Election forcing us to confront prejudice
I am writing this early Tuesday morning, Aug. 26, after only one evening of the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Already America is proving that in order to accept changes in one’s dearly held beliefs, it is definitely an uphill battle.
It is one thing in this particular race to the White House, to talk about changes in things like health care, education, environment, economy and the myriad of other programs and policies affecting our lives. It is quite another to challenge our individual belief systems about how we see and view other people. I refer to immigration, and the Hispanic questions. I refer to the prejudice issues between blacks and whites. I refer to the underlying fear that many males have of giving females too much power.
This campaign, in my opinion, is not being played out around the issues of health care, military actions, education, the environment and our failing economic system. This campaign is having us meet head-on many of the prejudicial issues we would just as soon sweep under the rug and pretend were disappearing.
We have Democratic “Women for Hillary” who are actually so angry she lost the primary that they are going to vote for Republican John McCain. We have many, many people who look at a relatively young black man, Barack Obama, running for president and conjure up all sorts of reasons why they think that voting for John McCain and continuing the failed policies of the last eight years is the right thing to do.
We hear the “talking heads” on radio and TV giving all sorts of analyses, quoting polls and pundits, and filling the air with high sounding rhetoric. What we don’t hear very often is the truth of the matter.
Change is the name of the game, but it is a far deeper and profound change than any I can recall in the political arena since my first act of voting in 1952, casting my vote for Dwight Eisenhower.
Is America ready to carry through on what it has been crying for? I wonder.
Bob McClellan, Polson
Cyclists ignore rules, clog up roads
In the debate over bike lanes, bike riders overlook one main theme. They are part of the problem. They ignore rules of the road, insert themselves in dangerous situations using their own choice and forget about the cars and trucks that are much heavier than the bikes and take longer to stop.
I’ve noticed that bike riders seem to think they are all that matter here. How many of these who ride bikes around town have taken the time to find other ways around the city other than the main roads? Seems like none of them have.
Depending on where you are headed there are several different, though maybe a bit longer, ways of getting round town and avoiding the main streets. It’s much safer and this way has always been around for those to use, who are able to just get out and ride around and look.
Find different ways of getting to your work on a bike, instead of clogging up the main roads. It’s safer for you and for those of us who drive, and don’t have to brake suddenly for those bike riders who choose to ignore traffic laws and believe that they and they alone have the right of way.
I grew up riding a bike in this city and rode all over - Rattlesnake, South Hills, Linda Vista, Lower Miller Creek, Mullan and even out towards East Missoula and all over the interior of the city. There are many different ways to get around that can keep you as a bike rider safer and away from heavy traffic, if you wish.
John Weber, Missoula
We’re talking about socialism
This is to address Larry Stahl’s article objecting to the use of the term socialism to define universal health coverage. Whether a person is for or against turning one-eighth of the nation’s GDP over to the federal government, let’s at least agree on the meaning of words. Socialism: a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state.
It seems clear that the state taking over health care as a means of productivity could be properly defined as socialism. The reason many people object to further moves into socialism (myself included) is that the country was founded as a democratic republic, not a socialist state. Technically, we can vote in a socialist agenda using the current form of government, but that does not change the definition of the word.
On the bright side, the article directly above Stahl’s in the Aug. 21 letters bemoaning the cut in the hospice programs would be quickly rectified once we get universal health care. It’s the common practice in countries like the U.K. and Canada to just send people home to die once their cost of treatment exceeds what the state is willing to pay or it.
Dean Heitzmann, Florence
Schweitzer sends mixed signals
Why is the Schweitzer administration so adamant about enforcing a regulation under Revenue Department Administrative Rule 42.12.122(2)(b)(ii) that requires bar/tavern owners “to encourage patrons to remain on the premises and consume the alcoholic beverages sold by the drink” and at the same time promote a Transportation Department advertising campaign urging people not to drink and drive? To maintain semblance of credibility, one would think the governor would stop one or the other after he asks himself, “Which one is more important for the people?”
Jim Glantz, Big Arm
Biden had it right seven years ago
Late one night almost seven years ago, I was packing for a once-in-a-lifetime overseas trip and channel surfing while I packed. I landed on an interview with Sen. Joe Biden. I think it was on CSPAN. At that time, George W. Bush was trying to revive the Star Wars defense shield. Biden was telling the reporter what a monumental waste of money it would be. As he put it: “The threat to our country isn’t from missiles overhead, but from terrorists running some old tanker up the Hudson River with a nuke or dirty bomb. Fighting terrorism is where we need to be spending our resources and we are seriously lax under this administration.” He wasn’t altogether correct (thank God), but close enough. That was late night, Sept. 10, 2001. I went to bed right after that and woke up as we all did that morning.
Don Hinxman, Stevensville
|
 |
 |
Add your comment now! Write your comment in the form below.
(Email address is for verification only. If you'd like to email a story, look for the link above)