No Finger Wagging, Please

The following appeared as a letter to the editor in the October 13, 2010, edition of the Martinsburg Journal.

Delegate should not wag finger and judge voters
October 13, 2010 - By Sarah Daniels:

I had the opportunity to listen to the discussion on WEPM Radio 1340 AM between delegate candidates for the 52nd District, Mike Roberts and Larry Kump. As a liberal Democrat and young professional woman, I was not only offended but insulted repeatedly and on various levels.

Mike Roberts' balance of mudslinging and patting himself on the back was quite the achievement of acrobatic skill. His description of family values as "having meals together daily, preferably in the evening and attending church every Sunday" is out of touch and archaic. Many of us do not have the luxury of making or choosing our work schedules, and that does not equate to not having family values.

It is not the role of our delegate to wag their finger at us in judgment without knowing the plight of the single or working parent. Furthermore, I am not interested in continuing the "good ol' boy" system of who knows whom and ignoring the concerns of working- class citizens. Playground tactics and juvenile verbal assaults are not the characteristics that I seek in a candidate.

I commend Mr. Kump for not participating in such off-putting behavior and maintaining the integrity one should have while addressing those of opposition. I'll be more specific ... I was impressed with Mr. Kump's determination to ignore the ongoing jabs from Mike Roberts while addressing actual issues.