Substance abuse fuels hatred
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Editor,
I am writing this letter in answer to a recent letter I read in your paper regarding all the hatred happening here in this community. This person is right about this. It is a problem I have seen ever since I arrived in the area in 2002.
I worked as an addiction counselor for about seven years in Polson and during that time I met several people who demonstrated the hatred talked about.
I know where the hatred mostly comes from and it saddens me when I hear it. When I moved here I knew full well where I was moving to and what the rules were when it comes to a non-tribal member living on Tribal land. I follow the rules out of respect but I constantly run into people who don’t believe they have to follow the rules. One thing that happens when people don’t follow the rules they fall into a trap and will eventually end up in the legal system. No, the legal system is not always fair, but you have to break the rules to get there and the quickest way I know to get there is to abuse mood-altering substances.
When you talk to people who are all full of hate you will usually find that they abuse alcohol or other drugs and they do that because they are unhappy and only want to have a better life. This is the trap, and until we the people begin to address this problem the hatred and anger will continue to grow.
If you don’t believe what I am saying just go sit in a local bar and listen to the talk that goes on. People get drunk or high and all the hatred begins to come out in the form of bar fights followed by getting in a car and defying the law by driving while intoxicated. I listened to this for my entire career and know it is a reality we need to address or the frustration, anger and hatred will only continue. Water rights is not the problem, but it’s a good excuse to argue and drink beer.
Chuck Ripley
St. Ignatius
