by John Leary, Stevensville
I graduated high school in 1975, a few years after the Vietnam war. I went into logging and even wine grape growing until the economy tanked under Carter. With a wife and two children, jobs hard to find, I joined the Army in 1981. My plan was to do 4 years, get the GI bill, go to college and raise my family. My first duty station was Ft. Campbell, OK, but after a year I was sent to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. When my four years was coming up my wife said, this isn’t so bad, civilian life was still rocky, so I decided to make a career out of it. Twenty years later 9/11 happened so I had a couple of tours in Iraq and Afghanistan before I could retire in 2006,
I retired to California to help out my parents. My mom died in 2015, my wife unexpectedly in 2017 and my father in 2018.
Always hating California, I moved to Montana. I love this state where personal responsibility is the rule. The bed you make is the one you lay in, nobody owes you anything. Sure, you hit hard times, there’s a hand up, but it’s not a forever handout.
I’ve been reading the Bitterroot Star since I moved here. Reading the opinion page you would think we are from Seattle. I always just let it go; working people don’t have time to write letters and complain about why everything isn’t free.
I finally reached my breaking point with the October 15th “Voter’s remorse” letter. Nobody in their right mind would want to change their vote to probably the worst possible candidate ever for president, Harris. Just imagine if she were president what the country and world would look like.
The crazy left has always been the squeaky wheel that gets all the attention. I just hope there are enough real Americans to keep this country on the right path.
helen sabin says
TIME FOR FAIRNESS IN LOCAL MEDIA as John and Kevin recognize:
The owner of the Bitterroot Star, Jesse Mullen, recently spoke to a group I belong to. He was told—politely but plainly—that the opinion page is the best part of the Star. Unfortunately, he was also told that many readers have stopped reading it because it’s become dominated by liberal and leftist voices.
Take one example: Linda Schmitt, who somehow managed to appear nearly ten weeks in a row, publishing long, repetitive tirades against President Trump. Her letters read like a personal crusade rather than informed commentary. Meanwhile, conservative voices are regularly sidelined, even when their submissions are thoughtful, factual, and community-focused.
To his credit, Mullen promised to ensure a fair and balanced mix of conservative and liberal viewpoints—and for a brief moment, he did. But that balance has vanished. Once again, the Star’s opinion section reads like an echo chamber for the left.
Let’s be honest: the Bitterroot Valley is overwhelmingly conservative, though it’s the liberals, progressives, and self-styled “activists” who make the most noise. As John Leary recently reminded us—if you’re tired of the imbalance, speak up. Don’t just grumble at the coffee shop or around the dinner table. Write. Submit. Participate.
Thomas Jefferson had it right: “Educate and inform the whole mass of the people… They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.”
Education begins with involvement—and in our community, that means speaking out, writing in, and refusing to let one side control the narrative. Let’s keep the Bitterroot truly representative of the people who live here..
WMA says
Has it ever occurred to you that we liberals write more frequently?
Gomez says
No, it couldn’t be that. It has to be a vast, left wing conspiracy to control the media narrative. 🙂
Bill LaCroix says
Loving your freedom, but not mine eh? Don’t tread on me, tread on those other people? Don’t fool yourself, please, at least not on the opinion pages you’re seen in more than anyone else I’ve noticed. There are plenty of Left-of-Hitler “liberals” here in this valley, many of them having more Montana decades under their belts than these far-far (far far) right exurbanites who seem to be watching too much “Yellowstone” to be good for their common sense. Jeez
Editor says
Helen – It is factually inaccurate that “conservative voices are regularly sidelined.” The policy of the Bitterroot Star is, and has been for many years, to publish ALL letters, with very few exceptions. If you know of instances where letters have not been published, feel free to contact me so that I can look into it and find out why. If you are noticing that the opinion pages have “become dominated by liberal and leftist voices,” perhaps that is merely a reflection of the times. Respectfully, Victoria Howell, Publisher
MIKE MILLER says
Victoria, YOUR statement is “factually incorrect”. I’ve been blocked many times, and when I talked to you about it, your words were “I MAKE THE RULES AROUND HERE!” or “I don’t know why that happened”, usually followed with “I don’t see anything from you”. I call that biased and incompetent.
I’m often censored, and my comments contain facts and clean language, while others contain no facts and lots of slander/vulgarities
When I have discussed this with Jesse Mullen, he did NOTHING.
“The discretion of the editor” (and the owner) is on full display. Contacting you and Jesse is a waste of time.
Gomez says
Mike. I don’t think it’s a censorship thing, I think that it’s a website glitch thing. I too often get the error message when trying to post replies here, and I lean left.
Bill LaCroix says
So, as one vet to another: you’re ok with siccing the Army on US citizens who disagree with you? Right mind? What on earth are you talking about really?
Kevin says
Good letter John, thank you for your service to our Country! This culture blooming in our society is “someone owes me” and “I deserve”! Your Seattle comment is spot on.