Yes! Maybe there is a glowing ember of sanity remaining among elected officials in this age of Tea Party paranoia, specifically among elected law enforcement officials, aka sheriffs.

Quoting a recent story: “Calling the move too political, La Plata County Sheriff Sean Smith chose not to sign a petition sent earlier this week by a group of 41 Colorado sheriffs against the transfer of Guantanamo Bay inmates to Fremont County” (Herald, Nov. 12).

Thank you, Sheriff Sean! Used to be that I sent annual donations to the state sheriffs’ association’s equivalent of a “widows and children’s relief fund.” Then the association, including our previous sheriff, decided they were no longer elected to be enforcers of the law, but had risen, self-appointed, to be above the law and choose at will not to enforce commonsense gun-violence controls they didn’t like. (Or more likely perceived that those who voted for them didn’t like.) Sorry, but no more money from old Dave to your widows and kids, fellers. That’s not the America I spent six years in the military to protect. In fact, an out-of-control military and police state is a primary requisite for fascism. It’s the mentality of “might makes right.”

On my list of personal, county and national safety concerns, where the Gitmo prisoners wind up is not even on the list. I mean, seriously – they’re all going to bust out en masse, somehow instantly acquire weapons of mass destruction and promptly take down whatever state they’re caged in? Jeez!

In reality, what will take America down is the staggering paranoia, ignorance and meanness of Americans ourselves.

My thanks and respect thus go out to La Plata County Sheriff Sean Smith for standing tall and speaking out in favor of what remains of sanity, not to mention pride and dignity, in today’s deluded American version of democracy.

David Petersen

Durango