The numbers of American soldiers afflicted with PTSD and brain injuries were released this week: 300,000 American soldiers are suffering with PTSD; 320,000 have brain injuries. These numbers are not only unacceptable, they are horrific and should be searing the conscience of every American.

Only a few short years ago, we patriotic Americans cheered these kids at their graduations with high hopes and dreams tied up in blue and yellow ribbons. These boys and girls, whom we have nurtured through childhood, adolescence and young adulthood, are the young parents and workers just coming of age. We sent them off to "fight for our country" in a war that is immoral, unjustified, abhorrent and not winnable. Now, they are returning broken in body and spirit, brutalized by unimaginable atrocities to their own country which is unprepared to handle the intense therapy these wounds require. Jobs have disappeared, rent and housing are out of reach, food prices are unrecognizable and twenty dollars no longer fills a gas tank. Also, debt, the like of which America has never seen before, is hanging like a millstone over the heads of their generation. Not enough yellow ribbons, bumper stickers, patriotic lapel pins or apologies can begin to assuage their pain. And that is not even addressing the suffering of the Iraqi people.

We, who did not question, but believed the lies and glib phrases that pushed Americans into this unjustified war and occupation; we, who in our innocence, paid the taxes to fund this war but neglected to demand accountability from our elected representatives in Washington, are now being called upon in conscience to justify our actions. How many of us who are Christians and claim to follow Jesus, have allowed ourselves to blinded to His message of non-violence?

Personally, I am ashamed. Are you? To protest is good, but not good enough. It is time to demand over and over, louder and louder, the end to this terrible killing of mind, body and spirit.

Letters to the Editor

Parallels between Nazi Germany and today

Dear Editor,

While doing some research I came across some things that I guess I never paid that much attention to and then saw some interesting parallels. Germany was a democracy back in the early 30's, there wasn't anything getting done in the Reichstag because of all the partisan squabbling. The government had become ineffective. Then, there was a crucial election and the rising Nazi party didn't quite get the necessary votes to win a majority. But, Mr. Hitler convinced prime minister Hindenburg to appoint him chancellor. At that time the Reichstag (parliament building) was burned and the Nazi party blamed it on the communists and compiled a list of known communists and their associates. Hitler then convinced Hindenburg to declare an emergency decree, which restricted personal liberty, freedom of expression and the right to assemble. Also, it let the government violate the privacy of postal, telegraphic and telephonic communications beyond previously set legal limits. Once appointed chancellor, Hitler got the parliament to pass the Enabling Act which handed over constitutional powers to Hitler, which included the power to make laws, control the budget and approve or break treaties. This basically made the parliament impotent. Hitler then set up military style courts to try defendants without a jury or a legal counsel.

Although the chronology of events may be different, we are having some real similar situations happening in this country right now. And remember at that time the world was in the throes of the Depression. We have a vice president who subscribes to the theory of the Unitary Executive. This is basically where the executive has the power to make laws, control the budget and make or break treaties, without much oversight or input from congress or the judiciary. For a more thorough explanation of the unitary executive see www.realitvsandwich.com/unitary executive_theorv). This is the very same vice-president who, along with Rumsfeld, Feith, Wolfowitz, Perle, et al, were the architects of the Iraqi war originally named Operation Iraqi Liberation until they realized what the acronym was. This war was foisted upon us because Iraq was responsible for Sept. 11th, was aiding and training al Queda, had weapons of mass destruction and biological labs. This was after the best intelligence available told them otherwise. Now Mr. Cheney is in the Middle East saying that the Iranians are developing nuclear weapons, when the CIA and the international Atomic inspectors both say otherwise, that the Iranian program is for the purpose of producing power. Is it too far of a stretch to think the reason that we are in Iraq and Mr. Bush and Cheney are pounding their chests to get at Iran might just be because after Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran have the largest oil reserves in the Middle East?

But, I drift from the original parallel. Did you know that Mr. Bush has used the signing statement, which basically says I sign this into law, but I reserve the right to enforce it as I see it, not as the courts and congress interpret it based on the constitution. Mr. Bush has used the signing statement over 400 times, more than every president from Clinton back to Monroe combined. By doing this he is usurping the system of checks and balances as put forward in the constitution and has set himself in a position of higher authority. And the Congress for all of their squabbling has done absolutely nothing to stop the Unitary Executive.

We had an impeachment for lying about a sexual encounter that cost no lives, but now a Democrat-controlled Congress does nothing to the men who lied to the country, have cost over 4,000 American lives and will loot the treasury of over $3,000,000,000,000, that's three TRILLION dollars or more before we'll be able to bring this war to an end.

