We’re at a point where identification with a political party has assumed far more importance that it had when I was growing up in the 40s and 50s.

My family, my neighbors, my friends, my community never considered one’s political party to be of particular importance.

We were all proud Americans. Whether one was a Baptist baptized by dunking or a Methodist baptized by sprinkling was far more defining and the subject of much heated discussion.

Today, we have to parse everything into Republican or Democrat, even county positions like sheriff and commissioner. Why is this? What does whether a person is a Democrat or a Republican have to do with the job of being sheriff or commissioner?

I don’t want party agendas to determine in any way how the sheriff does his or her job. I want the sheriff to enforce the law and seek justice for everyone in the county. Democrat or Republican shouldn’t matter.

The same is true for the county commissioners. I don’t want party politics or party agendas to determine what’s best for the county.

A person should be able to figure that out without putting on their partisan glasses. If they can’t, they shouldn’t hold the office.

These offices should be nonpartisan as some of our local town offices are.

Dorothy Kirk, Tryon