Sowers is bad medicine

I've lived in southern Missouri and worked as a pharmacist here for more than 30 years, and I take great exception to remarks by Tommy Sowers' political campaign that I am some kind of lobbyist based simply on the fact that I organized an event for supporters of our member of Congress, Jo Ann Emerson. I am, in fact, not a lobbyist. I am a pharmacist. And for the entire time she has represented our congressional district, pharmacists have had no one more willing to listen to us and work on our behalf than Jo Ann.

Tommy Sowers is attempting to trivialize Jo Ann Emerson's distinguished record of service and dismissing community pharmacists like me. Clearly, he does not appreciate the fact that Jo Ann routinely stands up to the pharmaceutical industry -- the biggest lobby in D.C. He must also not appreciate the service pharmacists provide in southern Missouri -- often we are the only health care provider in a rural community. His support for the Obama-Pelosi health care law and his derisive, untruthful remarks are proof enough that Sowers is bad medicine for our congressional district.

JAMES HARLAN, 1465 N. Westwood Blvd., Poplar Bluff, MO 63901