Shawnee Dispatch

To the editor:

In (Michael) Wray's letter, he employs the typical strawman argument that any disagreement with an individual's opinion is an assault on the First Amendment when he laments that the Republican leaders in the Kansas Senate disciplined (supposed) Republican Sen. Barbara Bollier's very public support for a candidate from the opposing party in the upcoming 3rd Congressional District race.

The First Amendment - if Wray has actually ever read it - states "Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech...".

Congress did not weigh in, at any level, on Bollier's First Amendment expression in support of a Democratic candidate; the Republican leadership of the Kansas Senate did.

Up until her endorsement of a Democrat, Bollier had been a member of that senate leadership, enjoying not only the influence and privileges that come with being part of the leadership, but presumably also accepting the responsibilities and duties that come with it, not the least of which are fostering party discipline and supporting its candidates.

Bollier was in no way precluded from exercising her First Amendment rights, but as with any exercise of that right, one has to accept the consequences of said exercise imposed by forces more informal, but in many instances more powerful, than Congress.

Think of it this way, the First Amendment allows us all to express our personal opinions, but if those opinions offend social norms (i.e. racial/gender epithets), we all should understand that consequences imposed by society at large will inevitably follow.

I do not mean to equate Bollier's support of a candidate from the opposing party with hate speech, but the analogy is apt - and fair.

If Bollier wants to walk and quack like a Democrat, then maybe she should explain her "logical and very understandable reasons" for supporting a Democratic candidate, and then she should switch parties and run for her Mission Hills seat as a Democrat.

And as a Republican, I always find it amusing when one of my fellow Republicans like Wray refer to themselves as a "moderate Republican". Let me guess what that means: he's for all legal abortion and/or higher taxes.

Such "moderate" Republicans gave us multiple terms of Dennis Moore as our 3rd District congressman, during which he voted for Nancy Pelosi as the leader of the House of Representatives, for Obamacare and for other so-called progressive policy initiatives.

They also gave us Kathleen Sebelius, first as our governor in which she advocated against any restrictions on abortion and packed the Kansas Supreme Court with left-leaning justices, and then as Obama's Secretary of HHS at which she brought her very adept administrative skills to bear in the roll-out of Obamacare and all the fun that has subsequently ensued with that law.

I only wish Wray was my Republican precinct committeeman so I could vote for his opponent.

Andy Alvey

Shawnee resident