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“A lie told once remains a lie, but a lie told a thousand times becomes the truth.” This chilling statement has been attributed to Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s minister of propaganda.

The campaign of Bill Bruch, candidate for the Washington House of Representatives in the 10th Legislative District, has evidently taken its message to heart. I realize that this is a serious charge, and I do not make it lightly.

Once again, however, the Bruch campaign, in a sensationalistic, dishonest and scurrilous hit piece I received in the mail today, says of Bruch’s opponent, Representative Dave Paul – and this is a direct quote – “Dave Paul wants graphic, comprehensive sex-ed taught as early as kindergarten”.

This is the lie – and it is a lie – that the Bruch campaign keeps repeating, even though it has been repeatedly shown to have no basis in the truth.

As William H. Taylor of La Conner pointed out in a letter in the paper last week, “Senate Bill 5395 stipulates that there is no sexuality content required for students in grades K-3 (https://www.K12.wa.us).” He adds “Section 7 of SB 5395 also allows any parent or legal guardian to have his or her child excused from any comprehensive sexual health instruction.”

These are facts and Mr. Bruch and his campaign manager, Sandy Stokes, who can read and write and have access to the internet, have chosen to ignore them in order to defame their opponent. Evidently he and Ms. Stokes feel that the only way they can win this election is to try to drag their opponent into the mud with them. It is a tactic as old as politics and no less shameful for that fact.

Mr. Bruch’s campaign website includes the usual boilerplate about Dave Paul conspiring with “Seattle Democrats” to bankrupt the state of Washington but contains very little in the way of positive ideas. Dave Paul is a respected educator who has served honorably in his first term in the Legislature. He has and will continue to run a campaign based on the serious issues confronting his district regarding health care, education, family wage jobs and the environment. I challenge Mr. Bruch and Ms. Stokes to come out of the gutter and do the same.

Tony Harrah

Greater La Conner