Monday, December 11, 2017

Our Stand: Alabama needs Doug Jones

  Though the campaign to fill Alabama's vacant U.S. Senate seat his been marked by controversy - namely twice-ousted former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore's shady past and serial abuse of elected office - since the beginning of the race, it has been clear who is better qualified and suited to represent the people of Alabama: Doug Jones.

  As the U.S. Attorney for Alabama's Northern District, Jones successfully prosecuted two Klan members for their involvement in the horrible bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in 1963, which killed four little girls. Those perpetrators had evaded justice for nearly 30 years by the time of their convictions, and Jones has been credited for taking the stalled case, putting in the work, and finally bringing the long nightmare to an end.

  Jones was also instrumental in orchestrating the state and federal task force that brought domestic terrorist Eric Rudolph to justice. His career is unblemished. His reputation is solid. His credentials are impressive.

  But while Jones has had a productive, highly laudable career in private practice and as a prosecutor, Roy Moore's time in elected office has been a constant stream of abusing his position to advance backward, divisive, unfair and discriminatory social positions; using his "charity" to funnel money to himself with impunity; and shamelessly forcing taxpayers to foot the bill each time he has violated the law or the Alabama Judicial Canon of Ethics. As an elected official, each time Moore ran amok, we had to pay for his legal defense.

  Moore has cost us more than he's worth, and he has used his elected office to advance his own social views rather than do his job. If elected, he would no doubt continue this behavior, leaving Alabamians without adequate representation in the U.S. Senate. Of course, with Moore's track record of being tossed twice from the bench, he might not last long in the Senate anyway.

  Additionally, elected representatives must find a way to work with their colleagues. Moore's insistence on alienating, condemning, and belittling others - whether based on their sexuality, religion or ethnicity - would render him unable to cooperate with his fellow U.S. Senators, leaving him with no way to create the type of coalitions that enable Senators to actually pass bills and do the people's work.

  Moore has repeatedly shown that he is unfit for elected, representative office as he cannot follow the law; he cannot respect others; and he cannot do his job without abusing his position. 

  Jones' impeccable job experience and willingness to work with others in a bipartisan manner to seek the best solutions for Alabama citizens is in sharp contrast to Moore's history of combative, divisive, alienating behavior, which would in no way serve our fellow citizens' best interests. And Moore's unstable and unprofessional behavior would likely make it more difficult to recruit business to the state.

  Making a choice between a public servant who has toiled as a champion for justice and one who has repeatedly violated his oath of office, wasted taxpayer dollars, and perverted his elected position to push his own personal agenda is not difficult. Doug Jones, if elected, would be a rational, fair, trustworthy, hardworking Senator who would make our state proud.

  We strongly urge our fellow Alabamians to elect Doug Jones as our next U.S. Senator.

Copyright © Capital City Free Press

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