I believe that elected, and appointed, and hired, public officials ALL need to be held to the highest standards, daily. This means holding them accountable when they err. They are our servants, not our masters, regardless of their opinions on the matter. Misconduct on their parts is far, far more grave than misconduct on the part of civilians — and they should start paying the price when they fall below the standards the rest of us mere mortals have to meet.

I’m amazed that the Commission on Judicial Conduct is holding Ms. Keller’s feet to the fire. I believe that, whether she remains on the bench or not, she will in the long run be a changed judge — for the better. She is having the sort of experience more judges need — and deserve.

There are plenty of examples of the warnings of totalitarian thinking, just off the top of my head are:

When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it–always.

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.
Mahatma Gandhi

Democracy becomes a government of bullies tempered by editors.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

I could tell you the first time I contested a traffic ticket at 20 years old, and I realized how naive I was. I wasn’t guilty. But, there was the city attorney, the attesting officer, and the presiding justice of the peace against me. I was so naive that I presumed that since I’d sworn an oath to tell the truth, which I did, that that would be enough. I still half-chuckle to myself now when I think about my innocence. Then, why, when found guilty of going 35 mph in a 30 mph zone, wasn’t I also charged with perjury? I swore an oath to tell the truth. Which I did. The officer was simply mistaken. No biggie. It can happen to anyone. But, really, I wasn’t speeding. I was telling the truth. And I realized the entire force of the authorities that I’d previously trusted were incredibly obtuse and bordering on insane. I realized afterward, they were most afraid of being tricked. Nevertheless, after that, I never trusted a police officer, prosecutor, or justice of the peace again. I knew something they didn’t know: I told the truth, I was honest, and I wasn’t afraid to tell them so. It’s a very trite example, but it literally made me grow up. You need proof. And unless you’ve got a videotape recorder running continuously or other time-recorded device to ride shotgun, then you’re out of luck.

Now, what would I do if the police were actually acting unlawfully; planting discrediting evidence, colluding, or just blindly hating the general public? God help you. It feels like living in an US-and-THEM society, where those attached to the Court are the US and the rest of the public is the THEM. The police become paid rats, jackals and stool-pigeons; and the general public become the prey. It is very different than the police fighting against burglars, genuine rapists, and the odd murderer. The police must realize they’ve simply become a street-level wing of some type of revenue service. Anything else should be treated in an administrative way. Criminal courts are for criminals: felons. The Bad Guys. When did it become that everyone was a potential criminal? Sharon Keller knows…