All things being equal, this idea stinks
Some ballot measures aren’t worthy of making the ballot, and that is the case with a formal proposal to require the Montana House and Senate to be 50 percent male, 50 percent female.
Hot Springs resident John Marshall recently submitted his plan to the secretary of state’s office, and if it clears legal muster (doubtful) he will need 48,000 signatures to get it on the ballot. As well-intended as it might be and as good as it may sound on the surface, this is a measure that clearly hasn’t been thought through carefully, and Montanans should not be willing to entertain it on the ballot.
Sure, more gender equity is desirable in the Montana Legislature, which is currently made up of 108 men and 42 women. But a compulsory quota?
To us, the measure sounds like it would be coercive and restrictive at the same time. What if there aren’t women in a legislative district who want to serve? At the very least, we’re certain that many women would prefer to be elected on their merits rather than being recruited as a result of their gender. Isn’t being offered a Senate seat on the basis of gender a bit patronizing?
What if there are men who are willing and eligible to run for office, but they can’t because the 50 percent quota might be violated? Could men be forced to resign an elected position in order to comply with the quota?
These are areas where the measure may easily be deemed unconstitutional. But those things aren’t even the worst part.
This would amount to a restriction on the ability of voters to choose their representatives in a citizens’ Legislature. There clearly would be potential for highly competent, experienced individuals — men or women — to be disqualified from elective positions in order for the Legislature to be in compliance with a policy demanding absolute diversity and equality.
“Diversity” and “equality” may sound tempting to some, but in this case, it would come at the expense of freedom for everybody.
A kind-hearted stranger!
Random acts of kindness often show up in places where they’re least expected. That was the case when an anonymous diner at Finnegan’s in Kalispell quietly dished up a helping of generosity and paid for everyone’s meal late one recent Saturday night.
It set off a chain reaction of others “paying it forward,” as they say. Another restaurant customer insisted she pay for someone else’s meal, and workers who received generous tips from the mystery man split their bounty with other employees.
Finnegan’s owner Carol Jellison said “maybe the giving season has started early.” We hope she’s right. We’re on the cusp of another holiday season; let’s all pay it forward.
Editorials represent the majority opinion of the Daily Inter Lake’s editorial board.