Dear Friends,
The campaign is over and the votes are in. I was fortunate to win. Tuesday morning, I received congratulations from John Arrowood. He was very gracious and I wish him well on his search for work with a law firm. We were at the Acropolis on Tuesday night and attached are some photos of the event.
I would not have won without the support of a wide group of friends of both parties. I am truly humbled by your vote of confidence and will work hard not to let you down. I start to work on Jan. 1, 2009 and will work until Dec. 31, 2017 when I hope to retire. I don’t see any other elections in my future. There will be a ceremonial swearing in Greensboro sometime in early January, 2009 and a reception to follow at the Elon Law School. I hope all who want to come will make it.
For the immediate future, I am working on shutting down my law practice of 35 years and saying goodbye to a great group of lawyers and staff at Hunter, Higgins PLLC. They will continue in business providing outstanding legal services for their clients.
Susan and I are deciding on where and when to live. The real estate market will be a large part of this equation and we are waiting to see what happens when the market settles down.
Thanks again for all that you did for me.
Sincerely,
Bob and Susan Hunter
Friday, November 14, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
State Fair & fatigue
It has been sometime since I have blogged. Everyone has been wonderful to me and it has been great fun to meet so many people. My recent endorsement from Kitty West (which is posted elsewhere on this site) is particularly touching to me. It is touching precisely because it is neither from a politician, nor was it solicited. And touching because I admire her music and her commitment to making music.
I admit, fatigue is setting in. I am complete sympathy with everyone who tells me election are just too long now. Recent travels have taken me to the Inns of Court in Raleigh for pasta, the NC League of Municipalities in Charlotte for a buffet, the Apple Festival in Taylorsville for fried pies, and a Chicken Stew dinner in Mocksville. This Saturday I was at the State Fair in Raleigh and met and greeted about 4,000 people. It is amazing to me that there has not been more barbeque on the trip (although there has been plenty of that.) Among the corn dog vendors and the blooming onion vendors, I was able to find a balanced meal at the St. Paul’s Christian Church booth at the State Fair. Indigestion and fatigue are setting in and taking their toll. I have gained weight.
At the State Fair, I did not have time to visit the Old Grist Mill, the Village of Yesteryear, or any of the animal exhibits. After four hours at a booth meeting the voters, it dawned on me that despite the fact I was unable to be at any of these other exhibits at the fair, I was still a part of all of them and part of the sporting entertainment at the State fair. “See the Candidates in their cages.” As a long time State Fair go-er, I can tell you this was a whole new way to see our great fair.
A number of people have begun to ask me about my judicial philosophy, and particularly why I say that fairness is the root of a strong judicial system. (You can see my TV ad on this page). A lot of people have asked about my judicial philosophy, e.g. “Am I a strict constructionist or do I believe in a living constitution”. I believe these concepts have very different meaning to different people. I believe government is limited by the Bill of Rights and that one of the jobs of judges is to prevent overreaching by government on its citizens. Whether these notions are current today, I cannot say but it is a core belief of mine, that a judge shapes a broad general concept to apply a just result or as one of my heroes once said, “Moderation in pursuit of justice is no virtue”.
After the past many years of practicing law, from local courts up to and including the US Supreme Court, I have come to respect the core meaning of fairness as the necessary ingredient to a sound judicial decisions. What does that mean: simple things really. Treating everyone fairly, invoking the golden rule and treating them as I wish to be treated. Remembering that the law is really built around understandable principles and applying those principles to fair and equitable ends. If you can look at a decision and say, it is simple, it is fair, it is not convoluted, then it is probably right and will stand the tests of the system.
I admit, fatigue is setting in. I am complete sympathy with everyone who tells me election are just too long now. Recent travels have taken me to the Inns of Court in Raleigh for pasta, the NC League of Municipalities in Charlotte for a buffet, the Apple Festival in Taylorsville for fried pies, and a Chicken Stew dinner in Mocksville. This Saturday I was at the State Fair in Raleigh and met and greeted about 4,000 people. It is amazing to me that there has not been more barbeque on the trip (although there has been plenty of that.) Among the corn dog vendors and the blooming onion vendors, I was able to find a balanced meal at the St. Paul’s Christian Church booth at the State Fair. Indigestion and fatigue are setting in and taking their toll. I have gained weight.
