Letters to the editor, May 6
Mother's Day 2010
It was 64 years ago, not too long after World War II ended both in the Pacific and Europe. I found myself looking at mothers lying in the streets with their small children and searching in garbage cans for food. Their homes were destroyed and the fathers of the children had been killed. They were German mothers doing their best to keep their families alive. The scene was especially tough for many of the American military men whom had played a role in the destruction and killing.
However, the greatest revelation for me was realizing how great mothers are and the important role which mothers play in the rearing and providing for their children. I am thankful that many fathers can and do play a serious role. On the other hand, in many cases fathers do not participate in this expected and necessary role. The reasons are many-fold. A book could be written about this phenomenon; therefore, at this time I will make no further comments concerning this matter.
It follows that mothers usually do their jobs in a loving and expected way. Therefore, I respect them. The Lord had a great idea when he created mothers. What would we do without them?
Accordingly, I wish for each mother a happy and satisfying Mother's Day.
Bill Ingram
Military veteran
Mother's Day
Today Mother's Day is all about honoring our mothers with flowers and gifts. But the idea of Mother's Day in the United States arose out of a desire for peace.
In 1870, Julia Ward Howe, in reaction to the horrors of death and carnage of the Civil War wrote the following proclamation calling on mothers of the nation to come together and protest what she saw as the futility of their sons killing the sons of other mothers. She called for an international Mother's Day celebrating peace and motherhood.
Mother's day proclamation:
Arise, then, women of this day!
Arise all women who have hearts,
Whether your baptism be that of water or of tears
Say firmly:
"We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies,
Our husbands shall not come to us reeking of carnage,
For caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn.
All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.
"We women of one country.
Will be too tender of those of another country.
To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs."
From the bosom of the devastated earth a voice goes up with.
Our own. It says, "Disarm, Disarm!"
The sword of murder is not the balance of justice!
Blood does not wipe out dishonor.
Nor violence indicate possession.
As men have often forsaken the plow and the anvil at the summons of war.
Let women now leave all that may be left of home
For a great and earnest day of counsel.
Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them then solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means
Whereby the great human family can live in peace,
Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar, but of God.
In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask
That a general congress of women without limit of nationality
May be appointed and held at some place deemed most convenient
And at the earliest period consistent with its objects
To promote the alliance of the different nationalities,
The amicable settlement of international questions.
The great and general interests of peace.
Julia Ward Howe had penned The Battle Hymn of the Republic in 1902.
The United States Congress approved Mother's Day in 1914.
Happy Mother's Day, Montana!
Lynn Peters and Suzanne Luepke
Polson residents
Politics
It is indeed disingenuous and smacks of great irony that the very lawmakers on the investigating committee who grilled Goldman Sachs have bowed and bent to the very same greed, fear, and risk-taking strategies with legislation that this financial institution engaged in with peoples' money.
Why should we be surprised? Why should, all of a sudden, these ‘holier than thou' politicians be sitting there castigating these so-called financial giants when they have been playing a similar game with politics? It's a game which lacks integrity, honesty, accountability to those who put them in office, and a general bowing and scraping to the lobbyists with the most money to contribute to their campaign funds. Why should we be surprised? But we are a part of it, too. Just look around.
In looking around, it is hard to miss how greed, fear, anger, the promotion of sex-for-pleasure, and the grasp for money points so clearly and accurately to the state of our nation's moral and ethical health. It reaches right down into our own very personal lives in our television programming, our advertising, our entertainment outlets, our schools, businesses, relationships and family life, the culture of drugs and alcohol, and seems to permeate most every part of life as we know it today.
Stating the ‘state of our nation' is relatively easy. Fixing and changing the direction of our national health is not so easy. In fact if the truth be known, it really will take each of us, individually, being responsible and aware of the way we feel, think, speak, and act. Are we contributing to the problem or the solution? Do we think our individual actions do not make a difference? Do we think that what motivates us, the direction of our moment-by-moment thoughts do not make a difference? Do we really think we can not make a difference?
My firm belief is that we really need to think about these things. We need to talk within our family groups about these things. We need to be willing to talk in public about these things. We cannot depend on someone else fixing the problems. We have created these problems and we will have to solve them. Our nations good health will be generated from the bottom up. We the people are the foundation upon which a healthy, vital, prosperous, and dynamic nation will emerge.
Bob McClellan
Polson
Daffodil Days
I am writing today to thank everyone who unselfishly gave of their time, talents and money to help make the American Cancer Society Lake County Daffodil Days such a success. When the final figures were tallied, the total for this year's fundraiser was an incredible $5,100.
I want the men, women and youngsters who participated in this year's event to know that after minimal expenses, every dollar they raised or donated will be used by the American Cancer Society to help the organization continue its funding of cancer research, its legislative advocacy, and its many educational and patient service programs.
