Opinion
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 4586
Home Sweet Homecoming
For many of us, one of our fondest memories is going to our high school or college homecoming. If you look up the definition of the term, homecoming means “an instance of returning home” and “a high school, or university... — Updated 9/20/2021
By 
View from the North 40: Maybe we have fallen down a rabbit hole
I realized two things this week about the often adverse relationship between animals and man — one thing because of the lack of headlines and the other because of the wealth of... — Updated 9/17/2021
Friends Sitting with Silence Shining
I begin my days with a loose routine of morning readings, nothing cast in concrete, but generally start with the poet Rumi. This epitomizes the week. “But for us this day is... — Updated 9/16/2021
The Postscript: A good story
To me, “the farm” has always meant the farm where my mother grew up, one of 11 children. Every book I ever read that was set on a farm, and many other books as well, all took... — Updated 9/15/2021
Consider the value of your public school in your community
I pen this letter upon return from a 1,700-mile journey to communities across the state and numerous hours of phone and online communications these past two weeks with administrators in Montana’s public schools. The purpose of th... — Updated 9/13/2021
COVID vaccines are safe and effective
Dear Montana, In my work as a primary care Physician Assistant I regularly advocate to all patients that they get the COVID-19 vaccine. One question I am regularly asked: “The C19 vaccine was rushed, how do I know it’s... — Updated 9/13/2021
Our View - America united
Twenty years ago Saturday, the world changed. People in the United States and around the world watched in shock and horror as terrorists hijacked airliners and crashed them into the World Trade Center Twin Towers in New York, the... — Updated 9/13/2021
View from the North 40: Move along, folks, there's no plot to twist here
If you aren’t cynical before you get into the news business, you will be soon after. And just when I think I’m too cynical to ever be surprised by the news again, along comes a... — Updated 9/10/2021
Letter to the Editor - Support NAMI Walk Sept. 19
Dear Friends Your past support of the NAMI Walk has meant a great deal to us, and we can’t thank you enough for the generosity! We have this walk for the awareness to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness will be held on... — Updated 9/9/2021
Looking out my Backdoor: When the clock of time slithers down the wall
Some days, I feel like I’m living in Dali’s famous painting with timepieces slumped and limp and empty. Except with differences. My “painting” would have the clock hands... — Updated 9/9/2021
Letter to the Editor - How long till Montana follows Texas
Editor, How ironic: The US Supreme Court just allowed a law passed by Texas Republicans that effectively bans abortion while Republicans in Montana have been chanting, “My body, my choice,” in protests against vaccine and mask... — Updated 9/8/2021
The Postscript: Hardworking people
We are reaching that point in remodeling where we seriously question whether we will ever be done. After we finally found a plumber, we thought our worries were over and progress... — Updated 9/8/2021
Amazing diversity in my Senate district
From railroaders to farm workers, rural and city, hills to the flats, and irrigated lands vs dryland farming, I continue to be in awe of the diversity we see throughout Montana Senate District 14. Ever so evident in the ag... — Updated 9/7/2021
National security and honoring our values: Montana and Afghanistan
The fall of the Afghan government and the return of the Taliban has left policymakers and the public grasping for answers and apportioning blame. The deaths of 13 U.S. servicemen and -women and 170 Afghans at the Kabul Airport... — Updated 9/7/2021
Our View - Situation in RFD1 is mind-boggling
The situation in Rural Fire District 1 is mind-boggling. It seems fairly simple. Havre Fire Department has had an agreement to put out fires in the district, a ring that runs around the outside edge of Havre. Havre’s government... — Updated 9/3/2021
Letter to the Editor - 'Research' on 'rule' on masks in schools is flawed
Editor, The Gianforte administration issued a new rule discouraging mask mandates in schools. The governor rationalized this by contending that several studies show masking has adverse effects upon children. His office released a... — Updated 9/3/2021
View from the North 40: It's a time of woe, not hay
Buying hay for my horses this year felt like a cross between the opening moments of the New York Stock exchange in a bull market and gift shopping on Black Friday — and just a skosh, or maybe even a smidge, like negotiating a nef... — Updated 9/3/2021
Looking out my Backdoor: The day my computer caught the delta variant COVID virus
I suppose it’s my own fault. I should have known when the toilet tank innards up and died and bled water all over the floor. But no, I had nary a clue. Then a few days later I... — Updated 9/2/2021
Economic potential tied to reliable, affordable electricity
Montanans personal income grew 20 percent year-over-year, housing prices are up more than 30 percent and the number of job postings in the state were 62 percent higher in July than in February 2021. It really is a recession... — Updated 9/1/2021
The Postscript: Part of the family
I met my former mother-in-law, “Mama Lou,” and my former father-in-law, “Poppo,” when I was not yet 20 years old. I hitched a ride to meet them, terrified because I’d... — Updated 9/1/2021
Letter to the Editor - No right to infect others
Editor, No one has a constitutional right to infect others with a deadly disease. There is no “freedom” from vaccination or from required wearing of masks. We are not free to disregard a stop light or a speed limit. There is... — Updated 8/30/2021
View from the North 40: It's just a long-winded version of 'Oh no, I broke it!'
Our old friend the law of unintended consequences says that actions of people always have effects that are unanticipated or unintended, but basically, it’s just a fancy way of say... — Updated 8/27/2021
Looking out my Backdoor: Goldilocks and the Three Pies
Consider this to be as though you accidentally tuned into the cooking channel. The difference is that I’ll tell you about the mistakes I made along the way. When Uncle Lee... — Updated 8/26/2021
Thanks for helping me chase a dream
With enough passion, hard work, and in my case, a little luck, opportunities come about which just can’t be turned down—I’m writing this because today is my last day with... — Updated 8/25/2021
The Postscript: Matching chairs
My husband, Peter, and I have matching folding chairs. Every Thursday evening this summer, we have attended the outdoor concert held in a local park. The music is usually good, but... — Updated 8/25/2021
