Letters to the Editor
Guns in parks is foolish
The proposal of several U.S. Senators to allow transporting of firearms in National Parks is political pandering to the NRA. Common sense citizens should voice their objections to these changes to the National Park Service before the August 5 deadline. Send Senators Baucus and Tester a copy.
Existing regulations have worked for decades. In the eighteen years I was a seasonal NPS employee, I never heard a visitor complain about his firearms being unloaded and put away.
Personal protection against crime isn't a valid reason. Crime rates in all major categories in the NPS are lower than Montana's. Check rates back to 2001 you'll find major crimes are three to forty times more likely in Montana than a national park. The likelihood of being a crime victim in a National Park is one in 1,708,333.
Changing the rules endangers Park Rangers who spend time attempting to solve domestic confrontations, many arising from alcohol and drug use. Studies show an NPS officer is twelve times more likely to be killed or injured as a result of an assault than an FBI agent.
Present regulations aren't confusing. A change to state provisions would lead to massive inconsistencies from state-to-state, and. sometimes, in a single park since some parks embrace land in two or three states (Yellowstone).
Visitor safety will be at greater risk from persons shooting unnecessarily at animals, almost all of which pose no threat to them, including most grizzly confrontations. Stray bullets and wounded animals would endanger families.
Poaching is a serious problem in several parks and will become worse if regulations are changed.
Poaching deer and bear, the latter for certain parts, is a major problem in Shenandoah Park and would get worse. In the '70s a Point Reyes Ranger was fatally shot by a poacher.
Ernest Scherzer
Trout Creek
Babe Ruth thank-yous
As president of Glacier Babe Ruth, I want to take this time to thank everyone in the community who has supported our baseball athletes. The state tournament was a success and it couldn't have been without you as a community. It excites me to see the renergized community for baseball. Any program is only as good as the community backs it. Congrats to the 13 year olds for a job well done. Thanks again Whitefish, Columbia Falls and Bigfork, we look forward to serving your kids with the best baseball possible. Little League and up to Babe Ruth(13-15 ages). I personally would like to thank the following people and families for their contribution of time spent to make things happen these past two years. Chuck and Brenda Houston, The Sapa Family, Don Bestwick, Frank Sizemore, Ron Olson and all the other umpires, Eric and Amy May, Kirt Blades, Bill Roche, Dan Blakemore, Blair LaGranduer, John Kalbfleisch, Kevin Slaybaugh, Carl and Kelly Talsma, Rich Newberry, Jordon Venezio, Derek Hutton, Julio Delgado, Sterling Hitchcock, Seth Carr, Trevor and Tina Kjensrud,Doug and Lori Jones, Caron Harwood, Liz and Tim Seymour,Tim and Lisa Olson, Dave and Jan Prier, Kris Queen and Morgan Cambell-Queen, EJ Walp, Tom Schuster, Mark Hayder, Todd Dowen, Benny Bee Jr.,The Hill Brothers and family, Treyson Hopkins and all the sponsors that supported Glacier Babe Ruth. My apologies go to the people I missed that have contributed. We look forward to the future.
Ray Queen
President of Glacier Babe Ruth
Media bias
The unfair, unbalanced media coverage of Barack Obama while they shamelessly neglect their old favorite, John McCain, is appalling. Three mainstream media stars are traveling abroad with Obama, leaving only Fox News to cover McCain.
Nonstop media-mania madness would ensue if you replaced "McCain" with "Obama" in the following incidents:
McCain erroneously referenced Czechoslovakia (15 years gone) not once but several times: October 2007, April 2008 and twice this month. If Obama displayed this feeble grasp of history and geography, his inexperience would be lauded far and wide. Not McCain. It's simply some lapses in the old duffer's memory.
Interviewed in Pennsylvania, McCain described an episode he's recounted for 40 years about listing the defensive line of the Pittsburgh Steelers when Vietnamese interrogators demanded the names of his squadron. Unfortunately, every other time he's related the tale, including in his book, "Faith of our Fathers," he cited the Green Bay Packers. If Obama made such a conspicuously contradictory statement, media would be all over it like a blue dress on Monica Lewinsky. Not McCain. The poor old codger is being grievously snubbed.
"It's a very hard struggle, particularly given the situation on the Iraq-Pakistan border," McCain told The Today Show. Only Jon Stewart pointed out that the border between Iraq and Pakistan is called "Iran". If Obama blurted this blatant blunder we'd be barraged with a cacophony of clamorous catcalls. Not McCain. It's shrugged off as just another senior moment.
McCain is a complex man of contradictions who deserves our attention. In spite of being a born-again tree-hugger and married to a beer heiress, he has promised to exploit every pristine area harboring oil and veto every beer.
Wanda LaCroix
Arlee
Thanks to Creston Hatchery staff
Today I decided to explore the Creston Fish Hatchery, just north of Bigfork off of Creston Hatchery Road. I was pleasantly surprised to find a nature trail around the property and bordering the creek. When I returned from my venture, I found my rear tire was completely flat, on the rim. I want to extend a sincere thank you to Gar and Don of the Hatchery. After filling my tire with air, I drove over to their shop where they had a jack and replaced by deflated tire with my spare. It wasn't a pleasant job to say the least as they were blasted with dust from the spare which was underneath the cargo area of my 4-Runner. Again, thank you to those two men who were so pleasant, as well as all the other staff I met while walking around the hatchery. It is a great experience for kids and adults alike.
Angela DeFrie