Sheriff Nowlin is and has been a sheriff for the people. As a minority, I can say that the sheriff has won my respect and has always treated me with the same respect he gives everyone else.
Sheriff Nowlin is a man of integrity and honor – something that most people seem to have forgotten. I am very disappointed in Jim Candelaria’s unprofessional behavior during the July 14 county commissioner meeting and how he dismissed Sheriff Nowlin (Journal, July 22). One of my many questions to Candelaria would be: Why did he take the Journal account so personally? Because that is how it comes across. He could have contacted the reporter or the editor of The Journal to verify the information before confronting the sheriff.
Commissioners need to remember that they work for the people, are voted in by the people, and are not performing for some reality TV show. Respect is something you earn, not something you demand. If Jim Candelaria treated the sheriff with such contempt – a man that even minorities respect – how is he treating people who don’t measure up to his standards?
I hope the commissioners, especially Jim Candelaria, will apologize to the sheriff and thank him and his department for the risks they take to keep our community safe.
Mirna Namingha
Cortez
