Letters to the editor Oct. 6
Social media
I did something last Saturday evening after watching the debate between Ryan Zinke and Monica Tranel, which I will undoubtedly never do again. I tweeted a favorable response for one of the candidates that I felt did well.
Who knew that showing support or complimenting someone but not overtly would trigger such mean-spirited comments? I felt this rush of humiliation and embarrassment of being attacked by complete strangers who did not know me and wanted to persecute me for the crime of being supportive of a candidate of not their choice.
How is it that an opposing view so easily triggers a sizeable portion of our society that they cannot either accept someone else’s opinion or use their intellect to respond intelligently? But instead, their lack of demeanor and control by spewing angry words only solidify I have chosen the correct candidate.
I removed my response on Twitter. I am not too proud to admit that I am not built to withstand such mean-spiritedness.So I will take my opinion and leave it at the voting booth.
— Cassie Monaco, Whitefish
Birth control
As reported in the Montana Free Press, All Families Healthcare founder Helen Weems, stated, “the first patient (that Thursday) was also fairly typical. The woman had decided to end her pregnancy, Weems said, because she and her partner were “super clear” they weren’t interested in having kids at the time.”
The killing of this unborn baby was not because of an ectopic pregnancy, rape, incest, or to preserve the life or health of the mother. It appears to have been a form of birth control.
If couples want to have sex without consequences, I urge them to get their tubes tied, or use some other form of birth control other than creating babies and then killing them in the womb.
— Jerry O’Neil, Columbia Falls
Preserve Montana
I strongly oppose the building of the hotel around Holland Lake. Although I am a transplant to Montana, Holland Lake has such significant beauty, peace and tranquility to it. It was one of the first hikes I did when coming here. I think everyone should have an opportunity to see the beauty in which Holland Lake has to offer, but not by means of a hotel.
Keep the lake free from infrastructure. Outsiders don’t understand the want and need for keeping our “playgrounds” free of trash and pollutants, but it’s essential to preserve what we have and keep Montanas beauty for future generations.
— Elizabeth Bossler, Whitefish
Holland Lake compromise
The promise to be a good steward of the land is already in jeopardy of being broken just by proposing to make the gigantic retreat. All those people/customers would end Holland Lake as we know it by sheer numbers of travelers to/from the lodge and unless a ban on outboard motors is put in place, the very serenity-not to mention the possible contamination of the lake are in jeopardy.
A reasonable compromise would be, allow the owner to build the restaurant proposed in the center of the property but instead of the massive building, a smaller number of individual cabins. From the water it would look like a summer camp which would better fit the area, the owner still gets something to rent out to tourists and the tourists would, likely, enjoy more than a big gawky building out of place with the area.
— Ron Saunders, Kalspell
Zena the dog
Approximately two years ago, my friend, Dr. Annie Bukacek, purchased a dog for protection, naming her Zena. It soon became apparent that Zena was a different kind of dog. For whatever reason, she never learned her name, but she knew when we were talking about her. She was smart, silly and very social.
Zena loved to make friends with the people who came to Annie’s office. Sometimes they brought her treats. She made friends at the local Starbucks, meaning more treats. She reached out to a lonely woman at the bank, making the woman’s day.
Per Annie, some of her patients wanted Zena present in the exam room, for comfort. Per Annie, Zena would look the patient in the eye, sometimes touching the patient with her paw or laying her head on the patient’s lap.
Zena loved to go to the dog parks in Kalispell and Whitefish. She learned how to get along with other dogs. She was very fast and loved to run.
On the negative side, Zena was sometimes an escape artist. Last week, she slipped out of a friend’s home and was hit by a car. She died instantly.
Zena wasn’t perfect. But in her short life, she touched many people and did much good.
— Margaret Dore, Whitefish