Page 30 - Flathead Beacon // 7.29.15

LIKE I WAS SAYIN’
TWO FOR THOUGHT SAME TOPIC, DIFFERENT VIEWS THE RISE OF DONALD TRUMP
KELLYN BROWN
FIRE COVERAGE
WHEN THE FIRST LARGE WILDFIRE OF THE season erupts, there are various opinions about the underlying cause and how news organizations should cover the event. There are those who prefer that attention shift to the costs of fires and litigation’s role in preventing proper forest manage- ment. Others stress the importance of fires to rejuve- nate an ecosystem. And still others think fires garner too much negative media coverage and deter tourists who might otherwise be planning a trip to Montana.
Regarding causation, Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke said June’s Glacier Rim Fire in the North Fork, which has since been doused, is further evidence of poor forest management. The same terrain burned in 2003 and Zinke said, “The Forest Service was not able to conduct a salvage operation for fear of lawsuits, among other reasons.”
Environmentalists counter that warmer and drier weather is the obvious culprit and increased logging has little impact on how a fire burns.
Citing the 2013 Rim Fire in California, Chad T. Han- son, an ecologist with the John Muir Project, and Dom- inick A. DellaSala, chief scientist at the Geos Institute, wrote in a recent op-ed that “commercial logging and the clear-cutting of forests do not reduce fire intensity” and “allowing more fires to burn in backcountry areas will help restore our forest ecosystems.”
To many, why a fire erupted is less important than how the impact of the blaze is communicated to a larger audience. If someone searched Glacier National Park online over the last week, they were greeted with doz- ens of headlines and photos showing the woods ablaze.
A young tourist, who recorded a dramatic video of the fire quickly moving toward his family’s vehicle, was interviewed on NBC Nightly News’ national broadcast. None of this sits well with business owners who rely on the summer season to buoy their respective bottom lines.
For us, when the fire grew from a 2-acre burn to a 1,000-acre blaze in just five hours, we scrambled to pub- lish information as warm winds pushed flames toward popular east side locations Rising Sun and St. Mary (the Baring Creek Cabin was destroyed).
As we responded to the fluidity of the story, those in the recreation and tourism industry stressed the impor- tance of explaining that fires are typical in Montana, the park is still open and most areas are not affected by smoke. This is all true.
In this organization, we nearly always lean toward publishing news oriented to our local audience first. Thus, our focus was on the Glacier communities being evacuated; the size of the blaze; and the amount of resources responding to contain it. That makes sense to a newsroom, but so too does the argument that focus- ing on a large fire in a small portion of a large region can give the false impression that the whole state is on fire, which it’s not – not even close.
We’ve covered this fire the same way we covered pre- vious ones. What differentiates the Reynolds Creek Fire is its location. Glacier National Park is such a treasured place that it has 10 times the reach of a story originating from, for example, the Bob Marshall Wilderness.
Soon, to accompany the fire stories, we began to pub- lish a list of what is open in Glacier. Those planning to visit this area should check it out online. Or visit the Park Service’s website, or Glacier Country’s website, or the various local visitor bureaus. You’ll find North- west Montana is a big place with miles of trails, rivers, lakes and mountains in every direction. And nearly all of them are open.
BY TIM BALDWIN
Donald Trump’s candidacy presents a debacle
for the other GOP presidential candidates. Some of them are outspoken against Trump. For example, Rick Perry called him a “cancer on conservatism.” For different reasons, Ron Paul even expressed his dislike for Trump, forecasting that he would “rule with an iron fist” if elected. Still, the latest CNN poll shows Trump leading all other Republicans.
Unfortunately, most people do not view politics as science. Instead, they view it like religion or sports. They enjoy politicians who resemble preachers on a pulpit and against anyone who is not “for them.” They are attracted to a person who claims he has all the answers and will take immediate action when given that power. In short, they want a god-type politician.
This iron-fisted, dogmatic approach to politics becomes exaggerated in a highly-divided politi- cal climate. On that note, Trump is perceived as an anti-establishment, I-want-America-to-be-rich can- didate, and many like him for that. But these charac- teristics do not necessarily make a good president.
