After weeks of pro-Duke/con-Duke letters, a number of points are sadly becoming quite clear. First, the red team is choosing to rally strongly behind their bright red candidate. And second, the red team seems to be more focused on the position of sheriff remaining bright red than in looking at what the attributes of the person seeking the sheriff’s position really should be.

Perhaps the most illogical point of all in this contest is why should one law enforcement management position in the area be politically elected, while all of the other law enforcement management positions are hired. Why is it that the sheriff has to be politically elected, while the police chiefs of each community in the county are interviewed, vetted and hired?

Just imagine if the job of sheriff was a hired position like the police chiefs. How far do you think Duke Schirard would get once the hiring committee became aware of his public stance to not enforce a law passed by the Legislature, his bright-red written dislike for Durango’s gun-hating, pot-loving populace or his intimidation toward a police officer, which to legal experts would constitute an abuse of power?

Seriously, you think someone interviewing to be hired for the top position in law enforcement would even get a second interview with such behavior? But no, because the sheriff is a politically elected position, the red team can easily overlook the behavior of their bright-red candidate because the politics are more important than the right execution of the job.

It truly is sad to see how the adversarial nature of politics today has completely blinded so many people. At least it was somewhat encouraging to read the letters to the Herald from two members of the red team who see through this and feel it’s more important to look at the person and not the politics.

Ellen Christenson

Durango