The slate of candidates in this election reflects the far-right nature of the Republican/tea party as they continue to promote out-of-touch and paranoid concerns about guns, the United Nations and government.

In his 2010 campaign for state representative, J. Paul Brown told an audience that Hillary Clinton was attempting to secure a U.N. agreement to take away our guns and argued that a “civil war” would result. Brown added that a provision in the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) that created a ready reserve of health-care workers for an emergency was “Obama’s private army” (Pagosa Sun, April 21, 2010).

Duke Schirard, running for re-election as sheriff, sent an email to numerous people attacking Durango and the city government as “gun hating, pot loving, abortionist, Obama-supporting socialists.” Schirard may not be aware of numerous U.S. Supreme Court opinions that secure the right to posses a firearm. At age 73, seeking a sixth term as sheriff, Schirard is out of touch and angry with the local community. It is time for new blood.

In a recent debate, Brad Blake, a county commissioner candidate, expressed his concern that a 1992 non-binding environmental plan promoted by the U.N. would interfere with La Plata County.

I guess we should consider our local candidates “moderate” Republicans. Recently in a debate in Pueblo, Tom Ready, a Republican candidate for Pueblo County commissioner, openly questioned whether the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre of 20 children and six teachers was a hoax promulgated to advance a gun-control agenda. Despite the public outrage generated by this outrageous assertion, two weeks later, Republican Senate candidate Cory Gardner and Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez nonetheless attended a fundraising event held at Ready’s home.

We are lucky to live in a country where nobody has to live in fear of our government suppressing people who express unpopular or controversial opinions. But when people with bitter, paranoid ideas seek positions of power and leadership, we all need to exercise another important American right, and that is to vote and just say “no.”

Tom Williamson

Durango