Please help to right the ship of state and head it back down the path towards democracy and not fascism. As a footnote, Mr. Cheney was asked on the fifth anniversary of the war he helped to create, by Martha Raddatz, If he knew that two thirds of Americans were against the war, to which he replied, "So?" Raddatz then asked, C'You don't care what the American people think?" "No," said Cheney. This epitomizes the attitude of this administration for the people of this country.

Mike Lulay
Hamilton

Iraq and CI-100

Dear Editor,

On March 19, 2008, the United States experienced its fifth year in the Iraqi Conflict. As of that date, the US has experienced the loss of 3,391 servicemen and women. As a retired military officer, every death and every casualty is a personal loss. Unfortunately, other than writing comments and carrying on dialogue with friends and acquaintances, there is nothing you or I can do about this war. The state of Montana has experienced the loss of ten of its finest young men. Each was laid to rest with dignity and full military honors, plus all the respect that their community could give.

Yet in this same time frame, a war has been going on in the state of Montana in which 10,767 innocents have lost their lives. None of these children were buried with honor and dignity. Their names never appeared on the TV or were featured in the newspaper. They came from every county in the state. Most of our citizens never even knew they existed. This is a tremendous casualty loss in that Montana has the 44th largest population in the US. Imagine what it is like in the larger states.

This is a war that each resident of Montana can participate in. This is a war that each citizen can make a contribution to see that casualties are depreciated and ultimately stopped. Constitutional Initiative 100 (CI-100) affords each registered voter an opportunity to go to Life2008.org and download a copy of the petition and the affidavit. If your petition has only your name on it, you have done your duty.

Hopefully, you will have family and friends that would also like to participate. The name of each registered voter is one step closer to meeting the requirement of 44,615 total signatures. You, as an individual, can make a difference. This is our war; these are our citizens being lost.

I became personally involved in pro-life about five years ago when I realized that more innocents lose their lives every year than all the men and women killed in action in the 234 years of our great nation’s history. And then, when I begin to realize that the United States has passed the genocide in Cambodia, South Vietnam, and Laos; the loss of 20 million Europeans by Hitler; the death of 35 million Chinese under Mao and rapidly approaching the 65 million Soviets eliminated by Stalin, I felt that, “enough was enough.” After Stalin, the only barbarian more ruthless is Genghis Khan. Khan and his prodigy ravaged Europe and Asia for three centuries.

I pray that you too will share my belief that, “enough is enough.” The life that we have is our gift from the Almighty, what we do with that life is our gift to Him. Become a member of this campaign and do the right thing; sign the petition, get your affidavit notarized, and forward it to the address at the bottom of the petition. When finished, you are truly a participant in the Almighty’s army! You have helped to make a difference! You have helped to save a life. This is your gift to the Almighty.

Jim Van Sickle COL (ret)
Stevensville

Support for Hamilton levy

Dear Editor,

As a member of the Hamilton School board, I’d like to say to the community that we have expended much time and effort in identifying the need for this upcoming levy. We have closely examined the budget. We’re in the midst of salary negotiations. We’ve looked at the building maintenance requirements. We know that utility costs have shot up this year, for the district as well as for the community. And, we understand the importance of all the programs we currently provide, including the summer programs for the kids that need a little extra help and the math programs at the Middle School.

It seems to me that it boils down to… How much do we care? How much do we, as a community, care about how well educated our kids are? Do we care enough to give up an evening to attend a meeting? Do we care enough to read the information the district is sending out?

There’s been recent information circulated from members of the state legislature about how much more money the state injected into the public school system during the last two sessions. The school districts in Montana were left with large shortfalls from state funding from the budgets of the past. The state made a good effort to fill that hole last session. There still is a lot of catching up to do. Those funds were appreciated and needed, but for the most part, addressed specific programs such as all day kindergarten and one-time money needed to catch up on some deferred maintenance needs. The teacher’s retirement fund was augmented after losses that resulted in part from that fund’s investment in Enron and Montana Power in the past.

The legislature, because of the currently applied formula of school funding, left many school districts across the state in the position that Hamilton currently is in; we need to ask for a levy to complete our general funding.

It is the hope of all of us involved in education that, when the next session convenes, the formula will be corrected. For now, the district’s only recourse is to ask for more from our community.

There is a levy election coming up on May 6th . The Hamilton School District, after very careful examination, has determined that it needs an additional $300,000 from the community to maintain the existing programs and pay the utility bills. It’s our hope that our community can see the merit in educating our upcoming generation, the future, and will invest in them with a positive vote. Please attend the community meeting on April 24th at the Middle School at 7 p.m. If you have questions, the information is available at any Hamilton school building.

