When I called the fire department in Mount Vernon because of an electrical fire in my garage, I wasn’t thinking, "Are they Republican or Democrat? Will that affect the crisis service I get when I call the fire department in need?"

When I call the sheriff in Knox County because of a vehicular accident or a neighbor on probation is having a serious problem, or I believe drugs are being sold out of a house nearby, I am not thinking, "Is the law enforcement Republican or Democrat and will that affect their service to everyone in our county?" No, of course not. I expect law enforcement to uphold the laws and help in crises for the good of the community, and as such, isn’t it reasonable that all voting citizens in Knox County have the opportunity to vote for sheriff no matter their party affiliation?

How can it be right or fair that a small percentage of voters who turn out for primary elections are the ones who choose the sheriff for all of us Independents or Democrats who choose not to be designated Republicans in order to vote for sheriff? I can ask the question for judicial candidates as well….they too are upholding laws, not creating laws. They should be serving all of us. It is legislators, governors, mayors, and commissioners who are making laws, removing laws, and determining how monies are spent in communities….these folks make those decisions in clearly partisan ways, and selection by party in primaries makes sense, but it is nonsense to apply party politics to sheriff and judicial positions.

Kathryn Edwards

Mount Vernon, OH