Opinion
Editor, As retired Montana judges, we join to endorse Judge Dan Wilson of Flathead County in his bid for election to the Montana Supreme Court. This year, Montanans will elect two new Justices to our state’s highest court. Chief Justice Mike McGrath and Associate Justice Dirk Sandefer have announced their retirements at the end of 2024. Judge Wilson is running for the Associate Justice position. We have the unique perspective as retired members of Montana’s judiciary to have observed Judge Wilson’s years of work as a District Court Judge. We find that he possesses the experience and background, judicial demeanor and work ethic, and a singular devotion to the Constitu...
As you learn about all the candidates for various offices this year, the most important ones are the ones that most Montanans know the least about. The politicians you need to do the most research on are not the would-be congressmen, governors, or even legislators. It’s the judges. Although th...
Someone I’ve never met (social media, where else?) came up with a phrase for the new year: “Let’s do more in 2024.” I’ve decided to adopt it for my own, because it’s well-balanced, makes logical sense and has good meaning, purpose and intent. Plus it rhymes; who doesn&r...
Editor, I believe John Steinbeck’s quote is prescient in 2024: “I think because they trusted themselves and respected themselves as individuals, because they knew beyond doubt that they were valuable and potentially moral units-because of this they could give God their own coura...
Editor, The grief of losing a loved one is enormous. Losing a child is an unbelievable grief. Losing a child from violence by another child is an unimaginable sorrow. People offer words of comfort, which may or may not help, but at least don’t normally cause grief to be worse. It’s why D...
Editor, Initiative-193 appears to be a do-over of HB 241, a bill that would have required the MT Fish & Wildlife Commission to allow hunting by non-tribal members on fee lands within the exterior boundaries of an Indian reservation. I-193 would grant a benefit to a limited number of landowners, at the...
Editor, Today I was tuned into the Saturday morning MSNBC show “The Weekend.” In one segment they had Wes Moore on. Westley Oman Moore, born 1978, Governor of Maryland since 2023. He’s also an investment banker, author, and former television producer. He was so articulate and wise as ...
When I was in prison for my nonviolent anti-nuclear actions, one of my disciplines was to write something for publication daily--a letter to the editor, an opinion piece, a book review, or even mediocre poetry. One hundred percent of my writing was in opposition to nuclear weapons. I couldn’t vote w...
Born into a Republican family in Louisiana, a state increasingly painted in shades of red, I grew up amidst conservative dialogues with honest values. My childhood was steeped in Republican ideologies, shaping my early political outlook. However, as I matured, my views began to diverge from my family’s...
We all have our reasons for getting alarmed about the climate crisis. With bare ground at Christmas and no snow on the horizon, my neighbors just got theirs. This Northern Maine valley nestles against the border of Canada – and winter without snow is unfathomable. Snowmobiling is a big deal around h...