The president must be diplomatic; ready to listen; cautious to act; obey the limits of power; respect- ful; and prudent. Certainly, he cannot treat govern- ment like a private corporation: “profit” is not gov- ernment’s objective; protecting rights and securing peace are. Trump’s name may be eerily telling: he will do anything to “trump” his political opponents. But what if the Constitution becomes his opponent?
BY JOE CARBONARI
Donald Trump is just what we deserve. He does
us the service of reminding us to suffer our fools wisely. Tolerance has its limits. Through Donald Trump we can vicariously feel the pleasure of tell- ing someone important to stick it. It plays to one of our lesser instincts. This man could never be trusted with the presidency. It is clear.
He may, however, be able to hold hostage to his whims much of the rest of his party. If he runs as an independent, as he has threatened to do, he splits the vote and ... hello Hillary.
This should remind us of our responsibility to be informed or to know someone who is. Yes, politics is theater, but the willing suspension of disbelief does not here serve us well. Reality intrudes. Would Putin appreciate his frankness? Would the Chinese consider him quaint?
Donald Trump is not a nice man. He is saying things that are not true. He is a bully playing to our baser instincts in a time of widespread insecurity and general frustration. The system does not seem to be working well. We are politically restive.
A free society depends upon both participation and restraint. Trump lacks restraint. He is danger- ous and unsuited. His success is a warning. Time to pay more attention to the political process.
AMERICAN RURAL DIANE SMITH SHARK TANK
T
on Shark Tank. He wasn’t a smooth businessperson. But we could picture him sweating in a tree grove, struggling to bring in a crop during one of those sea- sons when Mother Nature wasn’t cooperating.
Johnny fumbled trying to explain his marketing strategy and the Sharks clearly thought his profit mar- gins were insufficient. One Shark shot him down. Then John Paul DeJoria, billionaire co-founder of the Paul Mitchell hair care line said, “Johnny, I’m going to give you everything you’re asking for. What you’re doing is right. I like everything you stand for.” And, with that Johnny choked up. Us too.
The story of the American farmer runs deep for us. Probably because it’s an emotional reminder that suc- cessfully growing anything – trees, children, dreams – is really hard; that Mother Nature plays by her own rules; and that risk and reward are a part of the Ameri- can story that sets us apart from so many of our global neighbors.
Johnny’s story is rich with contradiction, as so many great American stories are: the farmer and the billionaire, a long passed practical father and a son with a dream; water conservation and irrigation. But, Johnny knew the most important thing; he said it early in his pitch:
“When good people come together ... with a noble cause ... great things happen.”
Good luck Johnny, we couldn’t agree more.
HE OTHER NIGHT, DAVID AND I CAUGHT UP on some old episodes of Shark Tank. For those
of you who haven’t yet had the pleasure, Shark Tank is a television show where entrepreneurs pitch their products to five really rich investors who grill them on their profit margins, sales, marketing strat- egy, and business potential. Being a household of entrepreneurs, we enjoy Shark Tank. This particular episode touched our hearts.
The last pitch that night was from Johnny Georges of Arcadia, Florida, (population 7,600). Johnny showed up looking like our friends who farm; jeans, T-shirt, ball cap. Now, David and I aren’t innocents about television, he’s a former TV producer and I’ve had plenty of media training, so we’re fully aware that Johnny could simply have been plucked from central casting and be reading some lines. Didn’t matter, though, because some stories are just special, whether real or imaginary.
Johnny invented the Tree T-Pee, a clever inven- tion that helps farmers conserve water while upping crop production (see http://treetpee.com/index. html). According to Johnny, the Tree T-Pee not only promotes water conservation, it saves farmers lots of money. He was a nervous presenter but Johnny’s affection and respect for farmers was clear. His Dad had been a farmer and had taught his son about hard work on farms across Florida. Johnny didn’t really fit
Learn more about Diane by following her column here or visit American Rural at AmericanRural.org.
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JULY 29, 2015 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM