Letter: Justice Not Politics should go nationwide

In 2009, the Iowa Supreme Court unanimously upheld the legality of same-sex marriage in the state per the equal protection clause of the state constitution. This brought down the wrath of Bob Vander Plaats, who declared a holy war against the Supreme Court for no other reason than this one ruling, and the next year three justices were not retained for this strictly political reason, an event with no precedent in the history of Iowa.

For this reason, Justice Not Politics was founded, a nonpartisan group dedicated to protecting the judiciary of the state from future untoward political meddling, so judges could focus on law instead of the whims of special interests, maintaining the courts' impartiality. This coalition has worked magnificently and has prevented further political ousters.

But Iowa is not the whole country, and the judiciary is under attack across the country, by many others who yell the buzzwords of 'activist judges” and so on to bend the law to their personal interests instead of justice for all and everyone.

Justice Not Politics, or some descendant organization, needs to go nationwide. We must protect our courts across the nation, because without rule of law, democracy cannot exist.

Amy Collette

Cedar Rapids