Letters to the editor Sept. 24

CI-128 nightmare

Picture this, you just awoke from a nightmare wherein you encountered a catastrophic event that left you fully dependent upon others for your well-being. 

While the event did not leave you numb to pain, it did take away your voice. You could no longer speak for yourself. You did not want to die, but you were deemed an inadequate human based upon others’ disdain for your existence.

As if it could not get worse, your caretakers chose to end your life for their convenience. You had no say. 

Moreover, it was written into law that when individuals like you were in such a state, killing you was the right of the stronger, louder, more independent and socially acceptable people. 

In other words, your rights disappeared when you lost your ability to defend them. 

Never mind that you had your whole life ahead of you. Never mind that you were just as capable of loving and being loved as anyone else. They did not care. They only saw you as an object meant to be dominated and done away with. 

In other words, in this nightmare, the bigger, stronger guy always wins. 

Can equality exist in such a society? 

While you, reader, got to wake up today and choose to continue living, this nightmare is the unbelievable reality for hundreds of thousands of humans whose right to life has been thrown in the trash, along with their mangled and unloved bodies. Never mind that they had their whole lives ahead of them. Never mind that they were just as capable of loving and being loved as anyone else. 

They were unborn. Nameless. Never to be heard. And pro “choice” Montanans want the right to this reality further enshrined in our state’s constitution. 

Vote no on CI-128 this November, and let’s start talking about the real issues behind these problems. 

Perhaps we could begin by addressing a justice system that refuses to prosecute perpetrators, yet further punishes their victims by releasing criminals back into the public sector time and time again. Equality indeed.

“A vitiated state of morals, a corrupted public conscience, is incompatible with freedom.” — Patrick Henry 

— Taalyr Claridge, Kalispell

Sheehy’s comments don’t represent us

Tim Sheehy is running to represent all Montanans as one of our senators in Washington. Well, maybe not all.

During a campaign fundraiser in Shelby last November in an audio recording, Sheehy says he ropes and brands with Crow members on the reservation, and that it’s “a great way to bond with all the Indians while they’re drunk at 8 a.m.” In Hamilton at a campaign event, also last November, Sheehy talked about riding in the Crow Fair parade. “They’ll let you know when they like you or not, if Coors Light cans are flying by your head … They respect that.”

Contrast that with the words in Sen. Jon Tester’s letter to VA Montana Executive Director Duane Gill.

“I write today to encourage Montana VA Health Care System (VA Montana) leadership to continue to prioritize culturally-competent health care for Native American veterans, and ensure information about these services is communicated to all tribes and veterans across Montana.”

Tester regularly advocates for veterans — all veterans, in his role as Senate Veterans Affairs Committee chair. His hard work and representation there reflects positively on all Montanans.  

Right now, Tim Sheehy’s racially charged comments reflect poorly only on him. But if he is elected Nov. 5, they reflect on us all.  That’s not who we are as Montanans. It’s a clear choice.

— Sandy and Mike Koness, Somers

Tester’s record

On day one of the Biden-Harris-Tester administration, construction of the Keystone Pipeline was ended. Sen. Jon Tester stood by and did nothing, depriving eastern Montana of millions of dollars.

Tester’s ads state he, “Will fight to keep Montanans safe from illegal immigration.” He is about 400,000 opioid deaths too late; multiple crimes and murders committed by illegals; sex trafficking of women and children; and an incredible financial burden placed upon you, cities and states to deal with the housing, food, transportation, medication, education and litigation of these approximately 10 to 22 million illegal immigrants, including many on the terrorist watch list. And now he wants to secure the border? Jonny come lately.  

Inflation is often called “the cruelest tax of all” because it hits the middle class and poor the hardest. Inflation is taxation, and it is destroying the savings, future plans and livelihoods of everyone. Tester, Harris, Biden toddle on, seemingly unfazed by the pain of this. And check out the unrealized capital gains tax that they are proposing.

Tester has been in office almost 20 years. As each election season rolls around, he declares he’s “fighting for the folks in Montana.” Evidently he hasn’t put up that much of a struggle, because we are feeling as if we’ve been KO’d.  

If you are a veteran, is this the country and the rights you fought for? Is increased mileage reimbursement and the PACT Act all to show for the past 20 years? Veterans: Why are you settling for so little?  

— Linda Lien, Billings