National Guard

by Tom Tunny, Hamilton

Donald Trump recently ordered 4000 National Guardsmen and women (if there are any women left in the National Guard after Secretary Hegseth has done his damage) and 700 Marines to Los Angeles to quell “trumped up” charges of civil unrest in that great city. The demonstrations, for the most part, were the result of DJT and Stephen Miller ordering Border Czar, Tom Homan, to speed up the process of ridding our country of so-called “illegal immigrants.” Reports indicate that the ICE agents picked up anyone they could find in LA who looked like a foreigner (as in Latino/a). As I write this Letter to the Editor, the situation continues with more and more families, including children, being ripped apart. Is this really what we wanted in America in 2025? Do we really want to see the destruction of individuals and families at the hands of our own military troops? In a practical sense, do we really want to see so many of our low level laborers/workers thrown out of our country, leaving no one to do the dirty work that they are willing to do so that they could live in the best country in the world… a country that is now sadly tarnished by the actions of our current President!

On top of this tragedy, it is anticipated that the US Government will pay more than $135 million to support our National Guard Troops and Marine Corps soldiers in this effort… funds that could be used more productively! 

On the local front, we hear that NIH Director, Jay Bhattacharya, M.D., Ph.D, is coming to Hamilton to inspect and perhaps close Rocky Mountain Lab which has been serving the public since 1929. 

This is to be a “cost cutting exercise” which will do great harm to our city of Hamilton and all of Ravalli County. The $135 million being mis-spent to quell a made-up riot in Los Angeles could have gone a long way toward saving the Lab and all the consequential damage that will occur if it is closed. Our County Commissioners say they know nothing about this visit and have not been contacted by the federal government in this regard. I’m afraid either the Commissioners have their heads in the sand or they have already signed off on this devastating option.