We should expect more

by Gary Milner, Corvallis

“Should President Biden and the Democrats use your hard-earned taxpayer dollars to supersize the IRS?” and “Should Democrats raise our national debt limit to fund their reckless tax & spending spree?” and “Do you support raising taxes on small businesses”? These are the types of fact-finding questions I’m sent from Steve Daines. An elementary student can see through this. That an elected leader would use taxpayer dollars to send these is pathetic and he should be ashamed of his behavior. Don’t get me wrong, if Jon Tester was asking these types of juvenile questions, I’d also be writing this letter, but he’s not. Democrats hope to invest in the IRS to go after tax cheaters. Republicans resist this. Also, Republicans have raised the debt ceilings many times.  

This example from Steve Daines is what is wrong with “leaders” like him. I wish I expected more from him, but I don’t. In fact, I expect he will only go lower. He knows how to manipulate. He and other Republicans, now pander to the lowest emotional fears/angers of their constituency and sadly it works. A perfect example is CRT. Even though it’s NOT being taught in any public school in the U.S., Republicans make it an issue. They know stoking fear/anger works. Anger and bullying have become normalized; just look at Jan. 6th. Policy and solutions have been replaced by denial, anger, and lies. Let’s be clear, COVID is not a hoax, Donald Trump lost fair and square, human caused Climate Change is happening, and the January 6th insurrection was not a gathering of tourists.  

It seems before folks wanting to have solution-oriented conversations about race, guns, climate, health care or other issues, obstacles like anger and being branded a socialist have to be overcome. It’s much easier to just be mad, deny, yell, and call someone a socialist than to address real issues.

It’s my belief that the U.S., as the richest country on Earth should be able to provide health care to all its citizens, it should address suicide and gun violence (MT seems to always be ranked in the top 4 regarding gun suicide), it should provide free/affordable college, it should provide all seniors with free/affordable vision and dental coverage, it should deal with Climate Change so our kids can have a healthy planet, it should provide parental leave and universal pre-K, it should ensure seniors have affordable prescription drugs, and it should honestly exam its beginnings and past and understand how all peoples have been impacted. These are investments that I want my tax dollars to go for. I want thoughtful conversations about these, not just blanket childish denials. If these things are socialism, so be it, they help our people.  

Many on the right are Evangelicals. In my view the issues raised above are the very things Jesus would be for (maybe he was a socialist). They help people. It seems it’s not really about issues anymore, it’s more if Democrats are for it, then Republicans are against it, even if it’s in their own best interests and helps working people. An example that cemented this for me was watching a voter in Virginia claim he was against CRT but could not even explain what it was.  

Denying facts, attacking the Capitol, branding folks as socialists, not being willing to discuss race issues, and ploys like Steve Daines uses, are dangerous and juvenile. And they need to be called out for what they are; childish and destructive to our democracy. Its unfortunate these tactics work with a percentage of our country. These tactics provide an easy out to avoid addressing issues, which could bring up uncomfortable truths about ourselves and our country.