Letters to the editor April 13

Sign of a dying campaign

When you can’t win on ideas, you fall back to destroying the other person’s character at all costs with lies and deceit. 

On Sunday, Congressman Ryan Zinke weighed in on the Republican primary for Montana’s District 1 Congress seat that he is vacating (Olszewski isn’t telling the truth, April 11).

If we were losing in the polls, you wouldn’t be hearing this kind of slander. For those of us who  understand the ugly side of politics, this is a sign of a dying campaign trying to claw back against the candidate who is winning. So thank you, Congressman Zinke, for your admission that I am the candidate to beat.

Mark your calendars to vote in the June 2 primary. Put up signs, talk to your friends, write letters to the editor, keep us in your prayers, and if you are able, make a donation to my Montana First campaign. Every dollar and donor makes a difference.

For freedom, family and affordability,

— Al Olszewski, Republican candidate for U.S. House

Rights for all Americans

As a “radical liberal scum” as some would call me, I have been pondering how to respond to those in my community who get angry and seem bewildered by the three No Kings peaceful protests that have been taking place in the Flathead Valley. (It might be a good idea to google these words: metaphor, theme, motif and maybe even simile.) 

I think I have an idea that might explain what we are trying to say: Someday, hopefully not too far in the future, the pendulum will swing, and a different party may be in control of the executive and both legislative arms of the federal government. (The courts serve their role as well, but that is a story for another day.) 

What if, in this imaginary future, the government decided to resume its critical thinking skills and find a good way to ease the threat of gun violence on our children. What if it became illegal for citizens to have weapons of war at their disposal. 

What if, to uphold this new law, an arm of the government was given the right, without a warrant or even charges, to batter down your front door, or smash your car windows, just on the thought that you might be in violation of this law, dragging you out, handcuffing you, and placing you in an unmarked vehicle and whisking you away to an unknown location. Your spouse and children have no way to reach you. This arm of the government will not tell your loved ones where you are, even if they actually know the location, which they might not. 

You are held without charges, the opportunity to promptly call anyone, medical treatment, adequate food, water, or bedding for an unknown amount of time. If you need insulin, heart medication or even dental care, oh, well! Hope you don’t die.  

Then the time may come where you will be released, somewhere, without your phone or belongings, because those things are gone forever. I guess this is the way we do things now in this country? 

Here is the thing: I am marching for the Constitutional rights for all Americans, not just the ones who agree with me. The whole Constitution matters, every single amendment. If you support this kind of fascist and unconstitutional behavior now, you better be okay with it when it comes for you, or someone you love. Hope this helps.

— Valeri McGarvey, Kalispell

On environmentalists

I have read recently that two forest projects have been frustrated by lawsuits perpetrated by so-called environmentalists. You can bet that they hired lawyers that parrot the same old song: grizzlies, lynx, bull trout and culverts. On and on it goes.

I wonder how many of those people actually go out and hike and recreate in those overgrown forests?  How many forest fires must we have to suffer from until the judiciary stops nit-picking forest management permits to halt the responsible forest management of the Flathead Forest?

What’s difference between a terrorist and an environmentalist? You can negotiate with a terrorist.

— Cy Appel, Whitefish