To the editor: Interestingly, while Chief Justice John G. Robert Jr. sees the impropriety of speaking only to Democratic senators to discuss a code of ethics for judges, he seems to overlook the impropriety of judges flying flags. related to the insurrectionists or accept valuable gifts from the Republicans. billionaires who have interests in the cases before the courts. (“Roberts rejects Senate Democrats' request to discuss Supreme Court ethics, Alito controversy,” May 30)
If partisanship blinds judges to right and wrong, then perhaps the real problem is one of competence: of having the fundamental skills necessary to overcome personal preferences.
Pamela Kelly, Long Beach
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To the editor: The year was 1968, a tumultuous year for our nation. She was 11 years old, living in a small town in Nebraska, and just becoming politically aware.
My father was an ardent supporter of Hubert Humphrey's presidential candidacy. Noticing the proliferation of political signs in the neighborhood, I asked why we couldn't have a Humphrey sign in our front yard. My dad, a long-time public official, told me this:
“I work for the federal government. If we put a sign in our yard, people who come to see me at work might not think I can be fair to them because I voted for Humphrey. “It’s important because I don’t work for a political party, I work for the people and they need to trust that I am being fair to them.”
That story stayed with me and guided my own actions as a city and state employee. It is a shame that Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. does not understand what a mid-level official did regarding professional ethics and the appearance of bias.
James Buglewicz, Los Angeles
