Letters to the editor Dec. 26
Three big heroes
Friday night my wife and I attended the “Star Wars” movie and enjoyed it, not sure about the 3-D aspect though.
As I was saying, the two of us were going down the steps (crowd was huge), I missed the final step and did a face plant right there. My wife and I are both disabled and there was zero chance that the two of us would get me back on my feet again. I walk with a cane because after about 10 feet without a cane, I face plant again.
The wife told me that two or three “big guys” picked me up and guided me to the chair. I tried to thank all of them, but I have a speech issue and wasn’t able to talk much. I just want to tell the “big guys” that helped me out Friday night that all of you are, in my eyes, heroes. You should be proud.
—Bobby Childers, Kalispell
Finding peace
I found it interesting to read the editorial from the Daily Inter Lake Dec. 22 “Where is Peace?” when our pastor had just taught on this same subject. “Where is peace, the editorial asked? We long for it but never seem able to wrap our arms around it. And yet, we know it’s possible.”
Yes, yes, yes, a thousand times, Yes!! It is possible. We celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas time, the Prince of Peace. And yet, we tend to dismiss or minimize the truth of this statement. Jesus brings peace to the conflicted heart and someday He will bring a lasting peace to a despairing world.
Our Pastor asked a similar question, “why is peace so elusive?” We all know it to be elusive in our day. On the other hand, the very one whose birth we celebrate this Christmas season has promised peace for those who believe that He is God’s Son sent for our redemption. As our Pastor explained, “peace is the result of restored righteousness.” Righteousness seems to be an archaic word today but it hasn’t been forgotten by God. He still requires it in a restored relationship with Himself. But then at Christmas we remember that He Himself has stepped into our mess in the person of the Lord Jesus to satisfy the requirement of righteousness. This gift of righteousness and redemption brings PEACE to our relationship with God, PEACE to our conflicted hearts, and a PEACE we can share with our neighbor. We can truly wrap our arms around this peace, this Jesus.
“For unto us a Savior is born, who is Christ the Lord.” “Righteousness and peace have kissed each other” as Psalm 85:10 records.
[May] the peace of Christ rule in your hearts today.
—Susan Sullivan, Kalispell
Farmers support water rights act
Water is not something to waste. We farm in St. Ignatius and rely on the Flathead Irrigation Project to deliver water to our fields. It’s time to settle tribal water right claims and it’s time to modernize the irrigation district’s system. That’ why we support Senator Daines and Senator Tester’s “Montana Water Rights Protection Act of 2019.”
Tribal water rights precede all irrigators’ water rights, originating in the Hellgate Treaty of 1855. The courts have been crystal clear about that. The senators’ bill settles most Tribal claims and provides significant funding to modernize the Flathead Irrigation system.
The legislation will eliminate costly litigation to resolve thousands of individual claims for water, and the irrigation improvements will save a lot of water that will help ensure that irrigators receive their allocations, and that streams will not be “de-watered.”
The Montana Water Rights Protection Act of 2019 makes sense. It makes big cents. As irrigators we support it. If you believe in using water wisely, and in settling this important water issue in western Montana, then please call Senator Daines and Senator Tester and tell them you support it too. Thank you.
—Dave Hadden and Jesse Hadden, Bigfork
Tremendous opportunity for GOP
As a member of the legislature I have seen first-hand how our state government has become bloated with bureaucracy. Session after session the budget increases, more staff are hired, but there is little if any improvement to service which it provides. In 2020 we need to elect a governor who will reign in run-away government growth, streamline services, and cut inefficiencies, and Greg Gianforte is the man to do it.
Montana is currently the most likely governor’s seat in the country to flip, meaning it’s most likely to switch which party is in control. This is a tremendous opportunity for Republicans. We need our best candidate in this race. The person who not only is the most qualified, but also who can win the general. Someone who has been a business leader themselves and has worked with President Trump to pass tax cuts, and cut job killing regulations.
Congressman Greg Gianforte is the perfect man for the job. He knows how to get government out of the way of job creation, which we need in Montana. Greg is not only a great conservative and business leader, but he is the best choice for Governor.
—Vince Ricci, Laurel