[voices]
Off target
STREET TALK
by Cathrine L. Walters
Asked Tuesday, Oct. 29, on the corner of Higgins and Spruce. What’s the most indelible image you’ve ever seen? Follow-up: What iconic images come to mind when you think of Missoula?
Stephanie Hohn: The one I keep seeing is the National Geographic image of the Afghan refugee woman with the bright eyes. Bridges to everywhere: The Wilma and the view over the river, where you have to cross the bridge to do anything.
Graham Serviss: The Big Dipper made a flyer or postcard a few years ago with an image of the Big Dipper building. It was amazing. A river runs through it: Brennan’s Wave and the view of the Clark Fork from Caras Park or the bridge.
Mike Himber: Inside Carnegie Hall. I played on stage with the Big Sky High School Symphonic Wind Ensemble. Missoula high-rise: The Wilma. I’ve been to so many shows and have had so many good times there.
I like your paper and read every issue cover to cover, but I was surprised to find a tirade by a poorly informed hypocrite in the food section (see “Hunting just got harder,” Oct. 17). In the article, the writer complains of an ammo shortage—an ammo shortage caused by anti-gunners like Obama, the Clintons and Bloomberg trying to restrict guns and ammo purchases. Gunners are all stocking up, thus leaving the writer no ammo to hunt with. Too bad. This writer is a hypocrite because he thinks it’s okay to use his rifle but not others. AR originally stood for armalite rifle, not automatic rifle. Today, they are called Modern Sporting Rifles, or MSRs. They look different than bolt action rifles but function same way. One pull of the trigger causes one bullet to come out of the barrel. Everybody wants to use the best tool available to do a job. The MSR is the most reliable, durable and accurate rifle a hunter can get. MSRs can be had in any caliber, not just the stupid zombie .223 caliber that hunters never use. The writer of this article is an idiot and should be given an IQ test before getting a hunting license. MSRs do not mow things down—lawnmowers do. Use of these rifles does not, as the writer says, open the door to irresponsible and unethical shooting, such the unfathomable practice of hunting at night. Hunting with an MSR is not an insane practice, it’s as safe and responsible as using any other weapon. It all depends on person using weapon. I hope this writer never finds his .270 ammo because the woods will be much safer without this person running around with a gun. Richard Brodowy Florence
Dinosaur favorite Ron Trosclair: My folks are in their 90s and keep a photo album of when we were young, so many of the images in there. Aesthetic value: Old buildings in town, like the Boone & Crockett Club.
My congratulations to Matt Rosendale for officially announcing his run for U.S. Congress. This takes the speculation
[4] Missoula Independent • October 31–November 7, 2013
“Your speech about conservative values must have warmed the hearts of those departed dinosaurs. Why, they probably said, ‘Finally, a politician with old ideas like us.’” lions of years. Your speech about conservative values must have warmed the hearts of those departed dinosaurs. Why, they probably said, “Finally, a politician with old ideas like us.” Someone who supports criminalizing a woman’s right to an abortion—even in cases of rape or incest, an interpretation of his religion that has been around for years. Someone who wanted Montana to be able to secede from the union—a thought that goes back to at least the Civil War. Finally, a dinosaur favorite who wanted to keep an unconstitutional law on the books, making it a crime to be a homosexual. Mr. Rosendale’s conservative reasoning is “the Bible forbids it.”
To Mr. Rosendale’s credit, he will devote his entire time to the U.S. House race. It remains to be seen if his entire Tea Party conservative agenda will translate statewide. Pat Mischel Glendive
Gut-check time Will the real Rep. Steve Daines please stand up? So which is it, Mr. Daines? Are you the fellow that Montanans thought they were sending to Congress—the guy who listens to all sides of an issue and champions ideas from Montana? Or is Daines swept up in the nonsense that is too prevalent in Washington, D.C.? Is he just listening to political operatives more bent on gouging the eyes of their opponents than in actually solving this nation’s problems? Sadly, Rep. Daines appears to be falling into the camp with the partisan radicals. Case in point: Daines has recently signed on with a radical national forest management bill being forwarded by Tea Party favorite Doc Hastings. The bill is a fantasy of those with a simplistic, narrowminded view of national forests. Now, Montanans want their forests managed. That’s no secret. But the Hastings bill won’t actually accomplish that because it’s overly broad, unrealistic and driven more by ideology that pragmatic solutions. It’s classic, winner-takes-all politics. Does that sound familiar? Doc Hastings would manage Montana’s national forests the way his Tea Party friends managed the federal budget. Across Montana, folks from sawmills, conservation groups and sportsmen’s organizations have hammered out real, practical visions for bringing people together and getting things done on the land. These balance both the conservation of and the wise utilization of natural resources. It’s gut-check time for Rep. Daines. Whose side are you on, Montana’s or Washington, D.C.’s? Gabriel King Missoula
[Comments from MissoulaNews.com] Backtalk from “The hatemonger next door,” Oct. 24
Can’t be real
Victoria Cronin: Do you know the Depression-era photo of the migrant worker? The mother? That one. Rooftops: I live by the river so it would be what I can see from my house. I’d have to say the steeples, like St. Francis Xavier, and even the dome of the courthouse.
away, and now gives reporters the obligation and opportunity to cover the competition equally. Great job by Mr. Rosendale for selecting Makoshika State Park as the perfect location for this event, a magical place in eastern Montana that is rich in landmarks and artifacts that date back hundreds, thousands and, for some misinformed geologists and members of the public, mil-
“What the #$*@!? The ‘growing threat of diversity’? I mean, I am always up for an intellectual and open-minded sharing of differing views—ahhh, the gift of diversity! This dude can’t be for real. If so, I am blindsidely fascinated at such a world-view.” Posted Oct. 24 at 12:45 p.m.
Too stupid “As soon as the black population in the cities wake up from their ignorance and realize that the illegal Mexicans stole their welfare they will clash ... I do expect
that at anytime there will be full scale riots in our cities and the population will decrease substantially among the Mexicans and blacks. As well their victims will be the whites who are too stupid to have armed their homes from such intruders.” Posted Oct. 24 at 12:50 p.m.
To the moon
An idea
“No matter how this piece of filth tries to dress or present himself, white supremacists will always be nothing more than homeland terrorists and cowards. Cowards because he fears what he does not know and he wants to kill anyone that he fears. He needs to be locked up before he does any real harm.” Posted Oct. 25 at 8:51 p.m.
“Hey, I have an idea. Why don’t all the descendants of the European immigrants promoting European nationalism relocate back to Europe.” Posted Oct. 25 at 11:03 a.m.
“I am fully in support of this Dick Spencer guy creating his ‘ethno-state’ … on the MOON. I’ll stay down here.” Posted Oct. 25 at 7:23 p.m.
A spade