(Editor’s Notes by Christina Myer – Photo Illustration – MetroCreativeConnection)

Just because something seems unethical, immoral, unnecessary, wasteful or just plain wrong, doesn’t mean it is illegal or against the rules. Further, just because a person disagrees with something — perhaps vehemently — does not mean someone else doesn’t have the legal right and/or ability to do it.

And here’s one more: Just because a judge makes a ruling that favors that thing you disagreed vehemently with, which was an action taken by a person whose politics you don’t like very much, doesn’t mean the judge must necessary be a member of the red-hat wearing faction that tends to support that person.

When Kanawha County Circuit Judge Richard Lindsay denied a preliminary injunction and dismissed the case regarding whether Gov. Patrick Morrisey had been within his authority to send the West Virginia National Guard to Washington, D.C., a friend of mine sent me a text indicating she suspected Lindsay might be a wearer of the red hat.

I told her as far as I could remember, I didn’t think so, and then double checked. Before he was a circuit judge, Lindsay was a state senator who served the 8th district from 2019-2022 … as a Democrat.

First, Lindsay appears to have rightly pointed out that the District of Columbia is a special case — not a state, and with federal oversight. Second, both federal and state law support Morrisey’s right to deploy the National Guard in that manner.

“The court believes that West Virginia law allows for the satisfaction of the president’s request in this regard, in this special circumstance, specifically 15-1-4b, which allows the governor (to) deploy the National Guard outside our borders for — quote — military duty,” Lindsay said.

There’s no telling what are Lindsay’s personal thoughts on Morrisey sending a few hundred West Virginia National Guard members to Washington, D.C., when Trump asked. That is as it should be.

But my friend’s assumption reminded me how much we have come to believe judges and justices will rule based on the political figure to which we think they will be loyal — perhaps because of who appointed them, or the letter after their last name.

Those who do their jobs properly throw that stuff aside.

The rest of us probably should behave the same way. Throw away the assumptions that come with judging someone based on who they work for or with, and to which political party they are registered. That kind of thinking has become increasingly unhelpful.

If a law, rule or policy should be changed, work on changing it, rather than arguing that people should stop following it. Don’t make assumptions about who your opponents or allies might be in that work based purely on who you think is registered on your side.

Another political season is nearly upon us.

We have witnessed the damage done at the federal level when elected officials refused to do their jobs and come to a compromise on our behalf. Tribalism and assumptions about the “other” side did a lot to feed into that mess.

West Virginia doesn’t have the luxury of making such a mess and knowing someone else will have to do the cleaning up.

So when you see someone clearly looking to gain nauseating political points, don’t check the letter after their last name to determine how you should think about what they’re proposing. If you know perfectly well they are wrong, don’t muddy the waters by worrying whether — because you share a political affiliation with that person — you should try to twist your thinking to agree with them.

And when someone tries to get to you to disregard a fact, or a law … or an amendment to the Constitution … so that you’ll feel better about supporting their argument (again, no matter the political party with which you or the other person are associated), just don’t do it.

We’ve got to drop the us-versus-them, or the idea that anyone who is “other” is the enemy. We’ve got to stop making assumptions about one another. We’ve got to base more of our decisions on facts, and what is written down in our lawbooks and founding documents (even if the decision is that something needs to change). And we’ve got to look more for those willing to do the difficult work to lift US, to move this state forward.

It’s going to be an interesting few months — in West Virginia, and across the country — heading into the legislative session and then the May 2026 primary and a general election a year from now.

Assume nothing, think for yourself and decide carefully.

Christina Myer is executive editor of The Parkersburg News and Sentinel. She can be reached via e-mail at cmyer@newsandsentinel.com