I would be remiss if I didn't begin by thanking those who served on our Daffodil Days planning committee. Without their many hours of work, this event never would have occurred. Next we have our many sales representatives who made so many calls and knocked on countless doors. Of course, our corporate sponsors were the ones who so generously donated funds and in-kind goods and services so that we were able to give every dollar raised to the Society.
Finally, thank-you to everyone in and around Lake County who purchased our beautiful daffodils and Boyds stuffed bears. I hope they both brought everyone countless hours of joy and happiness.
This year's American Cancer Society Lake County Daffodil Days was a tremendous success, but I look forward to next year when we can raise even more, which will draw us even closer to finding a cure for cancer. Again, thank you all so very much for your kindness and generosity.
Heidi Trytten
Lake County Daffodil Days Chair
Taylor is running again
Attention all voters in House District 11: have you noticed that Janna Taylor is running again? Here are some reasons why you may want to vote for her on June 8, and again in November.
1. She answers her constituents' mail. How many times have you gotten a personal reply from ANY legislator?
2. She actively represents us even when the Legislature is not in session. She has been at property tax meetings and various political meetings.
3. She urges us to actively participate in our state government. In April 2009, I called her to ask about the carbon sequestration bill. She suggested I go to Helena and testify before the committee holding hearings on it. She told me how to do it. So I did, and it was easy. I found out that they like to hear testimony from citizens, and I was treated with respect.
This is the kind of legislator I want representing me!
Dale P. Ferguson
Polson resident
Autism Awareness
As Autism Awareness Month comes to a close, I am so pleased that so many in Polson supported the cause by wearing pins, spreading the word, and becoming more educated. One big issue still is of major concern to me. I know of several local landlords very unwilling to allow therapy animals for these special kiddos. I understand not wanting your property damaged as a home owner. However, it disturbs me greatly that some landlords would go to nearly any length necessary to prevent therapy animals for the kids who have valid prescriptions for them. It is disappointing when concern for carpet outweighs concern for the well being of a child in need.
Elizabeth Humble
Polson resident
NDOP concerns
The NDOP has been embroiled in a number of controversies. One is that many people believe that sanctioning prayer is not an appropriate governmental function. Some criticism comes from non-believers. However, there are also many believers who would rather keep government and religion separate.
Another dispute comes from religious people who believe that the NDOP has been taken over by extreme right fundamentalists and no longer represents the original intent of a day of inclusion for all religions. An example is that Franklin Graham has been disinvited to the May 6 ceremony because of his outspoken criticism of Islam as an evil religion.
There is no doubt that a religious majority in the United States has long held an attitude of entitlement regarding the origins of our government and in continuing a religious vein of influence. However, this is beginning to change. On April 15, a Wisconsin judge held that the NDOP is unconstitutional. However, while appeals are processed the NDOP will continue this year as planned.
In England, a judge has also declared that Christian beliefs have no standing in court under secular law because they lack evidence and cannot be proven. A reviewer commented, "the law must be clear, that anti-discrimination laws exist to protect people, not beliefs."
In another troubling religious issue, the Texas Board of Education is promoting its own version of religious textbooks which then get delivered nationwide.
It is likely that these challenges to religion in government will increase - and rightfully so. The United States government should have no role in promoting religious concepts - whether dogma, generalized, or in law. The National Day of Reason makes sense.
Gene Johnson
Polson resident
Lake County Commissioner
While all the candidates for Lake County commissioner appear worthy, I strongly support Ron Merwin.
My wife and I have the privilege of calling Ron Merwin both friend and neighbor. We could not ask for more hospitable and caring neighbors than Ron and Jessie. More than once, they have gone out of their way to be neighborly to our family. Over the years, Ron's character and integrity have been revealed to us in these interactions. I suspect that comes from being raised "the old fashioned way" in eastern Montana and serving so many years in the US Navy.
We also have had opportunity to have in-depth discussions regarding Biblical and Constitutional principles, including the proper God-ordained purpose and function of civil government. I sincerely appreciate that Ron understands the principles expressed in the Declaration of Independence which recognize that our individual rights come from God and "that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men..."
Knowing Ron's convictions as I do, I am fully convinced that he will not compromise our individual rights to political pressure or expediency.
In this day when "government services" are emphasized by elected officials who maintain their offices by buying votes with the public treasury, Ron knows that the most important "government service" is securing to each individual that which justly belongs to them, namely life, liberty, and property. Ron understands that an oath to uphold the Constitution supersedes allegiance to political expediency and political parties.
Please join me to elect Ron Merwin as Lake County commissioner on June 8.
Rick Jore
Ronan resident