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Don’t take away end-of-life options for the elderly

I am an 89-year-old widow and wish to ask our legislators to vote no on bill HB 536. I have lived in two different assisted-care facilities and have witnessed the long terminal struggle of the elderly I live with. Life drags on at terrible expense to the family and pain to the elderly and the terminally ill.

I see in the paper that the suicide of the young is being used emotionally to promote the end of this bill. I doubt any doctors have euthanized the young unless they were terminally ill.

I resent the efforts of doctors, nursing homes, pharmaceutical companies and other organizations who have clear conflicts of interest.

I am deaf and if I should become blind I would opt for an end rather than spending what little money I have on useless living. I would rather leave the $40,000 a year I now spend for my children who are taking good care of me. I took care of my husband for six years as he wasted away with dementia and other problems and so I know the heartbreak of caring for the one you love. —Hazel Rudolph, Polson

Democrats keep racism alive to divide and conquer

In the 11th hour of Sen. Jeff Sessions’ confirmation hearings, a 30-year-old letter, written by Dr. Coretta Scott King, was read to stir up a cry of racism by Sen. Elizabeth Warren. She was warned to stop reading the letter or she would be asked to sit down. She didn’t stop, and was then ordered to sit down.

Without decorum rules in our Congress, we would be like the many unruly and wild parliaments of the world that escalate into very ugly scenes. Quotes, articles and other materials are off limits since there is no way to bring the parties that were involved to corroborate their opinions or details as to how, why and what?

Dr. Alveda King, Martin Luther King’s niece, recently stated after this incident: “Our family, we are peacemakers, we bring people together!” She said she was tired of the King name being used as a bait and switch to stir up emotions to play the race card.

“In that letter, Alveda King said, [Coretta Scott King] would be referring to some of [Sen. Jeff Sessions’] comments. However, she would agree, today, that he of course ended some school segregation and he worked to prosecute members of the KKK.”

Coretta Scott King thanked Jeff Sessions years ago for his endorsement and launching of a Rosa Parks Library. How about the Outstanding Service Award given to him by the NAACP?

History, academia, the media, Hollywood, both political parties — but largely in the Democrat — have been engulfed with the ideology of the left progressive movement.

The liberal left keeps racism alive (real or not) and acts as its agent in the Democratic Party. It’s a shame that they have a divide-and-conquer mentality and disdain for the truth. —Russell Johnson, Kalispell

Please don’t let predators off with light sentence

I just read the story of the 66-year-old man who molested a young girl starting at 12 years of age who was given 20 years of probation. I sure hope that no one else gets their life ruined by this man.

I imagine if we ever discover that he destroyed another child, the young victim and her mother might regret being talked into this decision. I certainly hope that Judge Allison and the lawyers involved do. They are supposed to be protecting all citizens — especially the most vulnerable. Putting this predator back on the street is putting children at risk, period. When the judge commented about how difficult his probation will be (just having a smart phone could put him in jail), I wanted to throw up. His probation will not be nearly as difficult as what that young girl will deal with for the rest of her life.

This decision was just wrong. A full 20 would barely be enough in my eyes, the eyes of a victim. —Michelle M. Rensel, Kalispell

What is a Christian?

I am puzzled. What does it mean to be a Christian? To me it means to love one another. It means to not judge others by their outward appearance. It means that “every life is sacred.” It means that one should not be criticized or hated because of where they come from or the color of their skin. To me it means that you should help your neighbor if they need help; doing things for others without the expectation of acknowledgment or monetary reward.

Should a Christian support a president who speaks about how they grab women in their private parts. Or cheats on his wife. Would a person who believes in Christ hate someone who is gay or make fun of someone who is disabled? Would Christ want us to hate or deny human rights to someone who is LGBT? Or, discriminate against a person because they are poor? Or, have different political views than you?

How about if a person or family was trying to escape a civil war where their very lives were at risk — would a Christian deny these people safety or comfort? Especially when the person or family risked their lives and the lives of their children by walking through deserts or floating across hundreds of miles of ocean?

If we believe we are a Christian democratic nation, is it enough to simply disagree with certain policies that the president does? Or should we take action in opposition to these decisions? Personally, I choose to take action and oppose these immoral, unethical, un-Christian choices. How can I stand by and watch the president deny people in need? I can’t.

It may be time for people to take a step back from the politically charged environment that we are now facing and think about what would a true follower of Jesus do? It’s time to walk the walk, rather than talking the talk. When Christians criticize those who act, it puzzles me. —David R. James, Eureka