• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Bitterroot Star

Bitterroot Valley's best source for local news!

  • Home
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Classifieds
    • Buildings
    • Farm & Garden
    • For Rent
    • For Sale
    • Free
    • Help Wanted
    • Real Estate
    • Sales/Auctions
    • Services
  • Legal Notices
  • Obituaries
  • Calendar
  • Services
    • Letter to the Editor
    • Place Classified Ad
    • Submit a Press Release
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
  • Subscribe

Troubling developments

March 12, 2025 by Guest Post

by Thomas Tunny, Hamilton

I recently read an article in the news regarding the eradication of “river blindness” in the African country of Niger, where 550,000 people or 11% of the population are infected every year. River blindness is a degenerative disease that debilitates vast numbers of people across Africa.

In 1976 Niger partnered with the drug company Merck and the World Health Organization to find a drug that would prevent river blindness. Through the efforts of the Carter Foundation, the Gates Foundation, the World Health Organization, and USAID, the parasitic infection of “river blindness” has been virtually eradicated in that country, ensuring a healthy life to millions of people of Niger!

Too bad President Trump and Mr. Musk have destroyed this important program.

The massive cuts to USAID and the firing of so many US Government employees is, in the words of President Reagan, “smoke and mirrors” to deflect from the real damage being done by Trump, with very little notice, as he fires and then hires our top military leaders who swear allegiance to him.

When the next elections roll around and Trump decides that elections are no longer useful to him, he will call on the military, led by his devotees, to cancel them.

And how about his disgraceful behavior towards President Zelenskyy of the Ukraine on February 28?

Share this:

Filed Under: Opinion

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Timothy Adams says

    March 12, 2025 at 3:00 PM

    Look everyone, it’s an authoritarian warmonger.
    Is the military supposed to disobey Trump? If it did, doesn’t that imply we no longer live in a democracy?
    If I recall it was the Democrats who had a nominee with no primary. Just like how they jerked over Bernie in 2016 and 2020 and are now surprised all his supporters like Joe Rogan, Tulsi Gabbard and RFK are now supporting Trump.
    The party of democracy always has reasons to forego democracy. Look at how gerrymandered our legislature is, courtesy of the ACLU and Democrats. 300k Montanans who can’t vote for anyone but a Democrat to Helena, but they’re the party of DEMOCRACY! LOL

  2. Mike Miller says

    March 12, 2025 at 12:43 PM

    Thomas, nothing’s stopping you from donating your money to that cause you speak so fondly of. Go ahead, be the help you claim they so badly need. You’ll feel so good about yourself!

Primary Sidebar

Search This Website

Search this website…

Local Info

  • Bitterroot Chamber of Commerce
  • Ravalli County
  • Ravalli County Economic Development Authority
  • City of Hamilton
  • Town of Stevensville
  • Town of Darby
  • Bitterroot Public Library
  • North Valley Public Library
  • Stevensville Community Foundation
  • Ravalli County Council on Aging
  • Bitterroot Producers Directory
  • Ravalli County Schools
  • Real Estate
  • Montana Works

Like us

Read our e-edition!

Montana Info

  • Montana Ski Report
  • Montana Fish, Wildlife, & Parks
  • National Parks in Montana
  • Montana Wildfires – INCIWEB
  • US Forest Service – Missoula
  • Firewise USA
  • Recreation.gov

Check Road Conditions

Road Conditions

Footer

Services

  • Place Classified Ad
  • Submit a Press Release
  • Letter to the Editor
  • Submit an Event
  • Subscribe
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Our location:

PO Box 133

115 W. 3rd Street
Stevensville, MT  59870
Phone: (406) 777-3928
Fax: (406) 777-4265

Archives – May 2011 to Present

Archives Prior to May 2011

Click here for archives prior to May 2011.

The Bitterroot Star Newspaper Co: ISSN 1050-8724 (Print) ISSN 2994-0273 (Online)
Copyright © 2025 · Bitterroot Star · Maintenance · Site by Linda Lancaster at Bitterroot Web Designs