Letter: Fair, honest debates require fairness, honesty between political parties

To the editor,

Almost two weeks ago, the vice chair of the Nelson County Republican Party — a man most people in Nelson have never heard of — called local Democrat Leadership “cowards” in a letter to the editor. What Mr. Victery failed to tell readers is the fact that everything he engages in is a rigged game. This is the same man that gave an absurd ultimatum to Jim Brooks over debates just a few months ago.

Nelson County America First Caucus wanted to have debates for the Republican Primary. I asked Mr. Brooks if he would be the moderator. When word got back to James Victery, the Republican vice-chair, he issued an edict saying if Jim participated in ours he wouldn’t be able to participate in theirs.

Mr. Victery engages in these tactics on numerous occasions. I won’t get into other issues, but he has not demonstrated fairness or honesty.

The Nelson County America First Caucus is having honest and fair debates for all magistrate races and judge executive. The fact that the Democrats in these races are coming to a conservative Republican group’s debate shows that honesty, transparency and fair play matters.

The Kentucky Standard and the Nelson County Gazette will be covering the debates as well as PLG-TV will be live streaming from Thomas Nelson High School at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22 for the Judge-Executive race. The magistrate debates for District 4 and 5 candidates are 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022, and District 2 and 3 candidates are 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022.

All are welcome and the audience can ask questions. Unlike what Mr. Victery was wanting to do, we want public participation in asking questions. I sincerely want to thank all of the candidates and local media for their willingness to participate.

My advice to Mr. Victery is be a little more humble and exhibit fairness and you might get further in trying to plan debates.

Don Thrasher
High Grove