To the editor:

There are rules of behavior that we all respect and value. Our region is one of overwhelming tolerance. So, when someone is treated badly, we all are distressed, perhaps upset and often irate. It is not about being politically correct or about appearing to do the right thing. Here, we believe in doing the right thing, about treating people and our institutions with respect and dignity. I have taught my children those values and I am teaching them to my grandchildren. When our team loses a hockey game, we expect to see the teams line up and shake hands. Before I vote for someone, I ask about their moral values and their behavior in victory and in defeat. Upon the confirmation of Judge Jackson to the Supreme Court, all but one Republican walked out of the Senate in protest. That was an act of disrespect towards her and towards the court and towards the Senate itself. I expect more from the people who serve us. I want thoughtful discourse and selection based on merit. If I lose, I do not believe in walking out. The behavior of the members of the U.S. Senate was an insult to Judge Jackson, to the Senate and its precess and to each of us who value our rights even when we lose. Please join with me in telling our children that values matter, that respect matters and that how we behave matters both when we win and when we lose. The conduct of nearly every Republican member of the Senate was wrong, we need to teach our children that it was wrong and we need to hear from every one of our elected officials that it was wrong. Please join me in setting values for those we elect and if they do not meet the values of our community elect someone else. Our children deserve no less.

James L. Sonneborn

Saranac Lake