Stolen words in a campaign speech are no big deal, if you listen to operatives of the Donald Trump campaign.

Melania Trump’s big moment Monday at the Republican National Convention was marred by her parroting of the words of Michelle Obama eight years ago.

Trump’s speech lifted passages word-for-word from Obama’s speech, leading to an unexpected focal point of convention controversy.

The defensive tactics from the GOP in the face of criticism were almost laughable.

The Trump people first vigorously denied the plagiarism, then said it was no big deal, then blamed the media, then blamed Hillary Clinton, before finally letting an aide take responsibility.

As big a gaffe as the plagiarism is, the antagonistic response by the Trump campaign was almost worse. If it were an innocent mistake, it should have been acknowledged quickly, with an apology forthcoming. To pretend it never happened just made Trump’s followers look like they were out of touch with reality.

Beyond all the political posturing, however, we would emphasize that plagiarism is a big deal.

Quite simply, pilfering another person’s prose and presenting it as your own is dishonest.

In the journalism world, plagiarism is ethically unacceptable and has led to career-ending consequences. Similarly, a host of public figures (remember former U.S. Sen. John Walsh?) faced similar outcomes after they were unwise enough to plagiarize the work of others.

We hope (but seriously doubt) the Trump campaign will be chastened by the plagiarism furor and avoid similar ethical lapses in the future.

See you at the Event!

The Event at Rebecca Farm is back for the 15th year, and if you haven’t experienced this equestrian showcase yet, we encourage you to take the opportunity this year.

Competition actually got started yesterday, but you still have a chance to see many world-class equestrian athletes and superb horses compete over the next three days.

In addition to being an observer, you can also take part as a customer in the Art & Trade Fair held on the grounds of Rebecca Farm from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today and Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. A kids zone will be available offering pony rides, face painting, arts and crafts and bounce houses.

Admission to the Event is free, but there is a suggested donation for parking to support the Event’s charity, Halt Cancer at X. The Rebecca Farm entrance is located northwest of Kalispell at 1010 Springcreek Road.