'We hold these truths …'

Inter Lake editorial

It has been 232 years since our forefathers signed the Declaration of Independence, and still today we embrace its most precious tenet - freedom.

As we focus on today's Fourth of July celebrations and fireworks, every American should pause and give thanks that we live in the greatest nation on Earth.

Let the words of the Declaration never be tarnished: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness…"

Have fun today. Be careful out there. And let freedom ring.

The Supreme Court made the right call last week when it rejected an appeal by W.R. Grace & Co. in a criminal case brought by the federal government over asbestos poisoning from Grace's former Libby vermiculite mine.

The wheels of justice have been turning slowly for Libby residents, about 2,000 of whom were exposed to toxic asbestos dust over several decades.

Federal prosecutors charged the company and indicted a half-dozen top executives three years ago on charges of conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act and endanger others by knowingly releasing asbestos into the air, as well as conspiring to defraud the government by impeding the efforts of regulatory agencies.

Since then legal wrangling and appeals have stalled the trial - while potential witnesses are dying of asbestos-related diseases.

It's important to get a resolution to this case before any more victims die, not only to hold Grace accountable but also to allow the community of Libby to move forward outside the shadow of a vermiculite mine that already has clouded so many lives.

You might call it YouTube for wildlife, but it makes for compelling viewing.

Remote cameras set up by the Northern Divide Grizzly Bear Project have captured bears, wolves, deer and other animals in somewhat unguarded moments.

Among the highlights is a long piece showing the interplay between a wolf and a grizzly bear mother and her two cubs. There also is some comical footage of bears dancing at rub trees and a close-up segment as a bear slobbers and claws at a camera lens (eventually this determined bear pushed the camera off the tree).

These and other candid-camera wildlife antics can be viewed on the Web at www.nrmsc.usgs.gov/research/KendallRemoteCamera.htm