Up until the race for Lewis County sheriff, Democrats like me knew we were in the minority in Lewis County, but there seemed to be an unspoken agreement with the elected Republicans that everyone was to be treated with respect. I believe all of our former Republican sheriffs believed that and enforced the law without fear or favor. Crooks were crooks and the law abiding were law abiding and that was all that counted.
Now we have a sheriff who sees Democrats as “slimy.” That kind of thinking leads nowhere good. People who know Tracy Murphy know he has always been a very conservative Republican, but they also know he is even tempered and fair.
The sheriff is supposed to serve and protect everyone, not just his friends or those who share his political views. The fact that Snaza was angry when he made his “slimy Democrat” accusation just makes it that much worse. I am afraid we saw the sheriff’s true self in a moment of rage. And what we learned from this should seriously concern every fair-minded person.
Gary Odegaard
Centralia
