In response to former Sen. Max Baucus (Voter rights bill will restore confidence in our elections, April 25), we also watched in total dismay as an insurrection stormed our nation’s Capitol on Jan. 6. It never should have happened! And yes, the threat to our democracy was homegrown.

But did you also watch rioters and looters and total disregard for the law in our major American cities for many, many months as they desecrated the businesses and lives of many average Americans? This too, was a homegrown threat. Why has your party been so quiet about this? It’s a fair question. As you felt the horror of Jan.6, do you not feel the horror of the ongoing riots and the vilification of our entire law enforcement for the corruption of a few?

Misinformation is a problem in our country, as you said. On Jan. 6, thankfully, Mr. Pence did the right thing. But since the 2016 election, the bias and misinformation of the main stream media has been glaring.

NBC and CBS most recently demonstrated this by not showing the entire context of videos they were using to slant the story. We, the American people, would not have known this without the diligent effort of conservative outlets to portray the real story. Can we agree that all parties need integrity in journalism?

I’m not sure what you mean by Big Sky values, but I agree with you and your concern for our democracy but not for the same reasons. As conservatives, we believe in free enterprise, limited government, individual liberty, national security, and traditional values.

But there seems to be a party bent on destroying every one of these values when they promote socialism, excessive federal government, and war against our rights of freedom of religion and freedom of the press. This same party does not understand national security, it even endangers it. Traditional values are framed by this party as bigotry and racism.

We could go on and on about this party’s promotion of abortion on demand at any stage of pregnancy; their recklessness with indebtedness to promote their own agenda without bipartisan support; their promotion of identity politics and the moral, sexual revolution which can destroy any civilized society. This party created a humanitarian crisis on our southern border and endangered our national security simply because of their hatred for our past president.

This party has abolished the commission for The 1776 Report, a commission created to write a public document to correct and expose the purported history of the 1619 Project. This party promotes critical race theory which is based on lies and is causing serious division in our country as it has infiltrated our educational institutions, our large corporations and now the institutions of our government.

Where is the outcry? This is not the democracy we can cherish. Mr. Baucus, may I respectfully say that the Democratic Party platform that you faithfully served as a gentleman and a statesman is no longer.

As for the For the Peoples Act, we have voting rights in this country. They need to be protected from the federal government whom many of us have lost confidence in.

H.R. 1 unconstitutionally constricts and overrides the sovereignty of the states for the conduct of elections. It will foster perpetual election fraud by prohibiting requiring a state voter ID to obtain a mail-in ballot and permitting individuals to simply sign a sworn statement as to identify. It will virtually eliminate any restrictions on voting by mail and it will require states to offer online registration and same-day registrations and voting. It will effectively permit voter harvesting … picking up and delivering bundles of votes.

Please, Mr. Baucus, contact Sen. Tester in the name of a true democratic republic asking him to oppose H.R.1. It is not for the people.

Susan Sullivan lives in Kalispell.