Letters to the editor May 15

Inhumane actions

For several days now it has been conjectured that the Trump administration has been exploring exporting migrants to Libya and other nations far afield from where these migrants may have come from.

Now the New York Times reports that the Trump Administration is furthering these plans to send migrants to Libya on a military flight.

In its annual report on human rights practices last year, our Department of State cited “harsh and life-threatening” conditions in Libya’s detention centers and found that migrants (presumably mostly sub-Saharan) in those facilities, including children, had “no access to immigration courts or due process.”

Also, the Department of State warns against traveling to Libya “due to crime, terrorism, unexploded land mines, civil unrest.”

To send migrants from the U.S. to Libya would be inhumane at the least and I should think be a form of crime against humanity. As citizens, we must speak out, and I believe we must call upon our elected representatives to take a stand on our behalf or be held culpable.

I can scarcely believe any U. S. administration could be so unconscionable’ or crass.

Consider listening to Kurt Bestor’s song “Prayer of the Children” then pray that we can find a semblance of nobility as a nation in such an instance as this.

— Larry D. Williams, Columbia Falls

Lake management

For 80-plus years Flathead Lake has been managed competently. I know because I have witnessed at least 60 of those years, as a resident on the lake.

Why then has the lake water level suddenly become a complex debate? The only reason I can see is that those in charge of managing the lake either don’t know what they are doing or don’t care. 

There is much at stake for residents, wildlife, visitors (some from more than 4,000 miles away) and businesses who have come to depend on the lake being at a functional level for the summer months. Is that too much to ask?  

Maybe Energy Keepers would care to refund me the exorbitant $3,500 in slip fees I lost in 2023 because I had to pull my boat? Or compensate me for the damage to my dock and shoreline due to storms, because the water was higher than normal in 2024?  

That no one who has expertise and/or concern for the management of the lake seems to have a seat at the table is problematic, as it affects everyone who use this treasure called Flathead Lake.

— Kathryn Berg, Bigfork

Intelligence

In America, bragging is a celebrated art. People proudly display their wealth, strength, beauty and success, and society encourages it. Yet, if someone claims to be smarter than average, the reaction is swift and negative. Intelligence, unlike wealth or physical prowess, disrupts America’s preferred narrative about success: that it is visible, attainable and equally accessible to all.

Bragging about intelligence challenges the myth of pure meritocracy. It forces people to confront an uncomfortable truth — that success is not solely the product of hard work but often rooted in innate, unequal traits. While strength and wealth can be earned or acquired, intelligence remains largely beyond individual control, and its disparities are difficult to reconcile with American ideals of fairness.

Moreover, intelligence is not easily displayed or celebrated. It cannot be paraded like a trophy or worn like a designer label. Its very nature is subversive: it questions systems, authority and traditions rather than reinforcing them. In a society that values confidence and winners, intelligence introduces complexity, discomfort and insecurity.

Thus, in a culture that tolerates nearly every form of self-promotion, boasting about intelligence remains taboo. Strength inspires, wealth impresses, but intelligence alienates. In a nation obsessed with success, the ultimate sin is not failure — it is daring to be visibly, unapologetically smarter than the crowd.

— Garrett Epperson, Kalispell

Power of community connection

Recently, I had the pleasure of joining fellow Kalispell Noon Rotarians in volunteering for the congregate meals program at the Kalispell Senior Center. I’m proud to share how efficiently the program is run and, more importantly, how much genuine care and love the staff and volunteers bring to their work.

For just $8, anyone can enjoy a nutritious hot or cold meal and if you are over 60 it is free or for a $4 donation

You can check out their menu online and even sign up to volunteer, whether it’s helping to serve on-site or delivering meals for the Meals on Wheels program.

After spending just two hours there, I left with a deep sense of gratitude. The staff not only love what they do, but they also know and care deeply for the people they serve. It’s a beautiful reminder of the power of community and connection.

Thank you to everyone at the Kalispell Senior Center for all that you do.

— Jamie Quinn, Kalispell