Waterman could use a civics lesson

In his intellectually erroneous editorial, (What does John Fuller mean?, Feb. 6) Kyle Waterman exposes his fundamental lack of understanding of our American form of government, while attempting to disparage Rep. John Fuller’s understanding. Waterman’s understanding, or lack thereof, would not allow him to carry John Fuller’s textbooks.

Democracy is mob rule. It’s the law of 50% plus 1. The essential, inherent flaws in democracy are among the chief reasons that the brilliant founders of America ensured we would have “… a Republic, if you can keep it.”

Waterman exposes his failure to grasp our form of government. He labels our “republican” form of government erroneously not once or twice, but four times in one paragraph [not a notable achievement]. I would attribute that to Waterman perhaps being poorly trained in civics. Perhaps a refresher course taught by Mr. John Fuller is overdue?

Waterman asks the question “where does he [Fuller] think the government should derive its power?”Any of the myriad thousands of young men and women fortunate enough to have taken classes from John Fuller would know the answer to that question: “the fundamental responsibility of any government is to protect and defend the individual rights and freedoms of her citizens.” That’s a John Fuller-ism.

Since governments are “instituted among (by) men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,” Mr. Fuller understands clearly what Waterman fails to grasp – that every eligible man and woman is entrusted with the sacred duty to keep governments restrained and serving the “general welfare” of her citizens, according to the rights granted to governments by individual citizens.

Waterman concludes by attempting to paint John Fuller as failing to understand local issues. He attempts to discredit John Fuller by asserting he looks to the national scene to gain his understanding of local issues.

Because Waterman won’t be fundamentally honest, he fails to identify what the national Democrat Party has actually brought to Montana: runaway inflation, led by soaring fuel prices; supply chain disruptions; a tsunami of drugs, human trafficking victims, illegal aliens due to a wide open southern border; DOJ labeling parents who defend their children at school board meetings as domestic terrorists; unwarranted and ineffective mask mandates; using Covid to destroy the Montana economy by forcing businesses to close and bankrupting many of your neighbors, friends and family.

There’s an old bromide that a person should “never enter a battle of wits unarmed.” If Mr. Waterman were astute, he would sharpen his intellectual bona fides before opening his mouth and confirming his gross lack of understanding of the fundamental principles upon which the U.S. was founded.

John Fuller has been a stalwart member of the Montana House of Representatives for two terms and will make a phenomenal member of the Montana Senate when he is elected this November. It has been my singular honor to serve with Rep. Fuller and to be considered his friend.

The Flathead Valley is uniquely fortunate to be represented by John Fuller and need only look at his professional qualities, personal ethics and voting record to understand how blessed they are to have him serving in our “republican” form of government.

Rep. Brad Tschida, R-Helena, was the 2019 Montana House Majority Leader.