Letters to the editor June 18

It is sad to see people in our country trying to destroy the way of life that this nation has enjoyed for so many years. I speak of the anarchists that are overtaking the Democratic Party. The leaders of this party are so overwhelmed with seeking re-election and maintaining their position of power and prestige that they concede any principal of integrity to the radical fringe elements of the far left in order to do so.

The sadder part of this is to observe the multitude of citizens that have no interest or are too busy to concern themselves with this degeneration. This is mainly the younger and middle aged group that are diligently occupied with family and jobs and trying to make a living.

The Democrats will not make your life better, they are turning this country into a place where laws are being ignored, anarchy is accepted and chaos prevails. Look at the big cities run by the Democrat leaders, they are all descending into lawlessness and poverty. The anarchists are burning large swaths of private and public businesses. Even our once wonderful neighbor Seattle is now starting to burn and is no longer a nice place to visit. The protests are starting in Helena and Missoula and Kalispell, and soon they will become lawless and the riots will begin. Our wonderful rural way of life here in Montana will soon be just a memory.

This is all a result of the elected liberal and progressive members of the Democratic Party and the citizens that vote for them. Wake up American citizens, find a way to make Democratic voters realize what they are doing to this country.

—Duane Egan, Columbia Falls

On June 6 we attended the peaceful protest/demonstration in Kalispell’s Depot Park. So did upward of a thousand others. And so did perhaps as many as a hundred people who felt the need to show up at a peaceful demonstration, to which they had not been invited, carrying assault rifles and other weapons, including one with a baseball bat. Just in case that was not sufficiently menacing, they also wore vests stuffed with additional ammunition. “Just in case.”

Most of them arrayed themselves in front of the statue of the kneeling soldier in Depot Park, standing guard over a monument to which no one was posing a threat. Guarding the statue was merely the thinnest of excuses to accomplish their real goal – dressing up and brandishing the military-style weapons they love to carry.

We asked one of them why he brought his assault rifle. We pointed to the anti-police brutality demonstrators and said, “We are not armed.” He answered, “We’re here to protect you.” Huh? Protect us from whom? They were the only threat. No demonstrator burned down a building or threw a brick. We did not see a single protestor with a weapon of any kind. Police officers were already present, which we appreciated.

Our concern is this: How has this become normal? Five or 10 years ago, people would have been shocked to see even one person, armed to the teeth, at a public function, especially one where children were present. Probably many citizens would have called the police out of fear. Now, “open carry” has come to mean intimidating those with whom you disagree. We were afraid, as dusk fell, that the cover of darkness would embolden one of them – perhaps even unintentionally – to fire off a round. Try to imagine what might have ensued.

Whatever your views on the Second Amendment, please do not attend peaceful rallies, planned by those with whom you disagree, and attempt to nullify the First Amendment with a show of force and hostility as we saw on Saturday evening.

—Joseph Biby, Kalispell

As a longtime reader of you publication (somewhere before 1950), I would like to thank you for your consideration of both sides of various issues, whether they are political, educational, or others such as climate change, taxes or environment. I do realize certain of these overlap. Your editorial page and letters to the editor help me to see both sides, so I can try to understand how to arrive at an intelligent decision for myself.

After having been involved in public education for 50 years, I do have some strong opinions on that topic.

—Larry Kaber, Kalispell

I called public works in Kalispell and asked when they were going to pick up branches. I was told that it is the parks department’s problem, we don’t do that.

I worked for the city for over 18 years and when a storm hit, all departments went out and cleaned it up - even some of management put on gloves and helped, as it is all our responsibility to keep things working. I guess we have a new lazy breed in management. Time to clean house from the very top down. If you can’t do some manual labor when problems happen, we the citizens don’t want or need you. The ones really willing to work , we will keep or advance. The rest need to be gone.

—Jim Snell, Kalispell

I want to thank all the participants that showed up for at least three years for the infamous Trump Tuesday. You all rock and were committed to the cause no matter what the odds were. Please keep following the trail that will lead to inclusion of all people, no matter their politics. Miss you all.

—Chuck Overcast, Whitefish

As our state begins to reopen, we’re seeing an increase in the numbers of new infections due to the coronavirus.

Wear a mask. Please. Don’t be complacent. Don’t be stupid. Don’t think “it won’t happen to me.” Don’t be selfish.

Wearing a mask will protect you, your kids and me and mine. If you click your seatbelt every time you drive, you can suffer through the minor inconvenience of wearing a mask.

Montanans profess self-responsibility. Don’t be a hypocrite. Be responsible.

It’s the right thing to do.

—Mark Paulson, Kalispell