Last Monday’s gathering in Dolores of critics of the president’s string of extremes in dismantling the federal government was larger than the organizing League of Women Voters expected. Social media has a way of doing that.
They were there to express their feelings to Naomi Dobbs, the Southwest Regional Director for Rep. Jeff Hurd, who was elected in November to represent the 3rd Congressional District. While Dobbs arrived as promised, the size of the group (it significantly overflowed the Dolores library’s 50-person room capacity) reportedly deterred her from entering. That was unfortunate.
Present for the gathering, and almost alongside Dobbs, was Montezuma County Sheriff Steve Nowlin, who offered to escort her in.
Yes, the crowd was energetic, with signs, but Dobbs should have gone inside the library in an attempt to hear what was on everyone’s mind.
Nowlin was right there. If it turned out that there was shouting, and disorder, Dobbs then would have had every right to say, that’s it, this is unproductive, and left the building. But she should have entered, taken the temperature of the room, and made an effort to listen.
Washington Republicans are saying this week that in-person events such as what was scheduled in Dolores should be ended, that they only give paid protesters a stage. That’s Washington (and untrue). Here, we’d like to think that in Southwest Colorado on a periodic basis a group of people – constituents – can civilly mix with elected officials of both parties and their representatives.
Let’s have Naomi Dobbs return, with Sheriff Nowlin alongside for reassurance, to try this again.
