Time to end the culture of fear
Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that every time you see footage of John McCain and/or Sarah Palin addressing a rally, the crowd responds like a mob full of the goons who stole your lunch money back in the seventh grade?
They’ve apparently taken their cue from the flag-waving delegates at this year’s Republican National Convention who memorably demonstrated their patented brand of patriotism by cackling derisively at such damning epithets as “community organizer,” hurled first by no less smirking a demagogue than Rudy Giuliani, and then an hour or so later (as per The Grand Plan) by the bubbly vice presidential candidate herself during the Fall debut of “Survivor: Wasilla.”
Not to worry. I’m not calling Republicans, not even the Republican leadership, Nazis. (That would just confirm that I’d stooped so low as to adopt the tactics of that very leadership.) I’m just hoping that, before it’s too late, American voters begin hearing the alarm and wake up from the nightmare that is the culture of fear so insidiously wrought by the incumbent administration, and which continues to be exploited by a new wave of desperate, and increasingly dangerous GOP strategists, along with their anointed mouthpieces who dare to look us in the eye and call themselves mavericks.
Ron Dulaney, Missoula
Obama chose a life of service
Barack Obama asks us to consider not only what he can do to make America better, but what we ourselves can do. Any time in history that our nation has triumphantly risen to meet a difficult challenge, it has been in response to this sort of call to action, from this sort of leader.
McCain attempts to reassure us that “fundamentals are solid,” and that he will fix things, just trust him. This is an echo of Bush’s call to “show those terrorists - just keep on shopping.” We need no more of this approach. Every American can and must be involved in successfully meeting the challenges, foreign and domestic, faced by our nation today.
McCain will clearly say or do anything to get elected. He has no fresh ideas, only shopworn slogans, and Wall Street and Big Oil cronies. He claims to be a maverick, but is only erratic. His choice of Sarah Palin for vice president shows the insincerity of his “Put America First” slogan - more accurately, it would be “Put One Over on America.”
Vote for the man who could have had a career of wealth and privilege, and instead chose to start working at the grassroots, helping people to help themselves.
Mike Miller, Philipsburg
GOP attacks smack of McCarthy era
This is a story of a young Danish immigrant who came to the United States in 1923. It is applicable to our times.
He worked hard, put himself through college, and in the 1930s was hired by the federal government to direct the New Deal’s Resettlement Project in New Madrid, Missouri.
In the course of his duties as administrator of the La Forge project, a 6,700 acre interracial farming project, he had many meetings with local landowners, clergy, local merchants and county administrators. Unknown to him, one of these people was a member of the Communist party.
Twenty-five years later, at the height of the McCarthy era, while working for the Farm-Home Loan Administration in Washington, D.C., he was accused of associating, while director of the La Forge project, with a card-carrying member of the Communist party, and he lost his job. He appealed, and his case was under review for over a year. He was finally cleared, and later learned that the “card-carrying member of the Communist party” was a county road superintendent.
Why the accusation? Why the smear? His job had civil service protection, and the newly elected Republican administration wanted to staff his office with its own people.
Today we have another “guilt by association,” another smear. The boogey word is no longer “communist”, it is now “terrorist.”
Many people suffered from the smear tactics of the 1950s. In 2008, the entire nation suffers from the Republican vice-presidential candidate’s disgraceful and irresponsible attacks, One can only guess what would happen to the nation’s civil liberties should she become the president of the United States!
Mavis McKelvey, Missoula
Insurance industry wants Lindeen
In the race for state auditor there is a clear choice.
Consumer advocate Monica Lindeen believes the health insurance industry is doing just fine in Montana. Considering that Blue Cross/Blue Shield increased their profits by 609.7 percent in 2007 and had surplus money of $145 million, I’d say she’s probably right.
Duane Grimes, on the other hand, promoted utility deregulation. That turned out so well he now wants to do the same thing for the insurance industry.
If I were the insurance industry, I’d pray for Monica Lindeen to be elected state auditor.
Dennis Daneke, Lolo
Waterman clearly the choice
Because there are so many important races this year, one race in particular has gotten lost in the parade, and that is the race for chief justice of the Montana Supreme Court.
The choice in this race is clear: Ron Waterman. Ron has been a practicing attorney for 38 years, representing a vast array of clients from large corporations and small businesses, to indigent criminal defendants, the mentally ill and people just down on their luck. Waterman is the right person for chief justice because he is independent and not a politician, unlike his opponent, who has been a career government lawyer. Ron has the legal mind and judicial temperament that Montana needs to insure that our courts are fair and free from political influence.
Dorothy Bradley (former candidate for governor) says it best, “Given Ron’s extensive legal experience, unflappable temperament and exceptional moral character, I do not know anyone better equipped to be Montana’s next chief justice.”
On Nov. 4 vote for Waterman for Chief Justice of the Montana Supreme Court.
Susan Reber Orr, Missoula
Schweitzer supporters screamers
In September, my teenagers and I arrived two hours early for the Missoula debate with Sen. Roy Brown, Stan Jones and Brian Schweitzer.
Outside there were screaming students and, sad to say, adults, with their signs in the air and planted on University of Montana property. Their actions caused me concern for my family. We and scores of other Brown supporters filled the front rows as we observed our future governor take command of the stage and explain his detailed plans for a prosperous and healthy Montana.
Schweitzer’s face twitched as he wrung his hands and shook in his boots the whole hour. He only apologized for being a bad comedian rather than for degrading Montanans.
Yes, we did shout “foul” when Schweitzer spoke out of turn before Brown was through speaking.
Schweitzer’s crowd was surprisingly quiet until he mentioned his choice for president and universal health care. But then, what can you expect from kids raised in government-run schools and on HBO and MTV?
Cathy Kulonis, Stevensville
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