It is appalling that the ADA News published a letter to the editor slamming Dr. Paul Gosar in the Jan. 20 ADA News. He’s one of our hardest-working members, as he labors not only on behalf of his Arizona constituents but also dental issues advocated by the American Dental Association; issues that would improve the dental health of our patients. The writer states no specific criticism but uses a blunderbuss approach against vague political positions. No one should be stifled or prevented from expressing a point of view, but in this dental publication not one of the writer’s comments applies to any dental matter. His comments should be addressed in a lay publication, which the writer says he already did. The writer’s withdrawal from ADPAC because of his dissatisfaction with one officeholder shows his lack of understanding and support of the ADA’s strong advocacy efforts. That our house organ, which should be supporting our Association’s goals, chose to insert this letter is distressful to the thousands of members and students who travel to ADA Dentist and Student Lobby Day in Washington, D.C., every year to argue on behalf of dental bills being considered by the Congress and also to the thousands who throughout the year volunteer to promote dentistry’s objectives.
Jay R. Wells, III, D.D.S.
Bethel Park, Pennsylvania
Editor’s note from Dr. David Watson, ADPAC chair: ADPAC is a bipartisan political action committee that does not involve itself in issues and comments made by elected officials outside the lane of our “Tooth Party,” or outside the scope of issues affecting a dentist’s patients, practice or profession. ADPAC does not control what any of the dentist members of Congress say or do. According to our ADPAC rules, support for any candidate is determined by the dentists within the state the member of Congress represents.