To the editor:

When Derek Schmidt’s campaign jumped on the recent unproven article about Kansas funding a “drag show,” that was an error in judgment that anyone could make. When Schmidt pressed the story, even after it was publicly shown to be false, he became a liar.

We elect such people as Schmidt, who knowingly lie to us, at our peril. GOP lies about masking, social distancing and vaccines have already cost our state and nation dearly in illness, death and financial ruin for people who believed GOP falsehoods and those they affected. Even the current inflation harks back to the GOP misinformation campaign that helped COVID hang around long enough to collapse supply chains and sink businesses, a large and proven factor in the economy’s current state.

We have seen too many of the terrible consequences of electing liars to public office — consequences proved a thousand times over in death and illness tallies, in violence, hate and insurrection. Schmidt has now clearly and publicly shown his scorn for honor and truth and thus for all Kansans. Putting such a liar in the state’s highest office endangers us all, supporters and critics alike.

Gary Henry,

Lawrence