Letter to the Editor: "The problem (with the Sheriff's Office's Facebook message for Easter) is that it sends an irresponsible message, intended or not, to those who might be wary of how law enforcement officers in this county might treat them."

""This letter is a critique of one isolated action by the Winneshiek County Sheriff's Office and is not meant to be a personal attack or to call into question a department and a sheriff that performs its work admirably and with integrity. Some of the negative reaction to the Sheriff's Office's Facebook post has been inflammatory, and that is unfortunate because this ought to be a rational discussion of what is appropriate and responsible for an official Facebook page of a Sheriff's Office to post.

I don't believe for a second that our Sheriff's Office would treat anyone unjustly or unfairly because of who they are.  I believe that our law enforcement officers have integrity and are interested in the safety of all our citizens. I don't need that assurance--but our non-Christian citizens might. They need to know that our Sheriff's Office is not going to discriminate based on religion. The problem is not that this post is offensive.  The problem is that it sends an irresponsible message, intended or not, to those who might be wary of how law enforcement officers in this county might treat them.

It is the responsibility of law enforcement agencies to serve all people, regardless of their religious beliefs or practices. Because of that, there should never be a message that could be construed by anyone that agencies meant to enforce the law with equity and justice might privilege those who have a particular religious affiliation.  This is the real reason for the separation of church and state - not to silence religious belief or practice, but to ensure that there is equal treatment under the law for all people.  This is the reason why our Sheriff can freely post any Christian sentiment he wants on his personal Facebook page, but he might consider a less overtly Christian message for the post on the official page of the law enforcement agency which he oversees in a professional capacity."