At the State Fair, I did not have time to visit the Old Grist Mill, the Village of Yesteryear, or any of the animal exhibits. After four hours at a booth meeting the voters, it dawned on me that despite the fact I was unable to be at any of these other exhibits at the fair, I was still a part of all of them and part of the sporting entertainment at the State fair. “See the Candidates in their cages.” As a long time State Fair go-er, I can tell you this was a whole new way to see our great fair.
A number of people have begun to ask me about my judicial philosophy, and particularly why I say that fairness is the root of a strong judicial system. (You can see my TV ad on this page). A lot of people have asked about my judicial philosophy, e.g. “Am I a strict constructionist or do I believe in a living constitution”. I believe these concepts have very different meaning to different people. I believe government is limited by the Bill of Rights and that one of the jobs of judges is to prevent overreaching by government on its citizens. Whether these notions are current today, I cannot say but it is a core belief of mine, that a judge shapes a broad general concept to apply a just result or as one of my heroes once said, “Moderation in pursuit of justice is no virtue”.
After the past many years of practicing law, from local courts up to and including the US Supreme Court, I have come to respect the core meaning of fairness as the necessary ingredient to a sound judicial decisions. What does that mean: simple things really. Treating everyone fairly, invoking the golden rule and treating them as I wish to be treated. Remembering that the law is really built around understandable principles and applying those principles to fair and equitable ends. If you can look at a decision and say, it is simple, it is fair, it is not convoluted, then it is probably right and will stand the tests of the system.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Less than 90 days to go!
Less than 90 days to go:
The campaign is getting ready to enter its last phases.
The issues that press me on a daily basis are surprising: Do you attend the Mule Day parade or the King Apple Festival or the Coon Dog Festival? Do you spend Labor Day with your family and friends at home? Answering these questions can drive one a bit crazy, especially when you have to work at the same time you are campaigning.
But the issues that are really important can’t lose their place in your head: the issues that drove me to run at the beginning. How do you make the legal system fair to its roots as grounding an entire political, economic and social system that is based on law and not on human caprice? And yet how do you also insure that the legal system, the implementation of the law as it is realized in court, is also fair to its most fundamental roots: the ancient impulses of Solomon, the human need to be simply fair so that transgressors pay a price and victims are protected?
That is the challenge. To keep what is important front and center, while still taking part in the mundane that can be the campaign.
Don’t get me wrong. Campaigning can be challenging and fun. I enjoy talking to editors (the Greensboro News Record and the Greenville Paper so far). Going through law firms has been educational, e.g. who knew there are over 200 intellectual property lawyers in Charlotte alone? (That says a lot about how important intellectual property, our ideas, has become in this age of change and innovation).
Talking to endorsement groups is also fun. The NC Trial Lawyers have finally interviewed me. Group talks and questions are challenging, e.g. often I am asked questions about child support.
The ignorance about the role the Court of Appeals plays in the legal system is pretty staggering. Most questioners want to know how judges would vote on federal constitutional issues – abortion, prayer in schools, and gay marriage. These are issues which are unlikely to be decided in the N.C. Court of Appeals. Most issues at this court involve criminal procedural defects. The Court of Appeals must apply the law fairly and consistently with both the US and NC constitutions. No other stand for a candidate makes any sense.
The other question I get is who’s going to win or how’s it going. The truth is: I have no idea.
The campaign is getting ready to enter its last phases.
The issues that press me on a daily basis are surprising: Do you attend the Mule Day parade or the King Apple Festival or the Coon Dog Festival? Do you spend Labor Day with your family and friends at home? Answering these questions can drive one a bit crazy, especially when you have to work at the same time you are campaigning.
