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Fire Daines

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Editor,

Senator Steve Daines held a so-called “town hall” tele-conference recently in which he labeled Montanans “angry” about the fires and smoke we’ve endured.

He failed to offer productive solutions, instead choosing to enflame hatred toward “extreme environmental groups” by laying the blame on them. His cowardly practice of not facing his constituents, while unfairly vilifying reasonably concerned citizens, is not worthy of our great state.

It’s much easier to create scapegoats, spread misinformation and fuel hatred, than to provide true leadership toward solving complex problems. Experts in forest ecology (hardly extreme environmentalists) inform us that climate and weather drive fires. If you honestly want to assign blame for extreme fire seasons, blame extreme weather and its legitimate causes.

Exploiting people who are understandably distressed is a failure of leadership. It indicates woeful ignorance at best. Even the Pope pronounced that denying climate change is stupid. Or, perhaps Daines is merely a malevolent manipulator seeking to win the next election by trumping up fear, ignorance and hatred.

Yes, I’m angry. We’re being played for fools by science-denying, greedy, ethically bankrupt politicians like Daines, Gianforte and Zinke. Their ilk must be fired or we deserve to burn in the hell they’re creating.

Wanda LaCroix
Arlee

 

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