La Plata County Sheriff Duke Schirard is correct when he says that his conservative political views are no secret. He has been an outspoken critic of Colorado’s new gun-control laws, is an unabashed non-fan of President Barack Obama and is forthright with his disdain for the federal government. There is no mistaking Schirard for a liberal or even a moderate, and that is just fine. Voters have chosen him to be La Plata County’s chief law-enforcement officer five times, and he has served well in that position. But Schirard has recently revealed the extent of his vitriol for non-conservative positions and those who hold them, raising questions relevant to the sheriff’s race.
In an email inadvertently sent to Schirard’s opponent, Deputy Sean Smith, the sheriff lamented the city of Durango’s insistence that the Durango Gun Club drop its requirement that its members also carry National Rifle Association credentials. Schirard went on to decry the changing politics of the city, and the City Council, in particular, using patently harsh terms. “We are disgusted and as upset with the situation as you or anyone else. This is purely a reaction from your liberal, democratic, gun hating, pot loving, abortionist, Obama supporting socialist who have taken over Durango City government and want it to be Aspen south,” Schirard wrote in an email to Wendy Cox, a conservative political activist in Bayfield who coordinated 4 Corners Liberty, a Tea Party group.
Notwithstanding whether those accusations are accurate, Schirard’s words – sent from Duke.Schirard@co.laplata.co.us – are alarming in the level of contempt they express for those holding such views. While any number of office-holders may, in their heart of hearts, feel deep scorn for those whose opinions differ from their own, some level of circumspection is required in public communication. Without such, citizens whom those office holders represent can rightly be concerned about just how much representation – or in the case of the sheriff, law enforcement – they can count on if their views diverge so widely. Whether Schirard appreciates the City Council’s position on the gun club, him peppering the council – and the entirety of city government – with a string of politically charged accusations, and extending them to all who live within city limits, is not altogether comforting for anyone who might disagree with the sheriff but need his or his department’s help someday.
There is no indication, whatsoever, that Schirard has taken his political views to such levels, but the outright derision he reserves for Durango – “I don’t even recognize it or want to go downtown” – suggests that a large chunk of La Plata County’s population is not at the top of Schirard’s priority list.
The La Plata County Sheriff’s Department is a professional organization that Schirard has skillfully led since 1995. In his tenure, Schirard has assembled a respected and skilled team that works effectively with La Plata County residents and other law-enforcement agencies. These are commendable achievements that have little to do with Schirard’s politics. Nevertheless, his words – and the cavalier nature with which he dispenses them – deserve voters’ attention. Schirard should explain how he reconciles his commitment to enforcing the laws for all with his deep disregard for the positions some may hold.