But the issues that are really important can’t lose their place in your head: the issues that drove me to run at the beginning. How do you make the legal system fair to its roots as grounding an entire political, economic and social system that is based on law and not on human caprice? And yet how do you also insure that the legal system, the implementation of the law as it is realized in court, is also fair to its most fundamental roots: the ancient impulses of Solomon, the human need to be simply fair so that transgressors pay a price and victims are protected?
That is the challenge. To keep what is important front and center, while still taking part in the mundane that can be the campaign.
Don’t get me wrong. Campaigning can be challenging and fun. I enjoy talking to editors (the Greensboro News Record and the Greenville Paper so far). Going through law firms has been educational, e.g. who knew there are over 200 intellectual property lawyers in Charlotte alone? (That says a lot about how important intellectual property, our ideas, has become in this age of change and innovation).
Talking to endorsement groups is also fun. The NC Trial Lawyers have finally interviewed me. Group talks and questions are challenging, e.g. often I am asked questions about child support.
The ignorance about the role the Court of Appeals plays in the legal system is pretty staggering. Most questioners want to know how judges would vote on federal constitutional issues – abortion, prayer in schools, and gay marriage. These are issues which are unlikely to be decided in the N.C. Court of Appeals. Most issues at this court involve criminal procedural defects. The Court of Appeals must apply the law fairly and consistently with both the US and NC constitutions. No other stand for a candidate makes any sense.
The other question I get is who’s going to win or how’s it going. The truth is: I have no idea.
Mule Day 2008
Mule Day, 2008
Yesterday was Mule Day. Susan and I rode in the parade through downtown Benson. It was fun. A few observations.
1. The Benson Chamber of Commerce was very friendly and fed us breakfast.
All the float riders and participants were fed scrambled eggs, biscuits, sausage, country ham, fruit, grits and bacon. They were all introduced.
2. Little Miss Benson and Miss Benson were charming. The prize for winning is that they have to kiss a Mule.
3. When a married lady sitting in front of me heard the comment about the prize, she said, “I kiss a mule everyday before breakfast, but I don’t call him a Mule”.
4. Waving by crowd participants decreases proportionally by the end of the parade.
Have a happy Mule Day.
Yesterday was Mule Day. Susan and I rode in the parade through downtown Benson. It was fun. A few observations.
1. The Benson Chamber of Commerce was very friendly and fed us breakfast.
All the float riders and participants were fed scrambled eggs, biscuits, sausage, country ham, fruit, grits and bacon. They were all introduced.
2. Little Miss Benson and Miss Benson were charming. The prize for winning is that they have to kiss a Mule.
3. When a married lady sitting in front of me heard the comment about the prize, she said, “I kiss a mule everyday before breakfast, but I don’t call him a Mule”.
4. Waving by crowd participants decreases proportionally by the end of the parade.
Have a happy Mule Day.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Fourth of July 2008
July 4th, is a time to take stock in politics, our civic lives and reflect. This day is a special time for the Hunter family.
For the past 17 years, at our home on Shepard Street in Morehead we celebrate Independence Day with our neighbors. The Independence Day celebration kept me from attending a church service in Charlotte and several other parade opportunities. While other Celebrations may be grander, none is better than ours.
Our parade always begins at 6:00PM. This year a neighbor brought his professional sound system and my boom box was retired. 3 teenagers sang the Star Spangled Banner. My 80 something year old friend, Walker Rucker read the beginning of the Declaration of Independence. Walker is the great great grandson of Governor John Motley Morehead who founded Morehead City on July 4th. The speech was followed by the parade which consists of about 100 kids riding bikes, being pulled in wagons by Grandparents and parents, dogs attired for the occasion, and young beauty queens. The parade went the entire block from 21st Street to 20th Street and back again. Many start out, few return.
Every year, there appears to be a large traffic jam in the middle of the block. That too is a tradition we all enjoy.
