By Suzy Foss, Ravalli County Commissioner
I rarely pay attention to the letters to the editor from certain left wing extremist as they have openly declared their intent to take down the Ravalli County Commission. However, a recent letter submitted by Bill LaCroix has crossed the line of decency and is such an outright defamation on my character, I simply cannot turn the other cheek.
First of all, I want to make it clear that I was raised with the value system that defines our value as a human being is based upon our integrity and our code of honor. I rarely share the same beliefs as Mr. LaCroix; however, I have always respected him as a fellow human being, a father and even his right to his commitment to his progressive beliefs.
In his letter LaCroix quotes me from a letter I recently wrote where I shared my pride in our commission and our role as leaders in the state compared to the role of being the butt of the “what not to do as a county” that we had when I took office. He then jumps to state that I supported another extremist, this one I am ashamed to say from my party affiliation, a man who showed racism to the extreme in his sick display of what he termed the “Obama Outhouse” at recent public events. Both of these men show an equal lack of integrity and honor when defaming people either with disgusting lies or statements foul and inappropriate.
LaCroix also states that the man with the outhouse is a “prominent local Republican” which at one time was true, however, his ever increasing irresponsible choices in how he expresses himself have moved him to the same fringe of the Republican Party that I would suspect most good and sincere Democrats have relegated LaCroix and his “friends” to, the “we don’t recognize you” outer fringe.
Extremists have the right to express themselves and good and honorable people have the right to be disgusted and ignore them. I can state as a fact that Hurtt’s outhouse was not a part of the Republican Party events, he lobbed on to the events on his own and was asked to remove his display at the convention when it was brought to the attention of the party leadership. It is a free country and his application to participate in the Corvallis parade was granted by the parade organization, not the Republican Party.
Our founding fathers gave us the protection of the right to free speech and it is our most cherished gift they gave us and all that followed in that perfect document, our Constitution. So even though I abhor the tactics of both of these men in their quest to gain a voice in the political process, I would rather have the equal right to respond to this nonsense than not have either side have the right to openly chose to be stupid or honorable in the public discourse.