Letter to the Editor

I’m writing in response to last week’s very disappointing “Sherriff’s corner” in which you allowed a full 1/3 of a page for a political rant. Since you chose not to include a disclaimer, one can only assume that the Observer endorses the sheriffs’s opinions.

First, Mr. Gillway’s unsubstantiated claim that the victims of the Parkland school shooting were paid by the “left wing media” is both unfortunate and demonstrably false. A simple search on any fact checking site disproves that story. Rather than spreading debunked conspiracy theories, perhaps the Sheriff could include citations to back up his claims. What a horrible disservice his comments do to the victims of that tragedy who were able to organize so quickly and efficiently through donations and a well supported “gofundme” campaign.

To be clear. The media is NOT the “enemy of the people” as some fascist, wannabe dictators would have you believe. The press is one of the only non-government entities afforded constitutional protection, and continues to be an integral part of our system of checks and balances. Unless of course we’re going to cherry pick which amendments we support and defend.

As I’m short on space, I will bullet-point the rest of my rebuttal.

The Sherriff’s credentials are impressive but they don’t give him the right to pass his opinions off as facts. The media does not portray law enforcement as “bloodthirsty, torturous murderers”.

Free tuition (or universal healthcare) would add no more to the national deficit than massive tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy.

One can’t disrespect millions of people and then say “I mean no disrespect”.

Finally, a little info on that dirty word, Socialism. Here are a few programs we have which are examples of socialism: Fire depts., USPS, the military, highways/roads, libraries, student loans/grants, farm subsidies, public schools, social security, jails/prisons, public parks, Medicare, and ironically, law enforcement, including Sheriff’s pay. The list goes on.

Would the Sherriff fight to his last breath to get rid of all of these?

Tom O’Brien, Kimball