After the parade, the neighbors bring food, beverages, and desserts which are placed on long tables in front of the Flipp-Ins house and the crowd begins feeding. We had a extra large crowd this year with more 20 year olds than in previous years. The feast included several gate crashers, including a young girl in a bikini who was the talk of the party. Shortly after eating from our shared buffet, she and her companions left on a sail boat. After dinner there was a watermelon seed spitting contest, a chalk drawing contest, balloon dog making and prizes for parading. Every attendee has their own personal favorite.
Since we are in an election year on the Fourth, its seems appropriate that Independence and Indigestion may go hand and hand. But I hope so does the soft glow of a job well done and well appreciated.
My campaign diary duties have been put to the bottom of my to-do list and I apologize to whomever may be reading this. Since I have last written, I have qualified for public matching funds, and been on the campaign trail. My adversary and I have been to various events – the N.C. Bar Association, the Association of District Court Judges, and other similar events to press the flesh. (Videos of our joint appearance may be posted on this web-site latter).
For the past 17 years, at our home on Shepard Street in Morehead we celebrate Independence Day with our neighbors. The Independence Day celebration kept me from attending a church service in Charlotte and several other parade opportunities. While other Celebrations may be grander, none is better than ours.
Our parade always begins at 6:00PM. This year a neighbor brought his professional sound system and my boom box was retired. 3 teenagers sang the Star Spangled Banner. My 80 something year old friend, Walker Rucker read the beginning of the Declaration of Independence. Walker is the great great grandson of Governor John Motley Morehead who founded Morehead City on July 4th. The speech was followed by the parade which consists of about 100 kids riding bikes, being pulled in wagons by Grandparents and parents, dogs attired for the occasion, and young beauty queens. The parade went the entire block from 21st Street to 20th Street and back again. Many start out, few return.
Every year, there appears to be a large traffic jam in the middle of the block. That too is a tradition we all enjoy.
After the parade, the neighbors bring food, beverages, and desserts which are placed on long tables in front of the Flipp-Ins house and the crowd begins feeding. We had a extra large crowd this year with more 20 year olds than in previous years. The feast included several gate crashers, including a young girl in a bikini who was the talk of the party. Shortly after eating from our shared buffet, she and her companions left on a sail boat. After dinner there was a watermelon seed spitting contest, a chalk drawing contest, balloon dog making and prizes for parading. Every attendee has their own personal favorite.
Since we are in an election year on the Fourth, its seems appropriate that Independence and Indigestion may go hand and hand. But I hope so does the soft glow of a job well done and well appreciated.
My campaign diary duties have been put to the bottom of my to-do list and I apologize to whomever may be reading this. Since I have last written, I have qualified for public matching funds, and been on the campaign trail. My adversary and I have been to various events – the N.C. Bar Association, the Association of District Court Judges, and other similar events to press the flesh. (Videos of our joint appearance may be posted on this web-site latter).
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Campaign Dairy Chapter One. “Learning from mistakes”
I thought today was going to be significant because of what I was doing: filing the papers to run for the N.C. Court of Appeals (more about that later). But as is so often true in life, today was significant for something else: what I learned (or maybe what I relearned).
And to get there, I have to take you through two threads, one about a meeting on quality of life and lawyers and law (yes, we do fret about those things too); and second a thread about fund raisers and politics and the past.
The first thread: I went to Pinehurst to attend the annual CLE put on by Bar Cares, Inc., the Lawyers Assistance Program and the Bar Association’s Committee on the Quality of Life and Effectiveness of Lawyers. The Quality of Life meeting included an excellent talk on the Biology of Addiction by R. DeWayne Book, current Medical Director of Fellowship Hall in Greensboro. Fellowship Hall for those of you who are not familiar with it is an Addiction Treatment Center which is nationally ranked with Hazelton and Betty Ford. Fellowship Hall; it is located in Greensboro and it is about 1/3rd the costs of these other programs. The program also included an excellent speech by John Surratt, a colleague from school days who announced that after years with large firms he is going to open a sole practice office in Raleigh.
