Anthony Kennedy was Ronald Reagan’s third choice for Supreme Court justice in the 1980s. President Reagan’s second choice pulled out after he disclosed having smoked marijuana. And Congress did not believe that President Reagan’s first nominee was fit to represent our country. His values did not represent the people.

Our elected representatives in Washington are given this power because of the constitutional emphasis on checks and balances, written into law since the foundation of our nation to ensure that the people were represented with justice and dignity.

With Justice Kennedy’s retirement in July, Judge Brett Kavanaugh was nominated to become the next Supreme Court justice. Kavanaugh, rather than engaging in bipartisan legal analyses of a wide array of cases as Kennedy did, has articulated legal cases without the best interests of the American people in mind.

Judge Kavanaugh has made it clear, through legal rulings and communication outside of the courtroom, that he stands against women’s rights, access to affordable health care and necessary environmental protections. His appointment would be at odds with the values we hold dearly as Americans: respect, opportunity and empathy.

Our next Anthony Kennedy is out there, and he or she is not Brett Kavanaugh. With these thoughts in mind, I urge you to get in touch with Sen. Susan Collins at (202) 224-2523 and tell her that we deserve the nomination of a thoughtful, deliberate and conscientious judge. The well-being of countless Mainers and Americans depends on such a judge serving on the highest court in the land.

Danny Kochanowski

South Portland