Many times when I read letters in The Mirror, I am moved to write a response, but, alas, I don’t. Why not? Because I believe before one puts pen to paper, one ought to check the facts before engaging the mouth. OK, so I’m lazy, but at least I’m honest. It is easy to write and opine without first checking facts.

To the more knowledgeable reader, that writer going on passionately about something with unchecked facts only looks foolish and uninformed. I really don’t care about them. The thing that bothers me is that they spread their uninformed passion to others like a disease.

Case in point: Tara Talley’s letter in the July 28 Mirror goes on and on about Linda Kochmar using the term “retain” on her yard signs. If Tara Talley had called Linda before spewing, or called anyone knowledgeable about election process, she would have learned that, according to the Public Disclosure Commission – the be all and end all on political rulings at election time – there is absolutely nothing wrong with Linda Kochmar using that term. Did Linda Kochmar call the PDC to get clearance before she used the term? You bet she did. So, Tara Talley, you yourself have deceived and distorted when you write “And, anyone holding a position acquired through resume padding, if discovered, would, and should be fired on the spot.” You say “if discovered” like a wrong was done. It wasn’t. You just jumped to conclusions. Way too many people are making way too many statements about candidates without first checking the facts. Look at Joann Piquette’s letter in the same Mirror issue. At lease she backed up her statements with facts. Everyone should do the same.

Linda Purlee, Federal Way