Letters to the Editor

Letter: Misguided opinion

The commentary by Bob Bird in the April 30 edition of the ADN on the Alaska Supreme Court was the worst kind of misinformed gobbledygook. Apparently, Mr. Bird did not know or want to acknowledge that Section 22 of the Alaska Constitution was an amendment to Alaska’s original constitution. This third amendment was approved by 86% of Alaska voters in 1972. This amendment, titled “Right to Privacy,” reads: “The right of the people to privacy is recognized and shall not be infringed. The legislature shall implement this section.”

Alaska is one of fewer than 10 states with a specific constitutional right to privacy. This amendment clearly states that this right shall not be infringed. Any decisions by the Alaska Supreme Court on what the “privacy right” of each Alaska resident includes must be guided by this strong but admittedly broad language.

I submit that Alaska’s courts have worked hard to fairly interpret this constitutional language. Mr. Bird might not like the Court’s decisions in these difficult cases, but clearly, the court has not usurped anyone’s authority. The people of the state of Alaska voted to assert their right to privacy, not the courts.

— Randall Burns

Anchorage

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