To the editor:

In the Oct. 10 Public Forum, a writer commented on the “misbehavior” of two audience members listening to a debate between incumbent Lynn Jenkins and her challenger, Tobias Schlingensiepen. I agree with the writer that if they did in fact yell out “liar” when Rep. Jenkins was speaking, this low level of discourse has no place in a civil society.

However, what I find more disconcerting is the writer’s decision to vote for Jenkins because of the antics of a few Schlingensiepen supporters. At what point, I ask the writer, did you listen to the positions of the candidates? Shouldn’t we be considering the candidates’ beliefs and how they align with our own to be the guiding principle of our vote?

I can only conclude that it is the loudest entities that have driven a wedge between thoughtful voters and the issues by obscuring messages of facts, truth and reality with noise. I am especially disheartened to see it happening in our own fair town.