I stayed over on Saturday to go to the Friends program. Rev. Tim Patterson and Ruth Anderson gave a lengthy presentation on HeartMath® for lawyers and on practices which can reduce stress. The emphasis on spirituality continued on Saturday with an excellent presentation on the practical benefits of forgiveness by a Amy Sander Montanez a therapist from Columbia South Carolina. Some gems from her talk included the following:
Unforgiveness is like taking rat poison and expecting the other person to die.
There is no such thing as trust, there is only willingness to risk being hurt again.
Grace is getting what you don’t deserve. Mercy is not getting what you do deserve
The second thread: about the campaign, fundraising and the past. After about 35 years of practicing law, I decided to try and do my part to improve the law. I filed the papers to run for the N. C. N.C. Court of Appeals. One seat this year is open, that is not filled by an elected incumbent. The race is non-partisan and if one is able to raise at least $38,400 in small donations, one qualifies for a state fund of $160,000. It seemed a reasonable risk and a pretty good opportunity. I don’t think that people who run for office, meet new people and listen and learn, ever lose.
After starting a campaign committee, I emailed my out of state friends to raise some initial capital seed money and then contributed to my own campaign to put together enough money to start raising the $38,400. After two weeks I reached this first fundraising goal. But if you would like to help me financially, offer encouragement, thoughts, or volunteer for the campaign, you can sign up at my web site (www.hunterforjudge.com)
On Thursday night, Susan and I went to a fund raiser in Hillsborough, and then on Friday I filed my papers.
And Friday night, we went to another fund raiser. This time, The dinner was held at the Barn in Hillsboro and was attended by about 100 guests from the Chapel Hill area. All the veterans were asked to stand, about 15 in all two of whom were from WWII, one from Korea, a handful from Vietnam, and the Gulf War. No current servicemen or women were present. The main speaker is a candidate for Congress running in the May 6th primary. He spoke about his record as a Korean immigrant and Presbyterian minister coming to this country and thriving under the free market system. He also spoke at length about the profound differences between North and South Korea and the opportunities which America offers its immigrants. He was very supportive of legal immigration and its benefits to the country and the economy at large. His opponent also spoke. He is a software entrepreneur from Chapel Hill and runs a company of about 70 people. Both were very impressive and will make good candidates.
Bob Edmunds, a Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court who stressed the importance of voting the entire ballot. There are a large number of statewide contests this year. The ballot will be crowded with partisan contests printed on ballots before the non-partisan judges. About 1/3rd of the voters who vote for President fail to vote in the judicial contests. Educating people about this “drop-off” will be key to election success in the fall.
After Bob spoke, the other candidates got about 3 minutes to summarize their message. Most other candidates were not present and had representatives from their campaigns to speak for them. Most of the representatives were young twenty year olds working for their candidates. The range of young energy of these people was impressive and their speeches were well received. My old friend from the Holshouser administration Laney Funderburke was present and told me he was glad to see that I was running and would send me a contribution. He had recently lost an election for City Council in Durham and (but for the results) greatly enjoyed the experience. It was good to see someone from the time when he and I were in our 20s and starting in politics.
Now to bring the threads together. I got in my car and drove home. On the way back home, I reflected on the synchronicity of the messages of forgiveness and young people in politics. I trust that the young people of this generation who are entering into public debate will forgive the mistakes of prior generations and learn from them. I feel without such forgiveness they will be condemned to relive those mistakes, much as my generation has had to relive the mistakes made by politicians when we were young.
Or as the famous quote from George Santayana (not related to the guitarist of our generation) put it: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
And to get there, I have to take you through two threads, one about a meeting on quality of life and lawyers and law (yes, we do fret about those things too); and second a thread about fund raisers and politics and the past.
