Letters to the editor July 25
The Squad
I write with regard to the George McLeans’s letter to the editor (July 21) “McCarthy-era tactics.” I agree with Mr. McLean that McCarthy-era tactics are being regularly used today in America. I disagree with him with regard to who is using them. It is not President Trump and his supporters who engage in such tactics, but rather people on the left.
Today in America, if you disagree with a leftist’s position, you are a racist if the person espousing the position is a minority. You are a sexist if the person is a woman. You are a homophobe if the person is not “straight.”
Case in point is President Trump’s disagreement with the political positions of “The Squad.” Members of The Squad believe that America should be a socialist county. Members will not condemn Al-Qaeda. Members of The Squad will not condemn the terrorist acts of Antifa.
Because President Trump disagrees with their political positions he is deemed by the left to be a racist because the members of The Squad just happen to have minority heritage.
I also agree with George McLean that we Montanans have a “live and let live” attitude: You can live your life any way that you want, so long as it does not impact the way I live my life. However, transforming our country into a socialist society will change how I live my life. Similarly, supporting terrorists and enemies of the United States will also impact my life, which includes my love of the United States of America. I, like President Trump, do not support the political positions of The Squad and I will gladly state my beliefs even while knowing that the consequence will be that I too will be labeled a racist and a sexist (The Squad are all women).
Democracy dies in the dark.
—Mickale Carter, Columbia Falls
Trump’s tweet
President Trump’s tweeted criticism of four leftist women freshmen Democrat Representatives in Congress for their anti-American rhetoric and Socialist/Marxist policies did what other spineless Democrats in Congress should have done. While Democrats and their media sycophants have screamed phony (by definition) “racist” accusations, they failed to address the issues that Trump criticized:
1) Blatant anti-Semitic and anti-Israel remarks, calling for a “boycott” of Israel;
2) The fantasy of a “Green New Deal” that would destroy the U.S. economy (a goal of the Justice Democrats, a Marxist organization backing the women);
3) Government single-payer health care (Medicare for all) that would increase taxes to 70% for the middle class, ration care, bankrupt hospitals and destroy private health care;
4) Support for enemies of the country, characterizing the Sept. 11 attack by Al-Queda terrorists as “some people did something”;
5) Inaccurately calling the Obama-created border detention facilities “concentration camps,” then voting against funds to improve them;
6) An “open borders” policy and decriminalizing illegal entry into the U.S. (but providing free health care for all who enter illegally).
Hopefully, voters in 2020 will return the women to places they came from: MA, MI, MN and NY.
—Philip L Barney, Polson
Bumper stickers
I choose making a difference over social acceptance, and over friendship if that’s what it would mean.
If I have to have a “don’t tread on me,” “blue line,” NRA and anti-wolf bumper sticker to establish my manhood and be in with that crowd, then to heck with that! I am a gun owner (for magazine limits and the most rigorous background checks and mental health monitoring). I appreciate the history of the “don’t tread on me” slogan. The blue line — I’m not a bumper sticker kind of guy, but I thank God for our police, thankful every day for them.
I saw a T-shirt worn by a fellow churchgoer on a Sunday morning, it had a flag with a blue line and the verse “blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God.” Well I’m about 100% sure that Jesus right there wasn’t talking about peace keeping done by force. But many roles an officer plays in the line of duty probably would fall under what Jesus was saying there, in Matthew 5:9.
—Matthew Lamberts, Bigfork
Let the kids play
Yes indeed baseball and it’s pace does allow one to escape the crazy. Ahh! However, the only thing that I disagree with Mr. Lyons (July 18) on is that major league needs to sponsor more youth leagues. A next-door neighbor used to say: “If it isn’t organized they’re not playing.” What we as adults need to do is limit kids screen-time, show them the outdoors and allow them to organize a game themselves with no adult influence. Making up their own rules as the games they play or invent evolve such as do overs and sometimes making up rules to adjust for lack of players can help them to be problem solvers.
—Dave Gay, Eureka
Iacocca and Chrysler
Pat Williams’ column (July 14) is a wonderful tribute to the talents and courage of a great American, Lee Iacocca. It was too bad that he didn’t pursue a second career that might have led to the United States presidency. Regarding fiscal responsibility, he once said that he could reduce expenditures in any entity by 10 percent and the bigger the entity the easier would be the result.
Mr. Williams’ article, however, indicates that the government loaned Chrysler $1.5 billion. They did not. The government provided for loan guarantees in that amount to private lenders with a multitude of stipulations and conditions. Not only did Chrysler under Iacocca’s leadership turn the company around, it did so in only a little over two years. The government actually made money on fees required of Chrysler for the guarantee, and, in fact, made over $300 million selling Chrysler warrants for common stock.
—Jim Bloom, Columbia Falls
Don’t give bricks a bad rap
After the recent tragedy here in the valley, one can only hope that the liberal bleeding heart gang that gathers at Depot Park to protest about most anything doesn’t now propose to register, much less ban, all bricks. There may be a few bad people in the world, but bricks for the most part are good. People may do away with each other now and then, but bricks don’t — bricks are good.
— Norm Root, Kalispell