Corrine Gantt
Hamilton School Board

Support for Lone Rock levy

Dear Editor,

On Tuesday, May 6, voters in the Lone Rock School District will have the opportunity to approve a $110,000 operating levy that the school district has placed on the elections ballot.

This levy will support the purchase of a new math curriculum at the school (the current math books and curriculum materials were purchased 12 years ago and are not aligned with state standards); support a full-time counselor (which is required for state accreditation); and help provide funding to meet the rising costs of utilities, health care insurance, supplies and more.

As the parent of two students at the school, I am grateful that Lone Rock’s staff and administrators work hard to do as much as possible – with as little as they have. The District is operating on the state’s required “minimum budget” and has not asked voters to support a general fund operating levy for several years. As a result, Lone Rock now spends fewer general fund dollars per student annually than any other district in the Bitterroot Valley. Stevensville’s K-8 District spends $700 more per student in general fund monies than the Lone Rock District. I encourage parents, grandparents and other residents in the Lone Rock area

to support this levy. If we want our children to have the skills to succeed in college or other post-high school programs, and to be competitive in a global job market, we have to provide them with the tools to learn.

Please also remember that the school is the heart of the Three Mile/Lone Rock community. The facilities are used by numerous groups for community meetings, athletics, adult classes and more. Supporting the school is an “investment” in both the next generation of Montanans, and in our community infrastructure.

On Thursday, April 24, the Lone Rock Superintendent will provide a brief explanation of the operating levy at 7 p.m. in the school’s gym. A school board candidates’ forum will follow at 7:30 p.m. The Lone Rock PTM will sponsor a spaghetti feed that same evening to encourage parents and local residents to attend these events. Please come and learn about the needs at Lone Rock School.

The election will be held on Tuesday, May 6. Polls will be open from Noon to 8 p.m. Please vote “yes” on the Lone Rock School Operating Levy. Let’s make a high-quality public education a priority in this valley.

Lesli Brassfield
Stevensville

More info needed on bond issues

Dear Editor,

In these times of an economic down swing it seems unlikely that all of the proposed bond issues here in Florence will be accepted. There are many of us on low, fixed incomes who do not feel we can support things that are not justified to the public. In Florence in May we will be asked to support a 6 mill increase for the ball fields forever. We will also be asked to support an operating levy for the Florence-Carlton Schools. In both instances, I believe that the complete current financial picture needs to be provided to the public as well as the future use of the increase being requested. Where is the money from the Park District being spent now? What is the annual income to the District from our taxes? How much do groups have to pay to rent the ball fields? Which groups pay this rental fee? What are the other expenses?

Is there a detailed balance sheet showing this information available to the public? I know that I, and I would suspect many others, are more likely to support more taxes if we see some genuine benefit from it. At this point, the school levy just might take precedence over the Park, since nothing concrete has been provided to show the need for this large an increase in our taxes.

Judy Sass
Florence

Global warming theory based on broad scientific consensus

Dear Editor,

Mr. Allen Barr, a local meteorologist, states that consensus on the severity of the problem of global warming “is not real” and that “global warming theory” is “no longer based in physical science but in political science.” Mr. Barr then sites examples of individual scientists who dispute some aspect of “global warming theory” as proof of no consensus. If these scientists were in the minority, however, then there could be a consensus about global warming but one that just does not include the scientists Mr. Barr likes.

I propose that there is a consensus supported by the fact that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and all of the major atmospheric, geological, and physical scientific organizations in the world (except two that are neutral) have endorsed its finding that much of the warming in the last 50 years is attributable to human activities and that we need to act now to curb carbon emissions. Consensus is defined as general agreement. If this does not represent general agreement then there has never been scientific consensus on any public policy question. Mr. Barr would have us believe that this global warming stuff is primarily coming from Al Gore. I will let you draw your own conclusions as to why he chose Al Gore to blame instead of any one of the thousands of researchers or high profile scientists with whom he disagrees.

Mr. Barr also says that “if you don’t support Al Gore’s version you receive no media attention.” The “no” in this statement obviously makes it false on its face. On the Fox News channel alone major air time is given to former tobacco industry lobbyist Steven Milloy to attack people and organizations addressing global warming. From 1998 to 2005, Exxon Mobile gave over $16 million to a network of anti-global warming organizations. The American Enterprise Institute has been offering $10,000 per article to scientists who would dispute any aspect of “global warming theory.”

