Opinion

I’ve written much on grief. In writing class they tell you to write what you know, but this isn’t why I’ve written about the subject. I’ve felt compelled. Driven to do so, in an attempt to share my hard-fought knowledge and maybe, perhaps, help others to understand a non-understandable topic – to create order from chaos. To bring clarity from the fog. To communicate about the uncomfortable. So I write what I know. And wish I didn’t know. I wish I weren’t an expert on the topic. But I can only grow and live through my experiences, and one of the most transforming ones in my life so far has been grief. Writing about it is hard. It hurts. Even no...

An effort to honor a young man from Libby who heroically died on the battlefield in Vietnam prompted the creation of one of the first bills coming before the 69th Legislative Session in Helena. SB59 is poised to unite various political personalities behind a tribute to all Vietnam veterans, but particular...

I believe in Santa Claus. When you critically examine the whole narrative, what’s not to believe? Logic is logic and should dictate our beliefs, or lack thereof.  Let’s start with the big guy’s attire. We’re asked to accept the legitimacy of an elderly gentleman in a furry red...

“It’s beginning to cost a lot like Christmas,” were the lyrics to a cheeky Instagram reel that was recently sent in a back and forth thread between a friend and I. Funny as it was, I’ve long felt that the most wonderful time of the year is cheapened by frantic consumerism. We’re...

Catastrophic cuts are in the offing for Medicaid, the nation’s largest single source of health coverage, serving primarily low-income Americans. But catastrophe isn’t inevitable.  For some time, Republican lawmakers and allies in conservative think tanks have formulated plans to shrink Me...

Here’s a rhetorical question for Montanans: would you rather state government spend public money on things like billboards in Chicago to attract more tourists, or use that money to lower your property taxes?  I know exactly how my constituents in the Flathead Valley would answer that question a...

Old things are often valued.  An old house is called mid-century modern. Old cheese is aged. Old furniture is antique. Old dishes are Depression glass. Old cars are classic. And we all know wine only gets better with age.  But old people? They are just old (Or seniors, at best.) So w...

Passing family farms and ranches on to the next generation is challenging, and future changes to federal inheritance tax could make this process even more difficult and expensive. Many Montana producers have had to deal with paying the “death tax” for a business that is simply being passed down t...

Editor, I’m writing this letter to the casinos our Salish and Kootenai Tribes own and operate and concerns their strategies - ways casinos operate. I noticed some unusual conditions about winning and days conducted especially on holidays or any given event. More have won out of state than locals of ...

My journey through grief has been a public one, laid out for you here on these pages. Many of you have walked with me through the healing process, and for that I’m thankful. It’s funny (in a not so funny way) the things that help us heal. For me, much of the healing process has been lead by cr...