To the Editor:

It took three days and about four of my comments on her Facebook posts for Susan Duffy, one of the Republican candidates for state assembly district 116, to block me and delete all of our interactions on the platform.

I had the gall to point out that she was spreading misinformation and lies about New York’s bail reform laws. The best part? She blocked me right after encouraging me to “do my own research” so we could have a discussion about the law.

Ms. Duffy’s offending post came on May 3. It dealt with, as expected for a Republican candidate in the state, New York’s bail reform laws – their favorite punching bag. It was a chart of the crimes that were no longer ineligible for cash bail, thanks to the 2020 amendments to the law – offenses like vehicular manslaughter where judges used to have to release the defendant for the months before trial, but no longer had to. Her post accompanying the chart, however, made it seem like the old law was still in effect. “How is it okay,” she asked, that people charged with these crimes had to be let go without bail.

I commented on her post, calling it misleading.

She replied to my comment, urging me to do my own research so we could have a debate.

I accepted and pointed out that we should probably start with the fact that she was complaining about a law that no longer existed. People charged with these crimes did not have to be let go without bail, anymore. I told her that she was three years behind the times and encouraged her to do her own research.

Ms. Duffy’s response was to block me from her candidate’s Facebook page and to delete all of the comments. Free speech? Not if it challenges her misinformation or lies, or points out the fact that she doesn't know what she’s talking about.

This is one of the people who wants to represent you in Albany, North Country: An incompetent and sensitive hypocrite who thinks that, if she can manage to say “the radical left” five times a day, Republicans will be stupid and gullible enough to give her a cushy job that pays her over $100,000 per year, and that Democrats will be so cowed by the far-right base that she won’t be challenged in the general election in November.

Sean Myers

Potsdam