Letters to the editor June 28

Love it or leave it

As a Gold Star daughter and the sweetheart of a Navy nuclear submariner who spent many years patroling this planet’s oceans in defense of his country, I have a word or two for those (predominately on the far left) who are disenchanted with America and wish they could live in another country. 

You claim you are triggered by the flag of this nation — the same one that draped my father’s casket when he returned from serving in World War II and finally during the Korean War was shot down over North Korea in 1952. 

Why did he volunteer to serve his nation in both wars? He loved this country and did not want to see the spread of communism over there and most assuredly not here. 

Likewise, my dearest spent years prowling the oceans of this globe to protect and deter any of America’s enemies. Why? To stop the spread of communism as well. 

And now how are their sacrifices and efforts rewarded? Across America, in mainly blue states, communists and Islamic radicals are matastisizing into mayoral and other governmental positions. The enemy is now inside the gates and they have gone on a well-organized and well-funded bender. 

This country, like any other, is not perfect but no other country has been more generous to this world and given it’s blood and sacred treasure to so many. To any of you who delight in bashing America, while doing so from your First Ammendmennt right safe space, consider this your invitation to find another country that will afford your sorry behind what this country has. Goodbye and adios. 

Love this country or by all means leave it. Too many have suffered and died for your right to freely leave, so please do.

— Jill Williams, Kalispell

Reading adventure

As I approached the swing set at Wayfarers State Park, a sign caught my eye. It had a picture of a bear and was titled “A Bear Came Along.” 

Actually, it was the beginning of a book and the page was laminated on posterboard and stuck into the ground on a wire frame. My curiosity got the best of me and I followed the trail through the woods reading the story boards and following the directions stated on each page. For example, “Hop to the next page like a frog.”

After my reading adventure, I felt compelled to learn the source of this nature storybook walk. The Bigfork librarians informed me the Flathead County Library sponsored this program that was developed by Becca Johnson.

As a former educator, I cannot express how delighted I was that the library promotes reading in such a creative manner.

Thank you Flathead County Library and the librarians at the Bigfork Library.

— Jetta Johnson, Bigfork

Ban dark money

As a Montana voter and small business owner, I strongly support I-194, the Montana Plan, which would restore Montana’s ban on corporate and dark money in politics.

Montana’s Corrupt Practices Act of 1912 banned corporate money for a century, until it was thrown out by the federal Supreme Court in 2012 because of how they decided to interpret corporation law. I-194 restores Montana’s ban and takes us back to a system of free and fair elections, decided by Montana voters.

Everybody knows that our elections are being swamped by corporate money, especially “dark money” which comes from secret organizations that are not required to even identify their donors. Remember when candidates had to actually meet with voters? Today, instead of hearing from our candidates, we are drowning in political junk mail, manipulative ads, and misinformation.

By taking back our power to stop corporations from dumping dark money into our elections, I-194 will make our democracy stronger. Voters will get to make choices based on candidates’ actual qualifications, not on how much outside groups can spend on advertising. I-194 protects our First Amendment rights as citizens to speak up, donate to candidates, and spend money on political campaigns. 

All it does is says that corporations can’t use their business’s bank account to do it. And that is exactly how it should be.

— Dave Chadwick, Helena