Letters to the editor March 14

Collared wildlife

Maybe our out-of-state governor should switch to shooting collared ground squirrels in an effort to demonstrate his macho hunting prowess, rather than collared wolves and mountain lions that cost thousands of dollars to collar, plus lost research data.

Of course, a ground squirrel isn’t as macho as a trapped or treed animal.

— Dennis McDowell, Bigfork

Gianforte’s hunts

I was incensed by the actions of Mr. Gianforte, killing a radio-collared mountain lion.

First of all, a Montana governor should know better. Before you shot the lion, Mr. Gianforte, you could have checked to see if it had a collar or not.

I do not consider this type of hunting “sport.” The animal does not have a chance using hounds and a team of hunters. Why would you kill a mountain lion? Only for the trophy of the pelt. This was a study animal that was being used for research purposes, now to be displayed on your wall or floor.

Hunting is a sport, yes, but unless you use the meat for food, don’t kill our beautiful Montana animals.

First you kill a wolf, and now a mountain lion. What’s next, a grizzly bear? I refer to you as Mr. Gianforte as you don’t deserve to be called governor.

— Marilyn Eberly, Kalispell

Expert work

A recent meeting of the library board of trustees was enlightening as to the source of so much of the problems within our library system. In a word: hubris. The dangerous fallacy that my ignorance is equal to your knowledge.

In a discussion about how collections are curated at the library, trustee Adams said, “I don’t know Baker and Taylor [book distributors] from Adam,” and to paraphrase: I’m not the dumbest person out there, and I think if I read a book I can make as good a judgment about it as anyone else.

The notion that a board member with no related experience or background is somehow equally or more capable than a dedicated staff with graduate degrees in library science and curatorship, and many years of experience, would be laughable if it weren’t appalling.

It is like suggesting that since I am an adult of average intelligence who sometimes changes my own oil, I am an equal mechanic to the veteran auto specialist who has formal training, years of experience, and access to tools and information resources I don’t even know exist. Of course I am not, no matter how much I may flatter my own cleverness.

To be frustrated that you don’t understand the curation and collections system after a 10 minute conversation in the stacks, or even a one hour presentation at a board meeting, is to be expected. It is for good reason we have experts and professionals who perform expert work.

My truck runs better when the mechanic replaces the head gaskets than when I do; the library runs better when the professionals do the work they were hired for, rather than being micromanaged and second guessed by unqualified trustees.

— Jared Sibbitt, Bigfork

Supreme Court nominee

Senator Daines frequently sends out messages that criticize President Biden. So it was no surprise that Senator Daines has already criticized President Biden for his nominee to the Supreme Court, Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Daines says that he will “closely examine Judge Jackson’s record and interpretation of the Constitution.” But yet without examining her record he has labeled her as appealing to Biden’s far-left base.

Senator Daines voted to confirm President Trump’s three Supreme Court nominees after the GOP platform said that Trump’s Supreme Court nominees would “enable courts to begin to reverse the long line of activist decisions including Roe vs Wade.” That sounds like a far-right agenda.

And Senator Daines, in 1980 Republican Presidential nominee Ronald Reagan announced that he would appoint a woman to the Supreme Court. Sandra Day O’Connor joined the Court in 1981. I suspect that as a Republican you would have voted to confirm Justice O’Connor.

President Biden in 2020 announced that, if elected, he would appoint a Black woman to the Supreme Court. The only difference between these presidential promises is one word, Black. After you finish your examination please stand up and vote to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court.

— Kathleen Farmer, Polson