Questions undersheriff preaching in uniform

To the Editor:

Recently, the Walla Walla Union Bulletin published an article on Columbia County Undersheriff Robbie Patterson, and how he preaches sermons while wearing his sheriff-department uniform.

The Freedom from Religion Foundation wrote to the sheriff’s office concerning this matter, claiming that this behavior is inappropriate, because such action violates the separation of church and state.

“There are a startling number of instances where Undersheriff Patterson has published videos of himself, to both YouTube and Facebook, wearing an official sheriff’s uniform while espousing claims that explicitly promote and favor Christianity,” the letter says.

According to the article, neither our public prosecutor, Dale Slack, nor present sheriff, Joe Helm, have issue with Mr. Patterson’s behavior. More disappointingly but not surprisingly, on various Facebook posts, a number of church-minded people not only see no problem with a public servant preaching a specific religious message, they also consider the very letter a form of persecution against Mr. Patterson.

Mr. Patterson is not a martyr, nor is he being attacked for his religious beliefs. What is at issue is whether or not it is appropriate for Mr. Patterson to preach a narrowly specific dogma while he is wearing company uniform, whether or not he is on duty. (According to Sheriff Helm, he was not.)

But if it is true that Mr. Patterson was off duty in the various instances in which he preached in county sheriff uniform, this begs the question, are deputies under Mr. Helm permitted to wear their work uniform when they are not on duty? On duty or off, the wearing of the uniform implies that whatever message is publicly preached is done with the blessing and approval of the sheriff’s department.

What if Mr. Patterson’s message were different? What if Mr. Patterson were preaching tenets of Islam, or Confucianism, or transgender pride, or atheism? Is this permissible under Mr. Helm’s aegis? The aforementioned are all belief systems as well; at what point do we say, “Mr. Patterson, while wearing the sheriff’s uniform and thereby representing the sheriff’s department, may preach about this belief system, but not that one?” Perhaps Mr. Helm can elucidate.

If Mr. Patterson is truly concerned about imparting the message of Christ to others while he is on duty and thereby properly wearing the sheriff’s uniform, then the best course of action would be to emulate the one he claims is his master: treat others – all others – as you would wish to be treated yourself. Be compassionate – not just to important or “good” people, but to those upon whom you serve warrants (as John the Baptist might have suggested, don’t do this on major holidays, or just when they’ve started a new job and are trying to turn their life around). Be kind. Be a servant of all. Remember that the leaders of the Gentiles lord over one another, but that is not the way that those who follow Christ are to live. Don’t seek to be first.

If Mr. Patterson is indeed doing these things, then the message of Christ will come through far more powerfully than any words can do.

Carolyn Henderson,

Dayton, Wash.