Letters to the editor Sept. 26

Offensive stickers

First, I am no stranger to rough language. Anyone who knows me has heard language from me that would embarrass a longshoreman.

My question is, when did it become acceptable to use this kind of language on bumper stickers? In the past, the F was usually followed by three lines. If you were an adult you understood the meaning. Now, it is not only spelled out in bold letters, but it is used to attack those you don’t agree with politically or medically.

There was a time when you may not have agreed with someone politically, or personally, but you discussed the issue, or at least listened to the opposite viewpoint. You did not put a sign in your yard or slap on a bumper sticker that says F--- so and so.

Do you think this looks good? Do you think this looks Macho? More American? If that is your goal you are dead wrong. It makes you look ignorant, biased and easily led by emotion. Can you not express yourself with proper English and state your case without offending others? If offense is your goal, do you consider the children who also see the signs?

This country has been split, perhaps we can start healing, at least a little, by taking hate filled signs and stickers and throwing them away.

— Roseanne [Rocky] Feckete, Bigfork

Critical thinking

Thank you for printing Frederick Zacogny’s letter addressing Amy Regier’s criticism of the Montana Nurses Association’s support of wearing masks in schools.

Regier assumes that masks contribute to anxiety. I know several children who feel safer wearing masks than not. Not feeling safe produces profound anxiety.

If Regier, herself, had exemplary critical thinking skills, she would have given her opinion supported by sound evidence.

Instead, she makes assumptions and gives a weak argument. She seems to think her case is best made by criticizing the Montana Nurses Association, who serves the nurses who continue to be in trenches, navigating the many complex Covid health care delivery issues.

— Rosalinda Alfaro-LeFevre is a registered nurse and author of “Critical Thinking, Clinical Reasoning, and Clinical Judgment, 7th Edition.”

Our kids need us

In the Sept. 19 Daily Inter Lake, there was a story on the recent suicide cluster of our high school community members. One quote stood out to me; “These were all good families — good kids,” Heino said.

I am grateful for Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino’s service to our community; he does not have an easy job. But I would like to reframe the idea of “good” kids: are there really “bad” kids and “bad” families?

I worked for School District 5 for 25 years in the theatre department in multiple roles, and if there is one thing I learned over those years as a theatre director and teacher, it is there are no “bad” kids. All kids are vulnerable, have pain and insecurities, and all kids need the adults in their lives to open our ears, and our arms, to our youth; maybe even more often than we open our mouths. As a teacher and theatre staff, I heard of many stories of students who were considering suicide, but changed their minds because of connection within our school and theatre community.

Our kids are genuinely feeling despair right now: but maybe not because we ask them to wear masks. Maybe they are feeling despair because the adults in their lives are so divided and awful to each other, instead of tending to the most vulnerable among us.

The issues of climate change, economic inequality, and yes, the pandemic, are looming large in their minds. Some are feeling hopeless about the future.

Community, let’s stop arguing with each other and truly listen to our kids. They need us to step up, put our own egos aside, and take care of them. It’s our duty, and our sacred privilege.

— Valeri McGarvey, Kalispell