Embarrassing

My apologies to the County Commissioners:

I’m writing to publicly express regret for my poor manners in addressing you at the public meeting Wednesday (2/6/18). The meeting was in regards to your letter supporting Senator Daines’ Bill which is attempting to release the Sapphire and Blue Joint Wilderness Study Areas from protection. I stated that I was disappointed in you for doing Daines’ bidding in writing the letter (which is clear from the record that you did). But I should not have followed that by saying, “C’mon guys, you’re grown men,” in a disgusted tone.  I’m a little shocked and frankly embarrassed by the depth of my anger. I often feel like I live in a big dysfunctional family here in the Bitterroot. Sometimes my frustration gets the best of me. What really got to me this time is you writing that, “We (the commission) believe that there are NO public lands, which are not currently designated Wilderness, that have STRONG LOCAL SUPPORT for designation as Wilderness Area in Ravalli County (the caps are yours).”

I’ve lived here 39 years. I KNOW there is passionate OPPOSITION and SUPPORT for more Wilderness. I can’t see how you, who have lived here longer than I, could, in honesty, write what you did. The more I thought about it, the madder I got. I am not invisible. Neither are the MANY other supporters of Wilderness who live in this valley. We are your friends, your neighbors, your nurses, your doctors, your volunteers for public service organizations, your government workers, your business owners, your farmers, your construction workers, your teachers, your waitresses and waiters, your fire fighters, your soldiers, your clergy. We’re not just a few crazy old hippies living up the canyons, though they too deserve your respect. We’re not aberrations. We’ve been to myriads of meetings about public lands over the years. Many of us have talked to you individually. We gave up more of our lives to come on Wednesday where 42 LOCAL people spoke opposing Daines’ Bill to 16 supporting it. You got paid for those 3 hours. We did not. Why would you write a letter stating that we don’t exist? I just don’t get it.

But that does not mean I am excused for questioning your masculinity in public and treating you like annoying little brothers. Please accept my apology. I’ll try to do better next time.

Repentantly yours,

Pat Tucker

Hamilton