Editor:

I wish to comment on the recent Letter to the Editor from Susan Watson regarding a column written by your excellent reporter and columnist Peter Shelton. Susan Watson is on the Republican Central Committee of Ouray County, and her letter represents the mindset that led former Commissioner Heidi Albritton to celebrate her July 4th Independence Day by switching from Republican to “Unaffiliated."

Ms. Watson’s speculation that “many good citizens” might not consider running for office because of media criticism is completely misdirected. The real reason that many good citizens might not consider running for office is because of unjustified personal insinuations and attacks on good, hardworking Commissioners like Lynn Padgett, who has been an effective advocate for Ouray County citizens on many nonpartisan issues, such as leading the Bottom-Up Initiative.

As Shelton said, it is unfortunate when "otherwise innocent words are used, quite intentionally, to divide the electorate. This form of speech doesn’t illuminate. It darkens the day as I drive past. It doesn’t further the conversation; it attempts to end it. With a falsehood."