Depot Conservation

Sunday's cool north breeze blew gently across Frank Anneberg's lake providing the kind of natural air conditioning that quickly took me back to my childhood days. Kids dotted the water's edge, fathers by their sides, fishing poles in hand, as bobbers danced on twinkling wakes in nervous anticipation of the day's first bite. It was a near perfect afternoon in Manhappiness.

The ladies held their annual ice cream social to introduce this year's candidates. The county's Ms. Jolene Campbell brought along one of those new-fangled voting machines. And with it came all sorts of questions. "Well, can we still vote on a paper ballot?" "Will there be a cover over it, so we vote in private?" "Why are the Democrats upset with the machines?" And the best one, "Can I still vote as an Independent on one of those?" Of course that came from one the husbands, who quickly got a scowling glare from his wife, for this was a gathering of the Riley County Republican Women's Club. I chuckled to myself, as it was a special little moment that by itself made the day.

County Commissioner Mike Kearns spoke about public service and his hopes to reduce the mill levy this fall. Another candidate told a story about his mom. And then one of those guys I so admire stepped forward. Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton had this big debate 200 years ago about guys just like him.

Who should represent us in the legislature? Hamilton took the old Euro-view. The masses should be represented by the elite. But Jefferson argued the opposite case. He felt America was best served when ordinary citizens stood for election, because they brought to government the views of the common man. And from that debate came the term "Jeffersonian Democracy."

So here in Manhattan yesterday afternoon an ordinary citizen stood before a small group of Republicans (plus one independent) and modestly made his case for election to the Kansas House. His name is Dick Miller. He's an engineer by training. He has his doctor's degree. He's a retired military officer and after that a business manager. Miller talked about how he would contribute based on his understanding of both military and private sector challenges facing us as a result of Ft. Riley's growth.

And as I listened, I wondered how Hamilton could ever argue against this guy's participation in government. Time will tell if Dick Miller is found worthy of a seat in the Kansas House. But I have no doubt Jefferson was smiling yesterday as an extra-ordinary citizen stood before his peers and humbly asked for their support. For this is surely what Jefferson had in mind for our "representative" democracy.

First published in the Manhattan Free Press, June 7, 2006.