If I may, I should like to chime in and add further commendation to Tom Smith's June 24 letter wherein he expresses approval of former sheriff Ken Merritt's treatment of his son, Brian. Throughout the sad matter, Ken's bold, kind conduct was without precedent and I wrote and told him so five years ago.
Ken is the best type of law enforcement officer, kind, humble, charitable, always willing to extend a hand to the beaten down, yet firm, but always employing sound reason.
No one of us needs go far in one's family in order to find a loved person who has become "prodigal" and like the father-son in Christ's matchless story, we must lovingly wait for that loved one to "come to himself."
Ken has set an example for all of us.
John Bryan
Parkersburg
