Thoughtful dialogue needed, not name-calling

The Ledger’s new columnist, Mr. Blaine Blackstone, described himself as conservative but the kind of guy that could discuss issues and respectfully listen to both sides, acknowledging viewpoints change over time with knowledge and experiences. It was disappointing to read Mr. Blackstone’s accusation that Governor Bullock’s support of Second Amendment rights was disingenuous because he now supports banning assault weapons. These are Separate issues! The Governor’s views are shared by over 80% of our population. Even the Sanders County Ledger readers voted over 53+% in favor of banning assault weapons in the Weekly survey question after the Pulse nightclub mass shooting.

In Mr. Blackstone’s original letter to the editor about the kneeling NFL players he called them “arrogant, entitled, self-righteous millionaires.” Seriously? How are these players “entitled?” Men of color (African American, Hispanic, Samoan, and other non-whites) make up close to 80% of the players in the NFL yet 95% of the teams are owned by white guys. The players are coached almost exclusively by white guys. It took the NFL Rooney Rule in 2003 to force Teams to grant interviews to men of “ethnic minority” for any job opening as a Coach in the NFL. If we spent one bazillionth of the time focusing on the issues under peaceful protest instead of the players “arrogance” we may in fact have a necessary and overdue conversation on America’s growing Racial Injustices.

In the past eight years S.C. residents have been blasted with flyers repeating the NRA conspiracy theories warning a Democrat Government will seize our weapons (remember the huge nationwide run on Gun stores after Obama was elected? The gun guys made gazillions on those lies). Mailboxes were full of letters from Republican candidates stating as fact that the Forest Service will shut down access to our forests for Huckleberry pickers and firewood cutters should any Democrat be elected. Honestly?

An overwhelming majority of Montanans strongly support maintaining federal control of our public lands. We do NOT want our land to be sold off to private interests nor do we want our National Parks downsized and underfunded. We care about our environment and EPA protections. We care about protecting our logging industry and know by experience it is necessary and can be done with the future health of our forests as a primary consideration. And granted, we will never give up our Second Amendment Rights but a majority of Montanans don’t want assault weapons and high capacity magazines used by anyone but law enforcement or military.

As voters, we need to maintain Montana’s honesty, ruggedness, truth and tenacity. We need to take care of our forests and rivers, our Wilderness and our ranches, our families, our healthcare, our schools, and our livelihoods. We need Montanans to lead. We need to do it together, with thoughtful dialogue, not partisan name-calling, accusations and “alternative facts.”

Kris Anderson,

Thompson Falls