Friday, March 31, 2006

Religion and Politics

My grandpa always told me not to discuss religion and politics with friends because people have such strong feelings about both topics that you're likely to lose a friend or two following a discussion of either. Well...since I've long since blown past the religion issue here on this blog (and I'm sure pissed more than one person off with it), I figure it can't hurt to tackle politics. But not just any politics. Politics that involves an acquaintance...a good person...someone I admire.

Here is the story.

I read the Court of Appeals opinion and I just don't know what to say. My colleague thinks perhaps there are some politics at work here.

Some things I find particularly disturbing...

1. You don't need a time stamp to file with the Board of Elections in Cuyahoga County. Apparently, it would be acceptable for me to just walk in and drop something on the counter to be considered filed.

2. If there is no controlling authority on a point of law, do not expect the Court of Appeals to make any original decisions/interpretations.

3. As a woman, you can give up the right to use your own maiden name...even if the majority of official documents used in your life include your maiden name.

4. The Board of Elections can give out mistaken instructions regarding filings, and you are responsible for the resulting circumstances. So presumably, the Board of Elections (an an employee of such) could LIE to a candidate they don't like and then seek to penalize the candidate by denying them voting/election rights.

5. The Court of Appeals can decide what your actual name is...you have to convince them you know better (I know...this is a bit over the top as a complaint...but I'm irritated).

2 comments:

Jillian said...

Wow...my computer didn't have a program to open the court opinion, but the results speak fairly clearly anyway.

You would HOPE that it WAS politics at work in this case rather than a genuinely held belief that the decision was truly justified.

Either way, that laws still exist that have made this situation possible, is ludicrous.

So often it takes an accident or some arrogant judge to make antiquated and flawed laws public and even if she doesn't end up successful, hopefully the public will be outraged enough to lobby to have this crap erased from the law books.

kate said...

This is DUMB....sheesh...it does sound like it is all politics to me. Politics and red tape.

I never changed my name so i use my maiden name in professional life and my married name socially, and it has never been a problem for me. Except recently, now i get confused who i told which name, and end up reintroducing myself with the wrong name and confusing everyone *else* too...sigh...

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