A big thanks

To the editor,

The board of directors, staff and participants of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flathead County would like to thank the community for the wonderful response to the recent Bowl For Kids' Sake fundraiser.

Our appreciation goes out to all of the bowlers, sponsors and businesses for being so generous with their time and financial support.

Students from Elrod, Ruder and Helena Flats raised $7,563 during the school bowl. The multi-day event has brought in pledge amounts that totaled nearly $47,000.

Big Brothers Big Sisters has grown two-fold in the last five years to support many more children in one-to-one, professionally supported relationships with screened mentors from the community. These funds will make it possible to sustain this level of service to the community and to work towards our vision of matching each child who wants or needs a mentor … right here in the Flathead Valley.

A special thank you to the Pin & Cue, Northshore Lanes and Glacier Lanes for hosting the event and Pizza Hut and Pepsi for providing refreshments. Without your outstanding support, this would not have been possible. We feel proud that the community shares this vision for mentoring.

Jori Bullemer, executive director

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flathead County

Republicans for privatization

To the editor,

In "Wake up, folks," a Thanksgiving letter to the Hungry Horse News, Linc France expresses outrage that the "privatization forces" are pushing ahead to undermine our Social Security system, all while "America sleeps or … is having a good time."

No, Linc, not all of America, but rather the 51 percent of Americans who gave Bush and the Republicans another four years in office. Linc, the 51 percent Bush majority had, but lost, their chance to stop the privatization of social security - Bush and the Republican Party were very clear about their intentions, long before the election.

The Democrats were and are strongly against privatization. The Democrats really have their work cut out for them trying to figure out how they could possibly fail to inform and convince that 51 percent Bush majority regarding three profound truths about the Republican administration of the last four years: It was one of the most, if not the most, (1) lying and deceitful presidencies in American history, and (2) incompetent administrations in American history. Finally (3), the Republican Party is the party of the rich, the top 5 percent income earners, the corporate rich - it simply does not promote policies that focus on middle and low income groups.

There is abundant evidence in the public record to support these simple facts, indeed, everyday news of the last three years is daily testimony to these truths. So, how on earth did Bush manage to get re-elected? Perhaps there is a clue is in Linc's letter - he never once mentions President Bush or the Republican majorities in the Senate and Congress.

Yet, privatization is very much a Republican proposal - the Democrats are dead set against it and will fight it all the way. Maybe Bush was re-elected because he was likable, cute, not-too-bright but seems tough. Maybe Linc and the 51 percent majority don't hold him responsible for the multitude of lies, disastrous mistakes and the sharp decline in America's well-being that we have seen in the last fours years. But, why not?

Don Kiehn and Lynne Dixon

East Glacier

Island paradise wanted

To the editor,

Melita Island sits like a small jewel near Big Arm Bay of Flathead Lake. Its 65 acres is home to a small herd of deer, ospreys and bald eagles.

For the past few years, a dedicated group of volunteers comprising the Phoenix Patrol has spent thousands of dollars and countless hours cleaning up debris, rejuvenating the decaying main meeting hall, and installing kitchen facilities, a boat dock and mooring buoys, water filtration systems, outdoor showers and fire suppression equipment so that Boy Scouts could take advantage of what is fast becoming a nationally recognized water sports base camp.

Hundreds of young men have already benefited from the camping, the swimming and canoeing and sailing courses, the beauty of the Flathead area, and the example of unselfish men who are teaching them the lifelong positive concepts that scouting offers.

Unfortunately, all of this work could come crashing to a halt at the end of December unless funds can be raised to purchase the island from the current owner, who has offered it to the scouts at a very fair price, much below market value.

If the current purchase deadline passes, the island will likely be sold to a developer, and another piece of "the last best place" will probably be studded with vacation homes for millionaires, each home with at least one "No Trespassing" sign.

Please help keep this island as a resource we can all cherish. Future generations of Montanans will be forever grateful.

Bradford W. McMullin

Missoula

No Hollywood values

To the editor,

Have you who would abolish the Electoral College really thought that through and considered the consequences?

Our Founding Fathers in their wisdom decided that the United States of America should be a representative republic where all the citizens could have a say in the kind of government we would have. The states would elect representatives who would make the concerns, ideas and desires of their constituents known and considered, a government of the people, by the people and for the people.

If the popular vote was the only decision maker, we could in effect have a dictatorship expressing only the ideas, opinions and desires of one segment and mind set of the entire population. Right now, there is almost a 50-50 split, and we all know too well about voter fraud.

Imagine being governed by these like-minded precepts, Hollywood values, the old mainstream news medium who knowingly present fake documents as truth, who could shape our minds and hearts by reporting only the parts of the news that reinforce what they want us to hear and think.

They're the bigoted, racist, snob cartoonists who degrade minorities, who have worked hard to escape the government plantation of dependency, and those uppity blacks, they call Aunt Jemimas and Uncle Toms, who dare to make something special of themselves. Then there's the elitists, educated to the point where they have absolutely no common sense and are so open minded their brains have fallen out. All these ideas are heard and considered.

There's a movement working hard to destroy the beliefs and traditions that have been our foundation and erase inhibitions of long established values. Abolishing the Electoral College would be a giant leap forward for that movement.

Governing by popular vote only could easily make this nightmare scenario a full-blown reality. Is that really what you want?

Velma Spores

Kalispell

Faith a basic right

To the editor,

Practitioners of Falun Dafa, a Qigong practice based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion and forbearance have been persecuted in China for more than five years. Innocent law abiding citizens have been arrested, imprisoned and tortured to death for practicing their beliefs. Peaceful appeals made by practitioners all around the world bring attention to these crimes against humanity.

On Nov. 16, the Chinese State chairman, Hu Jintao, was visiting Buenos Aires, Argentina. Falun Dafa practitioners were displaying banners stating "Falun Dafa is Good" and "Bring Jiang (Former State Chairman responsible for the persecution of Falun Dafa) to Justice" when they were beaten by members of the Chinese delegation. The practitioners committed no crime. In Argentina, citizens have the right to assemble, yet the practitioners were arrested and detained until the Chinese delegation left the area.

Once again, the influence of the Chinese government is felt beyond the borders of China.

On Oct. 4, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed House Concurrent Resolution 304 which specifically addresses the harassment of Falun Gong practitioners by the Chinese government here in America. The practitioners of Falun Dafa would like to thank Rep. Denny Rehberg for his continued support of legislation supporting human rights.

The freedom of belief is a basic human right for all of humanity!

Katherine Combes

Kalispell