I am writing today with my concerns about the polarization of our nation. Montana provides an example of class divisions: Those of us who work for a living in many fields that involve the commercialization of natural resources versus those who adamantly oppose the same. The opposition uses their vast resources; i.e. government agencies and private money to wage their war on the lower classes of society. They have obtained their vast wealth with portfolios of investments that were made possible because of the exploitation of natural resources. They’ve made theirs, now it’s time to use their wealth to push their liberal agendas. They have the time and money to wage an environmental war.
Meanwhile, the working class is being prevented from working in mining, timber, gas, coal and other natural resource industries. These jobs provide a good wage, support our families, and grow local economies. Just because natural resources provide an income from which we feed our families does not mean that we do not care about the environment. I never want to see the Flathead River on fire because of pollution. We support the responsible use of these resources with respect to the environment from which they are obtained.
There is a compromise to be found. However, the left-leaning environmentalists with their time and money do not care about us, we the working class. Liberals do not want to have a conversation. They will talk over us, not to us. Compromise is not part of their vocabulary. This division is being promoted from the highest public offices in this country, meanwhile planting seeds for their agendas in our education systems. It’s an appropriate time for our teenagers to read George Orwell’s “Animal Farm.” I fear the future that faces my children and grandchildren who will be left holding the proverbial “empty bag.” I foresee a day when civil unrest becomes the norm if we cannot find a middle ground from which to have a conversation.
Skip Williams
Kalispell