Group's work with veterans inspiring

Inter Lake editorial

It has to be a chilling feeling to suffer a war injury that compromises your ability to do what you used to do.

Navy SEAL Ryan Job had that feeling when he was blinded by sniper fire in Iraq. "I thought those days were over for me," he said, referring to hunting, fishing and outdoor activities he used to love.

But last month Job bagged a trophy bull elk. And last year he climbed Mount Rainier.

Those outdoors achievements were made possible by Camp Patriot, a Libby-based organization dedicated to bringing outdoor adventure back to the lives of disabled veterans.

Camp Patriot's mission is simple: convincing wounded veterans that their lives are still an adventure. Those adventures range from mountain climbing to a host of hunting and fishing opportunities.

More than 100 veterans have benefited from Camp Patriot excursions, and unfortunately it's an effort that will never be short of customers - 30,000 service members have been injured in Iraq in Afghanistan and there are 2.3 million disabled U.S. veterans overall.

On a week when we salute our veterans, it's fitting, too, to salute the noble work of Camp Patriot in helping our war wounded do what they thought was impossible.

It's a strange after-effect from the presidential election that gun sales are booming.

In an unusual sort of economic stimulus for local sporting-goods stores (as well as their counterparts across the country), customers have been flocking in to buy guns and ammunition.

The fear from these shoppers is that President-elect Obama and the Democrats will either tax or restrict firearms and bullets.

Whether that fear is justified remains to be seen. But in the interim the gun salesmen are happy that the normally slow November season has gotten a boost.

As one store owner put it: "Obama has been extremely good for business. Guys are buying everything."