Unless I last into my nineties, this will be my last opportunity to vote in a presidential election. We have been extremely fortunate to live in this beautiful country. There is nothing in life that is absolutely perfect but we have gotten a healthy slice of the good things. The founding men and women with almost genius foresight gave us a Declaration of Independence, a Constitution, and a Bill of Rights that established a structure and freedom that allows citizen through hard work, skill, and determination to achieve that which ability allows.
When the British surrendered at Yorktown, their marching band played “The World Turned Upside Down.” I think most will agree that we turned it “right side up” and we continue to this day in that effort. We have weathered storms, wars, and now a pandemic but we are confident that with American grit and our “can do” mental toughness, we will prevail and merge into the sunlight of a new day.
Now, anyone who reads the Star sees that we do have some immediate problems to resolve. We can dwell on the complexities of these problems with endless debate or deal directly with them.
China! The evidence is almost ironclad that the virus was not of natural origin but laboratory produced by and with the full knowledge of the Chinese Communist Party. The very latest word is that the virus was modified to increase lethality. The decision to allow transmission to the rest of the world was almost certainly a calculated act, one that raises the question, was this an act of war? You know the consequences as they exist today but there may well be other effects we will find out in the future. We also know the goals of China. World domination! They have stated this in plain English. They are directing their efforts toward economic, academic, political, and military superiority with a timetable that will affect you and your children and grandchildren. The last time we encountered such a malignant threat to world peace was in 1939 with actions by Adolph Hitler. It took determined and decisive leadership by Churchill and Roosevelt to defeat that threat. If the threat to our survival forces us to take action against China, I believe we have the kind of leader in Donald Trump that embodies those strong qualities that would allow us and our allies to prevail. I regret that such an unthinkable question should enter our consciousness but I think that as a result of the recent actions of China the subject must be considered.
Another problem to think about! Capitalism or Socialism? You have lived your life under a capitalist government and know how that works but we now find some strong advocates for Socialism. I break it down in a simple question. Do you wish the government to take care of all your needs from cradle to grave or do you desire to continue as we have for the last two and a half centuries and take care of yourself?
Education is another problem you should consider. At one time in the distant past we could claim that our public schools were the best in the world. We’ll let the historians sort out why we are now almost a third world country in education but now we have a rival who is absolutely determined to bury us in the dirt in all areas of education. Yes, it is China once again!
This is a problem that every one of you who have a child in school MUST act on. Not only must you find out how well your school ranks compared to other Montana schools (look up “Schooldigger”) but also how US schools rank with the rest of world (look up “PISA”). Go to school board meetings. Read the minutes of past meetings. Find out how much of their meeting time is devoted to their students’ achievements and how much time to the nuts and bolts of running a school. One other thing you should concern yourself with: WHAT ARE THEY TEACHING YOUR CHILDREN? Look at the teaching materials and talk to the teachers. We must not accept anything but excellence in education. Your teachers can provide it but they need your help in returning to a path that made our schools the envy of the world.
None of the above is more than just worthless words unless there is safety and stability in your community. If you buy the argument that we should defund those of us who put out our fires, tend to the injured and ill, and protect us from those who shred our laws and threaten us, then you are defeated before you start.
One last matter. Stand when the flag passes by. Honor and remember those men and women who stood by this country and have given us this priceless gift we call FREEDOM.
W.J. Hester
Florence