Dear editor:

"If you throw mud against a wall, eventually it falls off, but the smear remains." Anonymous

Still reeling from his blistering defeat last summer, yet attempting to remain politically relevant, local lawyer David Hill continues to bombard the newspapers with his perceptions of Rep. Rachel Rodriguez Williams, R-Cody. He spent last summer vilifying her as a creature of Washington, and uncivil to boot. The citizens of Park County overwhelmingly rejected that in the primary. He now intends to make us think the representative is out to become a moral dictator, and is a counterfeit, shady Republican. This is patently false, and the voters know it. The representative may not be everyone's cup of tea, and Hill is presumably a smart guy. But one wonders if he has been binge-watching "The Handmaid's Tale" and suddenly lost track of reality.

He begins by quoting some Founding Fathers regarding the need for virtue and morality as necessary for sound government. Colonial Americans would not recognize what this country has morphed into in 250 years. They would call us immoral, irreligious, hardly virtuous. But the country got off to a rocky start over the issue of slavery, with the majority of the signers of our founding documents owning slaves and pragmatically kicking that immoral can down the road for future generations to quarrel over. Thomas Jefferson fathered children by his slaves. John Adams vociferously denounced slavery, but had no problem signing the Declaration of Independence, intentionally dodging the issue of slavery and condemning an entire population to lowly, inhuman status. He also signed the Alien and Sedition Acts, unconstitutionally limiting free speech and voting rights, and enabling his Federalist Party to shut down opposition newspapers. James Madison spoke against slavery, calling it "dishonorable to the National character," but owned slaves, supported laws protecting slavery, and defended the westward expansion of slavery until he died. Benjamin Franklin's life as our ambassador to France was really quite risqué. These were all great men, intelligent, educated and thoughtful. They gave us a wonderful country. There is much to be thankful to them for and to quote them on. Their statements on the need for virtue and morality are not among those things.

He presents legal and philosophical jargon regarding free will and agency, showing us he has a fine education. His main point is that the Freedom Caucus will have its way, wrongly, because we will all be required to obey the laws they make. If Hill is ever elected to the Legislature he will propose laws that the people of Park County sent him to enact. Not all citizens will agree with his laws. He will expect those laws to be obeyed, miscreants punished. This is not dictatorship. This is nothing more than what Ms. Williams and every Wyoming lawmaker is currently doing, based on what the majority of their constituents expected them to do when they were elected. Condemning Ms. Williams for her laws and phantom desires for a "moral dictatorship" and calling her a "counterfeit Republican," is in effect condemning the majority of voters in her district for their yearnings and impulses when electing her, and insinuating she is a liar. Not the best game plan for our budding politician.

He describes what dictatorships are and why they are undesirable. This leaves the reader with a picture of Hitler and Stalin indelibly superimposed over the face of his previous and presumed future opponent, and by inference the entire Freedom Caucus. The words Nazi, Communist, fascist, traitor and dictator conjure up distinct, unpleasant thoughts for Americans, and should not be used lightly. Expect reactions when you do.

Virtually every law in every culture is based in some way upon someone's intrinsic belief in morals, filtered through the minds of legislators and citizens. It would be nice and simple if things immoral were also illegal, but not realistic. Stealing food to feed your starving family is moral, but illegal. Running a stop sign is illegal, but not immoral, unless you do it frequently, knowingly, and willfully endanger others, when it becomes immoral. Plagiarism is immoral but not illegal. Polygamy is illegal and immoral, but is considered moral and legal in many countries. Adultery is no longer illegal. Public nudity still is. Before Christianity, many things were considered moral and legal that are not now. The point being that morality is often situational, contingent, cultural and relative. Laws can be just or unjust, transitory, ignored, vague, stringent, progressive, regressive, oppressive, repressive, and overturned on a whim or by carefully considered review. The history of divorce, homosexuality, same sex marriage, the women's vote, Title 9, marijuana use, adultery, contraception, abortion, transgender and gun laws confirms this.

Considering the above, I cannot speak to what the Freedom Caucus or Ms. Williams would say on the matter. My belief is that they desire not a moral dictatorship but rather a return to a cultural, social, fiscal and legal normalcy that our fathers and grandfathers would recognize as necessary for the continuation of a free democratic republic, representing the rights and privileges of the many, yet respecting the desires and needs of the few. They are calling for a return of common sense morality and virtue in civic life. Slavery, women's rights, civil rights, voting rights and other issues show that we have not always gotten it right. But those also demonstrate that we are able to overcome the moral and legal failures of our past. We cannot foresee what will become moral or legal in the future, or what will satisfy every individual or minority group now. We can expect that our elected representatives have a vision for the present and future of Wyoming that is consistent with the wishes of the majority. This will not, cannot, please everyone. But a moral dictatorship is not anticipated. A return to traditional conventional conservative civic and social values is. Their door is always open to ideas and suggestions. Be respectful and considerate. Don't insult their intentions or motives. If you disagree with them, calmly and respectfully tell them why. Be polite and gracious in voicing your opinions. Expect the same from them. Organize and oppose them if you must.

But one thing is clear. The election of last November is calling, and it wants its venerable virtues and morality, and its cultural normalcy back. And the voters, in Park County and statewide, are listening in.

William Flittie

Cody