Letters to the editor Feb. 25

Neighbor mediation

We live near the Dog Story (Neighbor shoots dogs while defending his cattle, Feb. 3). Yes, that’s right. Just a few hundred yards away from the tragedy reported and commented on in these pages.

Neighbors shot and killed a young pup running around after their free-range chickens. The pup belonged to their neighbor. The pup-owner has now posted large billboard size signs with arrows pointing to their neighbor, calling their neighbor murderers of their young pup.

The pup-owner has reportedly owned several dogs over the years, some of which have been reported as aggressive to neighbors, and passing walkers and cyclists.

Neighbor 2, I’m sorry for your loss of a young rambunctious puppy. I truly am. The pup is a harmless creature full of love and energy and potential. Life was cut short in a harsh way. For your next dog — train it! You will have a worthy companion, passersby won’t bear spray it, and the dog will enjoy life more. Win-win-win!

Neighbor 1, you now probably realize you caused more pain than the cost of a few chickens. I believe you are enduring your own punishment for the deed.

Neighbor 2, you can now take down your sign. We’ve heard you. We understand your pain.

Neighbor 1, Can your chickens can last against the coyotes and foxes that frequent our beautiful property here beneath Columbia Mountain? Did you know that rambunctious dogs chase foxes away? I saw it with my own eyes just a month ago. Put up an electric fence so you can keep out not only the domesticated canines, but the more wild variety.

Both neighbors: please be chill. It’s sad. We are all concerned out here and we want you to live in peace.

Keep up the dialog. Let us all know how it goes.

—Fred Illich, Columbia Falls

Making assumptions

Sunday’s Daily Inter Lake front page had a picture of a young man protesting at the state Capitol in Helena. He was fully armed and very intimidating looking.

Now our Legislature has passed a law that allows concealed guns to be carried without a permit. So that same young man can come to a protest fully armed, but you won’t know it. Not sure which is better, but neither way makes me feel safe as a citizen.

Look around you. How many people do you honestly know, neighbors, friends, acquaintances who you think should never be allowed to carry a gun or any weapon for that matter. How comfortable does it make you feel to shop with them or other customers who may be armed.

And we all know that the kids coming to college with guns will follow the rules to be safe. All young people follow the rules, don’t they?

I guess our Legislature assumes that the only citizens who will carry a concealed gun will be functional, stable, have impulse control, no anger issues, no agendas and will use it responsibly. Well you know what they say about assuming. If you don’t, ask someone.

Our Legislature has assumed they are enhancing Second Amendment rights. Instead they have created a law that has few limitations and great expectations that those who use it will only use it for their own protection. After this past year, after all the mass shootings, how could they logically assume that?

—Marcia Peck, Bigfork

Get the information

Darlene Frahm challenged me (Feb. 15) to provide factual sources for my letter of Jan. 28. Condensing a response down to the 300-word limit provided by this forum is virtually impossible; what I am providing is a very superficial overview. If Ms. Frahm would like a more inclusive list, she can contact me; I’m easy to find.

The most cursory of online searches will bring up a myriad of these “crazy conspiracy theories and downright lies” that have “hijacked” my mind. There are dozens of statements by politicians, political pundits, “journalists,” celebrities, and other influencers – perhaps hundreds if you include responses, comments, and retweets.

Calling for reprogramming/deprogramming (Eugene Robinson, Washington Post), Nuremburg-style trials (actor Jon Cryer), de-Baathification (Joy Reid, MSNBC), removal of children (Michael Beller, PBS principal counsel), removal of conservatives from public discourse (Jennifer Rubin, MSNBC; political commentator Keith Olbermann) – this is all almost de rigueur.

Conservatives, Libertarians, Christians who follow Biblical teaching, Republicans, Trump supporters – they are all domestic terrorists, conflated with al-Qaeda, Isis, the Taliban (Joy Reid, MSNBC; Kurt Bardella, Lincoln Project; Rep. Jackie Speier, California). This is now so accepted that there was no challenge to or questioning of Nicolle Wallace (MSNBC) when she floated the idea of dealing with domestic terrorists the way Obama dealt with terrorists – drone strikes. “Foolish and dangerous talk” indeed.

In January, Rep. Brad Schneider of Illinois, reintroduced the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2021 in the House. Former Hawaii Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard warned that the Act would be “a very dangerous undermining of our civil liberties, our freedoms in our Constitution, and a targeting of almost half of the country.”

All the information is out there; it’s not hidden. But don’t worry, Ms. Frahm, I won’t call you outrageous, ignorant and delusional. Just uninformed.

—Cynthia Granmo, Whitefish

Impeachment justified

Wow, I thought I’d seen everything the radical right could offer to print, but calling Sen. Daines a “turncoat,” and a dastardly “RINO,” is really out there! Yet, that is how David Myerowitz (Feb. 11, letter to the editor) describes Sen. Daines after he retracted his objection to the certification of electoral votes in Biden’s favor. It only took an outright attempted coup d’état for Sen. Daines to implicitly acknowledge that years of Trump lies constitute a real and serious threat to our democracy and Constitution.

Yes, on Jan. 6, 2021, Trump did use the words “peaceful” and “patriotic” as he was riling up his base. However, Trump used the word “peaceful,” only once in his Jan. 6, rabble-rousing speech. The balance was nothing but inflammatory.

Regarding Trump calling for a “patriotic” march to the Capitol, can anyone honestly believe that his use of that word is a call for “peaceful protest?” The word “patriotic” clearly has no rational meaning to the Proud Boys, et. al., who, in their warped, un-American minds, most certainly view themselves as “patriotic.” Does Mr. Myerowitz also view the insurrectionists as “patriotic?” Apparently, he does since he seems to accept the premise on which the insurrection was based. Someone who “doesn’t know” who won the election is clearly buying in to the biggest of all Trump lies, i.e., a “stolen election.”

Mr. Myerowitz calls Trump’s second impeachment “bogus.” However, those who may truly believe that Trump had no intention of instigating the coup of Jan. 6, are only deluding themselves, if the requisite brainwashing had not already been accomplished by Alex Jones and his ilk. A “bogus” second impeachment? Hardly.

—Al Weed, Kalispell