Justice Jim Johnson in 2006 (Seattle Photography, Inc.).
Thank you for stating an often overlooked fact in your editorial “The loss of Supreme Court justice Jim Johnson’s lonely, conservative voice” [Opinion, March 21].
Without the voice of dissent we are left with a herd mentality for solving important issues facing local, state and federal governments. To debate and resolve these important issues, it is necessary to have varying points of view expressed and, yes, even dissent. No person or group of individuals should assume they have the right solution for every issue.
Unfortunately, it seems that local media often pick a point of view on issues that reflects the popular view of some person or group and thereby falls short of their journalistic duty to provide in-depth coverage of opposing views. Therefore, I commend the editorial staff for making clear the importance of dissent in the editorial.
It is too bad that we have come to the point where differing views are labeled right or left (often interpreted as right or wrong). This frequently gets in the way of solving issues and results in political gridlock.
Gerry Bowlby, Lake Forest Park