Letters to the editor July 2

Glacier gridlock

The June 28 article “Traffic troubles top of mind for park visitors and staff” was excellent, but missing one important fact: the decision to eliminate the vehicle reservation in Glacier National Park, Arches, Mount Rainer and Yosemite was not made by the staff in each park but its abolition was mandated by the Interior Department in Washington D.C. 

This “made in Washington” decision has resulted in the return of bumper-to-bumper gridlock in these parks.

— Jim Swab, Kalispell

Responsible water usage

As all Plains residents have noticed by now, your water bill has increased by at least 35%. Such an increase was needed to fix aged infastructure. 

This should lead to responsible water usage but apparently that is not the case for the town. We were blessed with a lot of rain at the end of June, yet the park on Railroad was being watered in the early morning hours of July 1. 

The residents pay to have the park watered throught a contractor. So not only do we pay for the water we pay the waterer. The town government needs to be responsible for the use and cost of such a valuable resourse. 

Since the residents pay for it there does not seem to be interest in conserving water or saving residents money.

— Charles Malek, Plains

Religious freedom

As America celebrates 250 years of freedom and liberty, millions in China are being persecuted for their beliefs. The contrast could not be starker — or more urgent.

I want to thank Congressman Ryan Zinke and Troy Downing for their support of House Bill H.R. 1540, which now goes before the Senate as S.4009, the Falun Gong and Victims of Forced Organ Harvesting Protection Act, which is a critical step toward ending the horrific practice of forced organ harvesting and holding the CCP accountable for these crimes against humanity.  

For decades, the Chinese Communist Party has forcibly imposed its atheist ideology on generations of Chinese citizens, violently suppressing those who dare to practice their faith. The mass, state-sanctioned harvesting of organs from prisoners of conscience is among the most horrifying human rights atrocities of our time — and the world cannot remain silent.  

Our founders understood that religious freedom is not a privilege but a birthright. Upholding that principle is inseparable from America’s identity and its continued strength. When faith and conscience come under attack anywhere in the world, it is the duty of every person who cherishes freedom to speak out and act.

On this momentous 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding, I urge you to encourage our senators to cosponsor and support S.4009 and stand on the right side of history. Please protect the dignity of all people — especially those who suffer in silence in China — and help keep our traditional values and freedoms alive, here and around the world.

Happy Birthday, America.

— Katherine Combes, Kalispell

Carbon dioxide

In the decades after World War II, it came as a shock when Roger Revelle, at that time the director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography, warned that the surface of the ocean was becoming increasingly acidic and unable to absorb the rapidly growing carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels.  He encouraged the monitoring of carbon dioxide.

The most well-known measurements were made at Mauna Loa, located in Hawaii, far from any heavy industry. The measurements showed that carbon dioxide in the air was increasing rapidly.

Decades later, the increase of carbon dioxide has continued and accelerated, due to newly Industrialized countries. The warming of the world’s oceans has slowed climate change, but the effects are already severe close to the equator.

What to do? Spread the word to your family and friends. There are bipartisan solutions we can all support, no matter our political persuasion.

— Kirk Bryan Jr., Whitefish