Letters to the Editor
Editor, Don’t know if you’ve noticed, but it’s been rather hot of late. True, not record-breaking heat as in California and Nevada, but still, unusual for its tenacity. This is pretty much what scientists have been telling us to expect as we continue to emit carbon-trapping gasses into the atmosphere (although they’ve been amazed by 12 consecutive months of record high temperatures globally). For some of us, heat is an annoyance we can live with, but for those with no choice but to work out in it, it can be positively deadly. Looking more broadly, it’s a reminder that modern human civilization - agriculture, fisheries, physical infrastructure, relationships ...
Editor, Paper maps are passe. Or are they? The Heritage Foundation, under head Kevin Roberts, produced a 920-page road map outlining a radical agenda for Christian nationalism. Far from “conservative,” it calls for the dismantling of our institutions by the mass firing of civil servants, repla...
Editor, Our nation is at a point of desperation. We could be losing our democracy, our personal freedoms, and our country’s values. We are facing the possibility of falling under a dictatorial form of government. As I write this, Donald Trump seems to be the Republican candidate for president who...
Editor, Fake News: The “new newspaper” suddenly appearing in our mailboxes is fake news personified. You’ve seen it. “The Montana Independent” is a new monthly “Montana” paper. Umm? It comes from DC, not Montana. And lo and behold a quick search will tell you it i...
Editor, Donald Trump has a solid grip on much of the Republican party. There are two (2) groups,. One group is held to him by fear. The other group holds with him by agreement. Here are the reasons for each one: (1) Fear: Many good Republicans fear Trump’s ange...
Editor, I am not sure how ignorant some of our county commissioners really believe we are, or perhaps our failure to bring in new leadership over the years gives them permission to continue with non-productive activities that fail to improve our lives here. The most current blatant example comes from t...
Editor, I am writing today to remember my friend Rod Johnson. Rod passed in April, much too young, after suffering from health issues. The family wrote a great obituary, outlining the success Rod had achieved through the years and many of his personal time activities. I wanted to touch on some of...
Editor, We can all relax. We can feel fine. We can put aside any worries we may have about our nation’s future. We can know that all our political and personal lives will continue in relative How do I know this? I know it because of this most wonderful and vivid dream I had last night. It s...
Editor, From 2019 to 2024, the congressional Commission on Native Children was tasked with examining federal, state, and tribal youth programs across the nation. As a Commissioner on this commission, I can attest that most of the witnesses chosen by federal agencies received federal funds in one manner...
Editor, On June 5 the U.S. Senate voted on advancing a bill to protect access to contraception. Senator Steve Daines (R) voted against it. Senator Jon Tester (D) voted for it. The bill did not advance because it did not meet a 60% majority vote to advance. The federal government is not interested in...