Mr. Barr would no doubt state that science is not conducted on the basis of consensus. But what are policy makers to use as a basis for making crucial decisions? Should policy makers rely on their own judgment on a subject for which they have no expertise? It is clear to me that they should rely on broad consensus as represented by scientific organizations and take very seriously the recommendations of scientists that they have specifically impaneled to look into the matter, in this case the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

John Schneeberger
Hamilton

Thanks from library

Dear Editor,

Thank you for using the Bitterroot Public Library's pilot home delivery service that has been in place for several months. We want our customers to know that the pilot project will be ending in the next few weeks. This was provided through efforts of the Montana State Library and OCLC Online Computer Library Center to evaluate the cost of providing faster and easier service to our users.

The Bitterroot Public Library would like to acknowledge with great appreciation the many volunteers who provide us and our community with support, good will and help in providing public service to our library community. Please come in April 28 through May 3 during National Volunteer Week for refreshments throughout the day and to thank our volunteers for their contributions to the library. All the members of the Bitterroot Public Library Board of Trustees, Bitterroot Public Library Foundation, Inc. and Friends of the Bitterroot Public Library are volunteers. Additionally, library volunteers provide shelving and circulation desk services, technical support, architectural design, flowers for our beds, story time reading and more.

Nansu Roddy, Librarian
Bitterroot Public Library

Support for young children

Dear Editor,

Young children here in the Bitterroot Valley deserve the best that we can give them.

Week of the Young Child, April 13-19, is a time to recognize the needs of young children, and thank the adults involved in their education and care. Parents, teachers, caregivers and other adults play important roles in the lives of young children, and Week of the Young Children celebrates their efforts.

We can show our support for early learning in our community by promoting early literacy programs, thanking teachers who care for our children, and working to ensure that our public policies support early learning for all young children.

Week of the Young Child is a time to focus our attention on bringing the Bitterroot Valley together for children.

Marjorie Vegoren
Darby

Take your seat at the zoning table

Dear Editor,

Lately you can't enter a local coffee shop or feed store, or attend a farm and ranch gathering without hearing conversations concerning county-wide zoning and planning. These issues seem overwhelming because we are growing so fast that most of us never dreamed we would be dealing with this in our lifetime. But when it comes to zoning in Ravalli County, it is a case of, "if you are not at the table, you might be on the plate."

The Ravalli County Farm Bureau supports grassroots driven, locally-controlled zoning, with agricultural landowners having equal authority with non-agricultural voters in developing and implementing area zoning and planning. We believe a county growth policy must:

• protect private property rights

• provide land use flexibility for agricultural producers

• maintain short and long-term property values

• allow the right to control outdoor recreational use of their property

• include "Right to Farm" language to prevent normal farming and ranching activities from being classified as a nuisance

In the upcoming months it will be vitally important for agricultural interests in the county to stay at the table -- united and involved at meetings so the end result is a plan we can live with. And perhaps more importantly, persuade the county commission to consider the wishes of the folks that provide the food and fiber that is such an important part of the proud history, culture and economy of Ravalli County.

Hans McPherson, member
Ravalli County Farm Bureau

Disgusted with Darby school administration

Dear Editor,

I have just read with utter disgust the article written by Michael Howell in the Wednesday, April 16, 2008 Bitterroot Star. I realize that the bottom line of a journalist is to sell the story. However, if even fifty-one percent of the information printed is true in reference to the “Darby School District discusses law enforcement policy,” the Darby School District Board and school district employees need to pull their heads out of the sand. There is a real drug problem in this county, state, and nation. I strongly agree with Town Marshal Rose that school district policies and rules are not superior to state law, after all the school district is organized and authorized under authority of state law. We are a nation of law and there is an order of authority. It sounds as though the school district’s mouthpiece, Ms. Kaleva, needs to review her legal training. Only federal law is superior to state law. State law is superior over any organization organized under the state’s laws. The Town Marshal is charged with the enforcement of state law as well as Darby Town ordinances. The school is located within the Town Limits and his jurisdiction and he has the authority to enforce state law. I wonder why the school official(s) that failed or refused to turn over the drug paraphernalia confiscated, was not charged with obstruction, or possession if there was residue. Has the statute of limitations expired yet?

I am appalled that any school or school district would interfere with a law enforcement officer trying to do his job. That law enforcement officer’s job includes any lawful effort to stop drug dealing or drug trafficking within that school. That school or school district is obviously a school that is not safe for students and employees alike. A safe learning environment starts at the top with a chain of authority – the community values and attitudes set by an elected school board under the authority of state law, superintendent who in turn carries out the directives of the school board, to the principals, teachers, and staff. Sounds like Darby may have a superintendent problem, one who doesn’t understand authority.

Keep up the good work Marshal Rose – do what is right, protect our kids.

Marvin Goffena
Darby

Page One •	Valley News •	Op/Ed •	Sports •	Calendar •	Classifieds •	Links •	About Us •	Back Issues •	Email Us •	Home
©2008 Bitterroot Star This site was Done By Dooney