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In a recent letter to the editor, Kirk Dodson asked why Blair County is so staunchly Republican.
The answer is simple: Blair County voters elect representatives who reflect their values and views on the specific role that they want government to play in their life.
Blair County is staunchly Republican because Republicans want to raise their families in a manner that is consistent with their own morals and principles, facilitating a life and education for their children that conforms to these standards.
In my district, pro-life and Second Amendment positions are not "the same worn and tired mantras," as Dodson states.
They are strongly held values.
I don't expect all of my constituents to share the same beliefs, but my hope is that everyone will at least show respect for alternative positions that are embraced by their fellow citizens.
By comparing Blair County voters to lemmings, which are commonly defined as small rodents that would blindly follow the actions of others without thinking, Dodson antagonizes every Republican in the county.
He forfeits any claim to legitimacy, which should be the defining characteristic of any educator, by giving inaccurate information.
As the correction in the Altoona Mirror stated, Representative John Joyce never voted to raise the age of eligibility for Social Security benefits because such a vote never occurred.
It's reasonable to expect that a social studies teacher would take the time to triple check facts before chastising and ridiculing a congressman for something that never happened.
Sarcasm has its place, but when it is directed at the values of voters and elected officials on the editorial page of the local newspaper, that sarcasm reflects only bad taste, poor judgment and sour grapes.
Judy Ward
State Senator, 30th District
Hollidaysburg