by Roger Mitchell, Stevensville
On Monday, December 1, the Ravalli County Commissioners held a public hearing at the Event Center building in the fairgrounds to discuss the proposed Sheep Creek mine at the headwaters of the Bitterroot River West Fork near Darby. Speakers included two representatives of the mining company, US Critical Materials (USMC), Dr. Philip Ramsey (spearhead of the opposition to the mine for the last three years, website unavailable), Heather Barber (executive director of the Bitterroot Water Partnership https://bitterrootwater.org/learning-resources/stream-flow-irrigation-resources/), county commissioners Jeff Burrows, Greg Chilcott, and Dan Huls, plus a large contingent of the audience. There may have been as many as1500 people in the room, virtually all of whom were opposed to the mining proposal.
This issue is not a partisan political argument. It has nothing to do with Republican vs. Democrat, liberal, progressive, conservative, libertarian, or communist. In fact, opposition to this project crosses political lines and stands firm on the issue because everyone understands that if it goes forward as planned by the outside interests who are pushing it, the chances that the Bitterroot River and our way of life have a much greater chance of being destroyed for no reason than to put money, a lot of money, in some stranger’s well-connected pocket.
Genesis 11 records the story of the Tower of Babel and, while this is generally read in a negative way, there is something important in it which is relevant here.
“And the Lord said, ‘Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.’” – v.6
Concerning the Sheep Creek mine, indeed, the people are one and have spoken with one voice in the same language, “No, absolutely not!” This is what we have begun to do and now, success will not be kept from us, so long as we do not lose our focus and start fighting with each other, resulting in divisions, schisms, and eventual defeat.
Complete unity at the Tower of Babel resulted in their destruction. Complete unity on the Sheep Creek mine is imperative and necessary, because without it, destruction of our way of life will almost certainly occur. Standing with each other, shoulder to shoulder, without wavering, is of the utmost importance. Political differences pale in comparison to this. Bickering and squabbling over petty beliefs and ideologies is nonsense and stupidity when set against the overarching issue. Unity of purpose and unity of spirit can bring victory. If we stand together on this, we can win. If the powers that be (TPTB) are able to divide us, we will be beaten.
Plain and simple.