Dear Editor:

It's oftentimes viewed as a cliché, but voting is a duty of citizenship. For decades, many Americans have given their lives so that all of us would have the opportunity to influence the direction and type of governance we deem best, not only for our person­al

comfort but for the general welfare and common good.

That being stated, I enthu­siastically and unequivocally endorse Mark Franklin for Columbia County Sheriff. My reasons for doing so are quite clear. Since moving to Dayton seven years ago, I have had many opportunities to ob­serve Mr. Franklin's conduct as both a public and a private citizen. I was initially im­pressed

with the depth and breadth of his law enforce­ment acumen.

Through a number of per­sonal conversions with him, I also became impressed with his way of thinking, thinking that would allow Columbia County law enforcement to move from a primarily re­actionary agency to a more proactive one. My conversations with Mr. Franklin began in 2004, long before he decided to run for sheriff, which tells me that his natural state of mind is consistently forward thinking.

Having served more than 20 years of active duty in the Marine Corps, I believe that I understand what leader­ship qualities are needed for success. Those qualities include knowledge, initiative and sound judgment, which Mr. Franklin continually demon­strates and possesses in great abundance. His ability to articulate what's right, what's wrong, and what needs to be done in order to make things more efficient is why I am writing this letter in support of Mark Franklin's candidacy for Co­lumbia County Sheriff. This is not to intimate that the current leadership is doing a deplorable job. It's simply a matter of there being an opportunity for the citizens of Columbia County to have a more robust and re­sponsive sheriff's department and ultimately to create what all citizens want-the safest community possible. I strongly recommend that voters attend a candidate's forum this Wednesday, at 7 p.m., at the Liberty Theater. Let the candidates them­selves tell you what they have, can and will do on behalf of the populace. Thomas Jefferson is often quoted as saying, "People will always elect the govern­ment they deserve." It's as true today as it was more than two centuries ago. Please, get involved, get informed and vote.