It’s a sad couple of takes on our values as a community this week.

Values; from the Latin valere “be strong, be well; be of value, be worth.” The things — beliefs and perceptions — that we think will keep us strong, of value, replete with worth.

What we choose to do, what we give primacy to, reveals our values; the things we think will lead to strength and worth.

So when on June 10, the morning after the most important Congressional hearing of our lifetimes, Tribune Publishing offers readers of The Baltimore Sun an entirely different front page than readers of the Carroll County Times, it is telling what editors perceive our the different community’s differing values.

Sun readers learned about the truth of a coup on Jan. 6, 2021 against our Constitution fomented directly by the President of the United States at that time.

Carroll County Times readers learned about Board of Education members exiling the pride flag from school property. Reporting on the Jan. 6 committee hearing was in that paper, relegated to Page 5.

This was the editor corps reflecting back to these communities what they think they value; Carroll County readers were seen as valuing a pride flag determination over a coup to overthrow democracy. Carroll County readers should be deeply troubled by that.

Amplifying that sad truth is the very issue of concern by Carroll County school board member Donna Sivigny and others over that flag at all. Some who reject the display of the pride flag compare it as speech to the Battle Flag of the Army of Northern Virginia, also known as the Confederate flag.

This too, reveals values. One flag essentially submits “let’s make sure that we keep track of and celebrate the humanity of everyone.” The other submits (as folks like Confederate Vice President Alexander H. Stephens submitted) “Let’s ensure that we treat some people as less than human.”

Truly differing values. That some neighbors see that as speech to be equally valued, that others see Carroll County as a community that would be more concerned with the effective diminishment of LGBTQ people at school than the overthrow of the government and the installation of tyranny is shot through with value judgments.

It ought to also be an opportunity to reflect and rethink who we are and how we are seen as a community.

I write in support of electing Haven Shoemaker as state’s attorney.

I served 20 years as the state’s attorney for Carroll County and another seven years as a United Nations international prosecutor in Europe, so I believe I know a good candidate for prosecutor when I see one.

Haven has a proven track record as a public official having served very well as Mayor of Hampstead, as county commissioner and as a member of the House of Delegates.

But in his nearly 30 years at the Bar he has also been a successful trial attorney.

He knows our judges, knows the staff in our state’s attorney’s office and the standards expected of attorneys who practice law in our Courts.

Haven is a fair minded and practical person, key traits in running a prosecutor office.

Most assistant state’s attorneys start in that office and have never been defense counsel. Having a state’s attorney who has served as a defense counsel and is able to evaluate the merits and pitfalls of cases from the defense perspective and available for young staff members to consult is an enormous advantage.

I have never written a letter encouraging others to support a candidate for elected office. I happily do so in this election.

Hickman served as Carroll County state’s attorney from 1974 to 1994.

From 2017 to 2021, I wrote as a biweekly conservative opinion columnist for the Carroll County Times, and I used that open forum to bump heads and cross swords with Democrats, the media, teachers’ unions and elected officials. I took Attorney General Brian Frosh to task for filing frivolous lawsuits against President Donald Trump and wasting taxpayer dollars. I called out Comcast for closing its only service center in Carroll and PNC Bank for shutting its doors in Union Bridge, leaving Carroll’s smallest municipality without a bank.

I introduced ideas on confronting the opioid epidemic and advocated to get our children back in the classroom after the virtual schooling failure.

I stood up for law enforcement against the “Defund the Police’ movement and Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich’s banning of The Thin Blue Line flag. I supported the election of conservatives such as U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, Board of Education members Kenny Kiler, Donna Sivigny and Marsha Herbert, Sen. Justin Ready and Dels. Susan Krebs, April Rose and Haven Shoemaker.

I assailed Westminster’s mayor and council after crime exploded downtown and after they passed a plastic bag ban. I supported and promoted Carroll’s growing brewery industry, the Pregnancy Support Center, a pro-life nonprofit that helps women with unplanned pregnancies, and the importance of voting in municipal elections.

I exposed bad bills introduced in Annapolis: a nanny-state bill banning youth football; the “Ban-The-Box” bill prohibiting employers from asking whether an applicant has a criminal history; a bill banning Styrofoam forcing Hampstead’s Dart Container Corporation to leave Maryland; a bill that allowed for the creation of supervised drug injection facilities; a bill that raised Maryland’s minimum wage; the Kirwan Commission’s Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Act, an education money pit; and a bill that established a 6% sales tax on all digital streaming services.

After writing over 80 columns, I am ready to get out from behind the desk and fight for you in Annapolis. I know the issues and I know Carroll. Most importantly, I know what is needed to effectively represent us in the General Assembly. As a columnist, I fought for the community, defended conservative values, and used my platform to inspire change and action. I pledge to do the same as your state delegate.

Tomlinson is a Republican candidate for state delegate in District 5.