Letters to the editor April 3

Apostate or adherent?

Letter writers Cris Coughlin and Steve Sutherland list attendance at St. Matthew’s Church as a credential in their stated opposition to legislation regarding drag show attendance and gender dysphoria treatment affecting children, but it is unclear if as apostate or adherent, although the comment on dresses suggests the former.

They certainly seem to disregard Catholic teaching on sexuality as well as exhibit a deficient Catholic understanding of the concept of charity. In either event, perhaps they should have paid more attention to the sermon on millstones.

The authors are certainly free to express their opinion. In the future they might clarify their adherence to or rejection of the Catholic faith when promoting social norms contrary to its teachings, if they wish to mention it at all.

— Michael Boharski, Kalispell

Homelessness

Many letters have been written regarding the Flathead commissioners’ ill-advised letter regarding the Warming Center and other nonprofits addressing homelessness. Many good solutions have been suggested; however, one solution which would help a segment of the homeless has been missing, and that would be a change in the Montana statutes.

Montana is one of only five states that still has imminent dangerousness for self or others as a criteria for involuntary treatment. The other 45 have gone to “gravely disabled” or “unable to care for oneself” as criteria. Also, the interpretation of the degree of danger varies with the county and the crisis personnel.

Approximately 50 % of people with schizophrenia and 40% of people with bi-polar disorder have a brain condition of anosognosia which makes is difficult or impossible to recognize one is ill. This segment refuses medication. A letter from the board of the wellness center said that about 70% of users of the wellness center are mentally ill. Nationally it’s estimated that 40% of the homeless are mentally ill, by choice only because of anosognosia, schizophrenia and bi-polar are brain diseases which need medication to function normally, as diabetics, and persons with other physical illnesses need medication.

Montana’s mental health system and state are abandoning this segment of the homeless to poverty and the dangers of life on the streets.

— Mitzi Anderson, Whitefish