Commentary
Blame for Boulder: First the shooter, then the enablers
Less than two weeks ago, a district judge in Boulder struck down the city’s ban on assault weapons and large-capacity magazines. The ban, adopted by the City Council in 2018, was a rare point of optimism for Coloradans who believe American gun laws express a form of civic insanity and who live in a state […]
COVID funds offer a once-in-a-generation opportunity to raise up Montana
When we went into the 67th Legislative session three months ago, we were in the throes of an unprecedented public health and economic crisis. Democrats knew at the start that our single priority was going to be to advance policies that create jobs and opportunity for all Montanans and allow our state, our local economies, […]
Your bolo tie won’t get you into Heaven, but it will get you through the doors of the House
One of the most poignant songs John Prine wrote (and there’s plenty of competition for that) had the chorus: “Your flag decal won’t get you into heaven anymore.” The anti-war anthem suggested that just waving a flag isn’t sufficient justification for killing or war. The idea is simple: Plastering a flag decal on your bumper […]
Nationalism, American style
The third clause of the American Pledge of Allegiance speaks of “… one Nation under God, indivisible….” The pledge, and the clause, is an American commonplace, quotable by most, recognized by all. When I was a child, it was declared each school day morning. Perhaps, in classrooms here and there across the nation, it still […]
Chivalry resurrected: Kansas men vow to protect women from those who lose their ‘man cards’
The first time I ever heard an aggrieved white man assert that “God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve” it was 1982, in my hometown of Lincoln, Nebraska, where the city council was about to reject an ordinance protecting gay people from discrimination. I’ve been listening to white people use Christianity to argue […]
When the outdoors are the exception
MISSOULA –The group of women approaching me on the path is clearly at ease, walking shoulder to shoulder on the double-track, snow-stacked mountains glowing to the north. I came here with my dog seeking similar release, except that I’ve only found sparks to a constant, smoldering fury. There’s nothing close to six feet between the […]
A clean bill of health for APR bison and a fresh start with Phillips County
This month, American Prairie Reserve shared with the Phillips County Conservation District that, as before, our bison herd has been given a clean bill of health. As Senior Bison Restoration Manager for American Prairie, I am one of several members of our team that’s living and working in Phillips County, supporting the day-to-day management of […]
The freewheelin’ Rep. Matt Rosendale
One of the most frequent knocks on two-thirds of Montana’s Congressional delegation is that they rarely take questions or give comments outside of very controlled settings. As a Montanan and a member of the media charged with covering our state officials, I agree. Carefully scripted “tele-hall” meetings with pre-screened questions and no debates mean that […]
Take it from an athlete: We don’t need saving
The so-called “Save Women’s Sports Act,” or House Bill 112, claims to save women’s sports by banning transgender athletes. I am a cisgender woman, meaning that I was assigned female at birth and identify as a woman. I am an athlete. In other words, I am exactly who this bill apparently saves. The only problem? […]
Aspen tree decline in West due to cattle grazing
The Forest Service has been proposing logging and burning projects to promote the growth of more aspen. But aspen regenerates by putting out shoots, not through seeds, and it’s extensively documented that the major cause of aspen decline in the West is cattle browsing and trampling the young aspen, thus greatly limiting regeneration. Despite the […]
Montanan Mailbag: The ‘Lost Best Place,’ and special education
The Daily Montanan doesn’t have a “letters to the editor” page, but we will — as time and interest allow – post some letters we’ve gotten. If you would like to submit a letter to the editor, feel free to email: [email protected]. Guest views are considered on a case-by-case basis, but those can also be […]
It’s important to say ‘Thank you’
On a global scale, the past 12 months have taken a terrible toll on the economy and health of humanity. As of this writing, more than 150 million people have been confirmed to be infected with COVID-19. In the United States, we have 29 million confirmed cases. In Montana, 10% of the population has tested […]