Letters to the editor July 30

Keep going

Dear Alani Bankhead,

After reading Carol Williams’ letter to the Democratic Party, don’t drop out. The pompousness and self-righteousness of her letter is nauseating. 

Who cares if you’re not properly funded? Who cares if a D.C. handpicked candidate in Seth Bodnar has more money? The only people that care about that are party operators and people who stand to make lots of money from you dropping out. 

Stay in and remind Montana voters how poorly, how badly, the Democratic Party and the Republican Party in the state have failed the voters again and again and again, in doing everything to put party politics over the people every year. Remind them that both men seeking this job are handpicked, not by Montanans, but by a select few associated with the major parties. 

If you start stating the above every place you go, in any interview you do, you will resonate with all voters in this state and have a good shot of becoming the first female U.S. Senator from Montana. If they wish to bash you for the statements and or inconsistencies in your background you made previously, take it head on admitting you’re human and you make mistakes. 

People are tired of being lied to and misled regardless of party affiliation. Be honest about who you are, your failings and shortcomings in life, and you’ll be more believable than anybody campaigning. Do these things and watch your support grow by the day. Do not drop out. Keep going.

— John Marshall, Hot Springs

Law and order?

For the last four days, a homeless man has been camped without permission on private property adjacent to a gym in Kalispell. As the husband and father of a wife and daughter who participate in early workout classes, this is a safety concern. 

What is more concerning is that Kalispell Police Department has been called multiple times by both the owner of the gym and the owner of the property on which the homeless man has planted himself, and the response they’ve gotten from responding officers is, “There’s nothing we can do about it.” 

Really? Is this what Kalispell has come to; that homeless people usurp the rights of property owners? Is this the new definition of law and order? If so, it sounds like the beginnings of the messes seen in Portland, Seattle, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. It is bad enough that homeless people lounge all over public property (that they don’t pay taxes to maintain or clean up) and that seems to be subtly encouraged by the mayor and City Council.

I fully realize that addressing the homeless situation is complicated, especially when substance abuse is a contributing factor. Just because it’s difficult to address doesn’t mean it should be tolerated. One thing I can guarantee is that taxpaying citizens should not have to tiptoe around the issue and homeless rights should not trump tax paying citizens’ rights. Trespassing is trespassing. Just ask the land barons trying to squash any conversation about corner crossing on checkerboarded federal land.

Taxpaying citizens should be vigorously supported by local law enforcement rather than city government and law enforcement kowtowing to liberal ideologies that demand the forfeiture of our freedom to DEI lunacy.

— Michael Annis, Kalispell