As president of the League of Women Voters of Clark County, I’m responding to John Burke’s Sept. 9 letter, “Claims of objectivity are unconvincing.” LWV of Clark County has existed since the 1940s. The LWV, from its formation nationally in 1920, has been and is a nonpartisan political organization that neither supports nor opposes candidates or political parties. The LWV encourages informed and active participation in government, including its own members, and works to increase understanding of major issues. From time to time, while serving in LWV, some members, women and men, chose to run for public office.
For decades LWV-Clark has sponsored candidate forums, inviting all candidates. The league believes that maintaining a nonpartisan stance protects the organization from becoming mired in party politics. For example, presidential debates are now sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates, a group made up of former chairs of both the Democratic and Republican National Committees. Some earlier debates had been sponsored by the LWV, but it pulled out in 1987, saying the “independent” event was now in the hands of the candidates’ organizations, each looking for ways for it to benefit their candidate.
We invite citizens to join LWV and step up to a nonpartisan political organization that works toward a well-informed citizenry.
Alicia A. Muñoz
Vancouver
