Letters to the editor

Jan. 21

Asking, why terrorism?

Recently, in a White House briefing to the press corps on the intelligence screw-up that almost downed an airliner on Christmas Day, Helen Thomas, the 89-year-old veteran correspondent and the only one in the room with real courage, asked counter-intelligence guru John Brennan this question: “Why do they want to do us harm? What is the motivation? We never hear what you find out about why!”

Mr. Brennan sputtered some rather flaccid explanations about how terrorists simply want to hurt everyone. After his first attempt at deflecting Helen’s question, she asked it again: “Why do they hate us? You never say why?” Again, Mr. Brennan skirted the subject with the usual comments on how terrorists are only concerned with harming others. And Helen ends her questioning with, “But. Why?!”

Even the 9-11 Commission, in a most carefully worded paragraph in their report, said this: “American policy choices have consequences, right or wrong, it is simply a fact that American policy regarding Israeli-Palestinian conflict and American policy regarding Iraq are dominant staples of popular commentary across the Arab and Muslim world.”

“Dominant staples of popular commentary across the Arab and Muslim world”? What kind of language is that? The Arab and Muslim worlds are furious, furious, furious with America’s full support of Israel, our disastrous invasion of Iraq, our present Afghanistan fiasco, and generally our military presence and arms deals all over the Middle East. And, according to many Middle East experts who really understand the Arab and Muslim minds, they have every right to be fearful, angry and feel deeply affected.

So, what does this lead to? What do the terrorists have to build upon to recruit and train people in building and maintaining their  organizations? They surely don’t have to look far to find fuel for their diabolical fire-schemes.

Arabs and Muslims do not hate us, the average American. Many of them have relatives and friends living peacefully over here among us. They hate our nation’s policies of influence peddling with huge amounts of money, military might, arms dealings, aggressive occupations and painting the broad brush of hatred against an entire culture because of radicals and extremists within that culture who dare create havoc upon American soil.  

Long live Helen Thomas, the grand dame of correspondents!

 Bob McClellan, Polson

York will be missed

This community is losing a great leader in Steve York. I have had the opportunity to watch him in his professional capacity as the Linderman Elementary Principal. He is a tremendous asset to our community. 

If you are fortunate enough to make Steve’s acquaintance, I can assure you he will bring a smile to your face. Underneath his warm exterior, he is a talented, thoughtful, caring leader who “gets” kids and the politics of relationships critical to a school. He has managed Linderman in a very down-to-earth manner. His warmth, compassion, common sense, and practicality have made an awesome combination to use in his chosen profession. 

His interest and dedication to this community has played out in his outreach to the children especially, and to the community at large.  As the child of a former school board member and a parent of children who have passed through his school, I know his job to often be thankless and difficult, but he performed with integrity, confidence and caring for all sides with a view toward the best interests of our children.

I am pleased that he will continue to serve the people of Montana in the world of education, but I am saddened at the loss of this capable leader to our students at Linderman and to us in general.  

Deborah Kim Christopher, District Judge

Lights needed in fog

Driving in dense fog without lights on. Who are these people? What part of reduced visibility don’t they understand? Do people really think that if they can see fine then there is no need for lights? I don’t know the answer, but I am certain those drivers are just as dangerous as someone driving under the influence and their actions should be treated the same. I know our county is strapped for law enforcement, but I hope these drivers are being pulled over and cited.

Even if just one person is stopped, maybe one fatal traffic  accident will be avoided. As I watched these vehicles literally come out of nowhere, I imagined what potential accidents could be occurring. And honestly, I asked myself, how stupid can these people be? Apparently, very, because there is no excuse for not turning on their lights.

The Montana Department of Justice Web site states, “Montana law requires motorists to operate their vehicles in a careful and prudent manner and at a reduced rate of speed, taking into account the traffic, weather, visibility and road conditions. Drivers must operate their vehicles with regard for the safety of people and property and in such a manner that they do not endanger the life, limb, property or other rights of people entitled to use the highways.”

I realize the people not turning on their lights probably aren’t intelligent enough to read and are likely not reading this editorial. Instead, if those reading this know of someone who neglects this important action, please give them a verbal lashing for engaging in behavior akin to drunk driving. There is absolutely no excuse.

Patti Carroll-Frey, Polson

Different answers to ‘truth’

 A few letter writers in the Jan. 14 issue of the Leader asked some questions.

Mr. Town asked, “Will all of these circumstances force us as a people to acknowledge the sovereign God and to seek his favor?” The answer is, no. Pat Robertson similarly recently highlighted this issue when he took the natural disaster in Haiti and tried to make it into the theme of, “The god or the devil did it.” This was an insult to rational thinking people all over the world and particularly to those people suffering in Haiti.

The number of people in the United States who reject superstition and/or religion is growing every year. So, no, there will not be a total “us as a people” turning to religion as an answer. In particular, there will not be a turning to any one religion.

Brenda Hughes asked, “Should every citizen have to fork over tax dollars to pay for things they don’t support?” The answer is, yes. Of course we do. Our system would not work if it were an anarchy of each person only supporting personal causes. However, an individual is free to speak up and fight for desirable changes in laws and taxation and spending.

Ms. Hughes also asks the intriguing question, “…does belief ever change facts?” This reminds me of a phrase, “But it must be true, because I believe it so strongly!” So, what is “truth?” Each person’s perception is tempered by so many biological, neurological, social (and more) filters that we can be reasonably assured that all perceptions are distorted to some degree. Yet people act as if they know the actual truth. This, then, contributes to a self-fulfilling prophecy of circular explanations, expectations and future (same old) perceptions. Beliefs and facts easily get clouded.

Fortunately, there are ways out of the fog. The scientific process helps account for these distortions by always asking questions and being willing to change a belief if necessary. Circular thinking is weeded out. The “truth” gradually becomes more evident with time and evidence.

On a similar personal level, humans would do themselves and their neighbors a big favor if occasionally they would say, “You know, maybe I could be wrong about this.” Hopefully this attitude-shift might lead toward some enlightening questions and some “better facts,” and a more accurate belief.

Gene Johnson, Polson