On Wednesday, October 5th of this year, Greenbrier Resident Kathy Plomin was sworn in officially as the12th District Councilmember. With Judge Kathy Stein administering the oath, Kathy placed her hand on the Bible and solemnly promised to faithfully represent our district, while denying she had ever participated in a duel.
Wait, what? Indeed, since the 1800s, Kentucky officials have been sworn in on this condition:
“I being a citizen of this State, have not fought a duel with deadly weapons within this State nor out of it, nor have I sent or accepted a challenge to fight a duel with deadly weapons, nor have I acted as second in carrying a challenge, nor aided or assisted any person thus offending, so help me God.”
The duel references, according to Kentucky historian Jim Klotter, were added because too many residents were killing each other. More than 40 public duels were recorded in the early 1800s, and many more were probably fought. Even Kentucky’s favorite son, Henry Clay, fought two duels to satisfy his own honor, belying his nickname of “The Great Compromiser”. In fact, dueling was so common throughout the South, that pistols were used to settle disputes  as ridiculous as a claim that a “Latin word was mispronounced”.  In one of America’s most well-known duels, Aaron Burr killed Alexander Hamilton in 1804, thus surely altering the course of American history.
Happily, thanks to a centuries old paragraph in the Kentucky Constitution,  that’s one situation Kathy will never have to face!
Click for: Kathy Plomin Inaugural Address.