has been done for years, doesn’t mean it always has to be that way. With our planet’s ecosystems endangered, with so many humans courting health problems by eating an unhealthy diet, with minorities being exploited by industrial farming, with so many creatures suffering at our hands, a radical change has to happen, and happen quickly. Change is possible. We can and must vote with our forks.

This story was originally published November 19, 2017 at 6:00 PM with the headline "11/20 Letters: Judiciary must remain nonpartisan."