Lord knows this agnostic county is ignorant of the origin of the word judge. It comes from the Book of Judges. In Judges, God sends the people of Israel leaders who shall deliver them from their oppression, referred to in the Bible as judges. While being a judge in a contemporary courtroom doesn’t require one to be handpicked by the almighty, we ought to treat our decision with that much respect.
The role of a judge, especially to the most downtrodden of this community, is incredibly important. The person we choose will mediate custody, adjudicate crime and much more. Given the importance of this role, I am endorsing the candidate who has earned my trust, Gopal Balachandran.
The two of us couldn’t be any more different in both identity and ideology. I am a fat hillbilly with a long beard that loves country music, Mr. Balachandran is a first-generation immigrant who plays the piano. I am a conservative Democrat, he’s a progressive. Despite our differences, I intensely trust this man. It takes true character to serve as a public defender; folks like me have needed them a time or two. Round my way, we don’t particularly trust the government, and we aren’t crazy for that given the history of the DA’s office, as well as the Court of Common Pleas in this county.
In order to restore trust in the court system in Centre County, I believe we ought to put our faith in Gopal.
Zacheray Womer,
Philipsburg
