Dear Editor:

Thanks for your reply to my letter, Al. I’ll be glad to meet you at the college for a lie detector test anytime. You asked what would Jesus do? Well, I know because I am a Christian and I read my Bible. For one thing, he wouldn’t lie, so neither do I. For another, more germane to this conversation, he gives us the right to free speech. It’s a right that is also guaranteed in our Constitution. As Republicans, we endorse that in our Park County Republican Party (PCRP) platform in item No. 5.

RINOs are actually Republicans in Name Only. They get that name when they do not uphold the platform at least 80% of the time. That is spelled out in item No 13 on the PCRP platform. The problem in Wyoming is that many elected officials do not do this. The 2020 Wyoming Legislator Rankings on EvidenceBasedWyoming.com say that in 2020, 10 members of the 40 listed from the House voted often with their party. The rest were average, sometimes and occasionally; average usually means 50%. Those three categories vote against the platform and really should have run as Democrats because that is the party they vote with most often.

There are two reasons I see for this kerfuffle with Troy Bray. One is a difference in worldviews. In the Republican Party, there are those who agree that free speech is a right and there are those, like Democrats, who want to take that freedom away. There is an outcry when Troy Bray loses his temper in an email, yet not when Bill Novotny, Johnson County commissioner and precinct committeeman, drives 30 miles on the wrong side of the interstate (against traffic) between Buffalo and Sheridan, eluding police, with a 0.187% blood alcohol level (.08% is the legal limit).

There are at least nine articles in the Cowboy State Daily about Troy, most calling for his resignation. Not one article regarding Bill Novotny, and he didn’t even appear in court during his sentencing for DUI. Why are some people in the Republican Party trying to cancel someone who is exercising their Constitutional right but ignoring another person who holds two elected offices and who breaks the law and could have killed someone? It’s because they agree with Bill politically.

There is a fracture in the Republican Party: Republicans who believe in the party platform and those who don’t. Gail Symons, founder of the Frontier Republicans, even said that we should give Bill a little bit of grace because everyone makes mistakes. Jesus also has something to say about this, Isaiah 5:20, “woe to those who call evil good and good evil.” It’s a scary thing when we try to take rights away and overlook lawlessness.

The other reason is elitism. Why is it OK for you, ex-Sen. Al Simpson, to cuss at and call your fellow precinct committeemen and women names and never be censured? Last week Rep. Steve Harshman cussed about Rep. Chuck Gray over a hot mic. Harshman apologized and lost his ZOOM PRIVILEGES. That was all. Troy Bray, lowly precinct committeeman, apologized, lost his secretary position at the Republican men’s group and HIS JOB. (By the way, working to make a living is another God-given right.) It’s still not enough. People who think they are better than Troy are still calling for more to be done.

I hope the people in Park County will stop listening to what their elected officials say and start looking at their fruit. As Jesus says, that’s how you will truly know them.

Dona Becker

Park County Republican Party precinct committeewoman, 9-7

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