Opinion : Letter to the Editor: Vote against fear & hate on judicial retention issue

To The Editor,

Have those who are advocating the ouster of three Supreme Court Justices really thought through what happens if they are successful. How does this group plan to make sure that the replacement judges would rule differently? Do we want a single-issue disagreement destroy our judiciary?

This is not about judicial over-reach or judges usurping the right of the people. It is about the high court unanimously agreeing that following our state’s Constitution means not discriminating against a segment of our society. I doubt seriously if the judges ruled the other way, those who are railing against judicial over-reach would be saying a thing.

The real reason behind the attempt to oust the judges is a paranoid fear of gays which I have never understood. I am heterosexual and no amount of “indoctrination” or exposure to gays will change that. Gays, whether married or not, does not affect my life or marriage. The biggest threat to opposite sex marriage is divorce and has nothing to do with whether two gay people marry.

I submit that those “fearing’ gays may not be as sure of their sexual identity as I am. Human sexuality goes along a continuum from totaling heterosexual, to having “gay” feelings, to bisexual to homosexual. I believe those who live in fear of gays stand somewhere along that continuum. The fear comes from their questioning of their own sexual identity.

Iowa has had legal same sex marriage for over a year and half and guess what? The earth has not swallowed the state!! Iowa voters don’t be fooled by this claim of judicial activism and protecting us from those evil judges. This is about hate, fear, and phobia of people different than most of us. Please vote to retain our Supreme Court judges and stand against fear and hate.

Rosemary Schwartz
Vinton