Thank you to Olivier Bosmans and Chris Elias for running for Durango City Council. We should also recognize Clark Craig, Paul Black, Vivian Smotherman, Adam Frisch and others who put themselves forward as candidates. Win or lose, it takes real courage and commitment to run for office.
Putting your name on the ballot means taking on hard work, financial strain, public criticism, personal stress, family sacrifice and the emotional weight that comes with both campaigning and, for some, losing. The sting of defeat is real, but so is the value of your effort. Having genuine choices in our elections is not just good for our community, it’s patriotic.
Your public service and willingness to engage openly stand in stark contrast to online commentators who hide behind initials or fake names while lobbing personal attacks. If you’re unwilling to put your name behind your words, you haven’t earned the credibility to criticize those who do. While I often disagree with several regular Herald commentators and letter writers, I have great respect for anyone, whether on the left, right or somewhere in between, who has the integrity and courage to sign their real name to their opinions, rants, or even the occasional conspiracy theory.
Quite frankly, I believe the Herald should hold online commenters to the same standard of transparency as printed letters to the editor: real names, real accountability.
To all those who ran, win or lose, our community is better because of your example.
The real …
Jack Turner
Durango
