Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
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Dear Editor, On the last day of his presidency, in his last speech, President Ronald Reagan recalled what someone had once written to him: "You can go to live in France, but you cannot become a Frenchman. You can go to live in Germany or Turkey or Japan, but you cannot become a German, a Turk, or a Japanese. But anyone, from any corner of the Earth, can come to live in America and become an American." "We lead the world because, unique among nations, we draw our people-our strength-from every co...
Dear Editor, I received a postcard this weekend from Senator Daines and President Trump accusing the Biden administration of breaking Medicare with price controls. The only conclusion that can be drawn from the carefully constructed lies it contained is that the pharmaceutical industry's lobbyists have increased pressure on them to roll back Medicare's ability to negotiate prices on behalf of its members. The lies that Medicare's ability to negotiate on the behalf of its members will prevent...
Dear Editor, My inclination to be active in politics has been minimal. I had a farm to run and sons to raise. I marched in the '80s for reproductive rights and again in 2016 to protest Trump's presidency. I've signed the odd petition, always voted, always paid my taxes. Regardless of the political party in power and I've voted for both, I have never felt that this Republic or the democratic principles on which it is based were at risk. That has changed. We have a convicted felon with no respect...
Dear Editor, What a busy time for President Musk and Mrs. Trump! But following Steve Bannon's recipe for creating chaos, while pretending to be acting in the best interests of the American people, doesn't seem to working as successfully as Bannon's advice to "claim victory anyway" when it was apparent Trump had lost the 2020 election. Mrs. Trump's complete lack of understanding of how tariff's really work has been a global embarrassment and her/his (?) illegal tactics in the USA are being...
Dear Editor, Despite the fact the headline should have read "River Ranch Gets Green Light as Proposed New Conservation Easement," I am so grateful to the Whitehall Ledger for re-printing the article the Monitor ran two weeks ago. I have had so many gratifying conversations with community members who are interested in knowing about the process. Chad Klinkenborg was my contact at Montana Land Reliance (MLR), and he can be reached at chad@mtlandreliance@gmail.com or 406-570-4271. He explained...
Dear Editor, I get Seth Godin's blog every day. I thought this one was particularly worth sharing. "Thank you" is a complete sentence: It's a way to offer connection or acknowledgment. It's a recognition of feedback and the time it took someone to consider us. We can use it after we share something important, or someone shares with us. More than the end of an exchange, it can be the beginning of a relationship. "Thank you" helps someone feel seen and understood. It reminds us that we're not...
Dear Editor, In my experience, the best of the best are the people who are confident enough to share what they have learned to help others improve. This is a shout-out for Whitehall High School Junior Zane Downey - who has won national recognition showing cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs all over the country – and who (as he does throughout the year) once again took the time last week to help kids in Whitehall and Harrison 4-H Clubs and FFA Chapters to shine at the Madison/Jefferson County F...
Dear Editor, Congratulations to the people who brought the PRCA Rodeo to Whitehall last weekend. It was great to hear some noise from the rodeo grounds again and even better to be a part of it. I took my sister-in-law and her grandchildren, who live in Singapore - and they loved it. It was a huge thrill for Harvey and Louisa to see cowboys and cowgirls in action - and beyond fun to have Jack Dawson there to explain what was going on and Halle Downey to keep track of the kids when they weren't...
Dear Editor, There was an article recently in the New York Times about rural rage. I thought this comment from a fellow reader was worth passing on: "I am a non-indian, cattle rancher on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation in South Dakota. I sold some feeder cattle last Friday at the highest price in my 50 years of ranching. The price beat my previous record high, which was in 2013. Both of these record-high cattle price years occurred during Democratic administrations. The USDA gave billions o...
Dear Editor, Last Wednesday night the PBS News Hour covered a story on the decline of weekly newspapers due in part to the switch by advertisers to the internet. The result, in many cases, was a breakdown in connection within the communities which the reporters felt has contributed to the polarization from which our political processes currently suffers. It made me realize how fortunate our area is that the Whitehall Ledger continues to be published. RUTH LOTT Cardwell, Montana...
Dear Editor, I am so distressed to hear about the discord between the Whitehall Recreation Complex Board and the Whitehall Saddle Club. I sincerely hope for the sake of all of us who have supported activities at the rodeo grounds with monetary donations and sweat equity that both the Rec Complex Board and the Whitehall Saddle Club will choose to find the goodwill to work this out for the benefit of the greater community and most especially the kids. Respectfully submitted, Ruth Lott Cardwell,...
Dear Editor, This blog from Seth Godin seemed particularly relevant as the election season unfolds. The extraordinary advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Digital tools are going to create havoc with facts and our ability to perceive what is and is not true. I would encourage everyone regardless of political affiliation to fact-check the information they see on the web this year. Respectfully submitted, Ruth Lott Cardwell, Montana “CHECKING THE DATE. . . . After 2022, it’s hard to tell for sure. And going forward, public life is goi...
Dear Editor, My sincerest apologies to Bob Sims for misdirecting my response to a letter written by Bob Wagner, challenging a woman’s right to choose in last week’s Ledger. I am especially grateful for Bob Sim’s graciousness when he called to inform me of my mistake. God bless a gentleman. Ruth Lott Cardwell, Montana...
Dear Editor, I respectfully disagree with Bob Wagner’s position on a woman’s right to choose. I offer Saturday’s blog from Seth Godin in response. “The closer we look at what other people believe and do, the more clear it is that our view of the world doesn’t precisely match theirs. “It never has, but now it’s magnified. The things we thought were a given, aren’t. No one believes what I believe, not exactly. “How is it possible, we wonder, that people like us don’t believe what we believe or do what we do? Not just people we don’t know, but...
Dear Editor, I am writing to say how much I appreciate the changes Curt and Laurie Perry have made at the Cardwell General Store. Although it’s only a couple of miles from my place I never went there because the few times I did they didn’t carry what I needed. I had friends visiting recently and needed some condiments and milk for the cookout I planned. The construction going on in Whitehall spurred me to try to find what I needed in Cardwell and sure enough, I did — and in the brands I wanted. Bruce and Chad do a terrific job at Jeffe...
Dear Editor, There is always a lot of talk about wanting younger/new people to participate in politics, but it doesn’t happen very often. This year, there will be a new name in the contest for Jefferson County Commissioner. I am writing to introduce Jon Goff, who is running for Commissioner and who has been my neighbor for about six years. While we often disagree politically, I know Jon to be a man of character and integrity who is willing and able to discuss issues, and does it respectfully. I consider Jon worthy of consideration, and I h...