The first thread: I went to Pinehurst to attend the annual CLE put on by Bar Cares, Inc., the Lawyers Assistance Program and the Bar Association’s Committee on the Quality of Life and Effectiveness of Lawyers. The Quality of Life meeting included an excellent talk on the Biology of Addiction by R. DeWayne Book, current Medical Director of Fellowship Hall in Greensboro. Fellowship Hall for those of you who are not familiar with it is an Addiction Treatment Center which is nationally ranked with Hazelton and Betty Ford. Fellowship Hall; it is located in Greensboro and it is about 1/3rd the costs of these other programs. The program also included an excellent speech by John Surratt, a colleague from school days who announced that after years with large firms he is going to open a sole practice office in Raleigh.
I stayed over on Saturday to go to the Friends program. Rev. Tim Patterson and Ruth Anderson gave a lengthy presentation on HeartMath® for lawyers and on practices which can reduce stress. The emphasis on spirituality continued on Saturday with an excellent presentation on the practical benefits of forgiveness by a Amy Sander Montanez a therapist from Columbia South Carolina. Some gems from her talk included the following:
Unforgiveness is like taking rat poison and expecting the other person to die.
There is no such thing as trust, there is only willingness to risk being hurt again.
Grace is getting what you don’t deserve. Mercy is not getting what you do deserve
The second thread: about the campaign, fundraising and the past. After about 35 years of practicing law, I decided to try and do my part to improve the law. I filed the papers to run for the N. C. N.C. Court of Appeals. One seat this year is open, that is not filled by an elected incumbent. The race is non-partisan and if one is able to raise at least $38,400 in small donations, one qualifies for a state fund of $160,000. It seemed a reasonable risk and a pretty good opportunity. I don’t think that people who run for office, meet new people and listen and learn, ever lose.
After starting a campaign committee, I emailed my out of state friends to raise some initial capital seed money and then contributed to my own campaign to put together enough money to start raising the $38,400. After two weeks I reached this first fundraising goal. But if you would like to help me financially, offer encouragement, thoughts, or volunteer for the campaign, you can sign up at my web site (www.hunterforjudge.com)
On Thursday night, Susan and I went to a fund raiser in Hillsborough, and then on Friday I filed my papers.
And Friday night, we went to another fund raiser. This time, The dinner was held at the Barn in Hillsboro and was attended by about 100 guests from the Chapel Hill area. All the veterans were asked to stand, about 15 in all two of whom were from WWII, one from Korea, a handful from Vietnam, and the Gulf War. No current servicemen or women were present. The main speaker is a candidate for Congress running in the May 6th primary. He spoke about his record as a Korean immigrant and Presbyterian minister coming to this country and thriving under the free market system. He also spoke at length about the profound differences between North and South Korea and the opportunities which America offers its immigrants. He was very supportive of legal immigration and its benefits to the country and the economy at large. His opponent also spoke. He is a software entrepreneur from Chapel Hill and runs a company of about 70 people. Both were very impressive and will make good candidates.
Bob Edmunds, a Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court who stressed the importance of voting the entire ballot. There are a large number of statewide contests this year. The ballot will be crowded with partisan contests printed on ballots before the non-partisan judges. About 1/3rd of the voters who vote for President fail to vote in the judicial contests. Educating people about this “drop-off” will be key to election success in the fall.
After Bob spoke, the other candidates got about 3 minutes to summarize their message. Most other candidates were not present and had representatives from their campaigns to speak for them. Most of the representatives were young twenty year olds working for their candidates. The range of young energy of these people was impressive and their speeches were well received. My old friend from the Holshouser administration Laney Funderburke was present and told me he was glad to see that I was running and would send me a contribution. He had recently lost an election for City Council in Durham and (but for the results) greatly enjoyed the experience. It was good to see someone from the time when he and I were in our 20s and starting in politics.
Now to bring the threads together. I got in my car and drove home. On the way back home, I reflected on the synchronicity of the messages of forgiveness and young people in politics. I trust that the young people of this generation who are entering into public debate will forgive the mistakes of prior generations and learn from them. I feel without such forgiveness they will be condemned to relive those mistakes, much as my generation has had to relive the mistakes made by politicians when we were young.
Or as the famous quote from George Santayana (not related to the guitarist of our generation) put it: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
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