Page 28 - Flathead Beacon // 8.24.16

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK
TWO FOR THOUGHT SAME TOPIC, DIFFERENT VIEWS DISTRUSTING THE GOVERNMENT
MYERS REECE
RHYTHM OF LIFE
THE INSTANT I SAW MY SON IN THE HOSPI- tal delivery room, I immediately understood, with startling clarity, that I had been work- ing toward that moment my entire life, yet I wasn’t prepared for it. I had attended birthing classes with my wife, read baby books, and otherwise equipped myself as best I could. But you can’t truly be ready for the rst magical glimpse of your child any more than the child is ready for his rst breath. There we were, father and son, both gasping for air and squinting into the light of a new world.
This has been a year of momentous change for me. My wife and I purchased a new house and car, and welcomed our rst child, in the span of a few months. For consistency, I also decided to squeeze a new job into the schedule, or maybe I should say a renewed job.
After a three-year hiatus to pursue freelance opportunities and write a novel, I’ve returned to the Beacon as contributing editor. If there is indeed a circle of life, I have rounded back to the place where my adulthood started a decade ago, when I was part of the small crew that founded the Beacon in May 2007. I was 22, a baby. I’m now 32, as of August 23, with a baby.
Fisher Parks Reece was born two weeks ago on August 10. He knows nothing of the Beacon, of dead- lines and word counts and co ee jitters, but when he is old enough I will tell him that the Beacon helped make his father into a man strong enough to make him. He will likely dismiss it as weird dad talk, but hopefully, as the years pass, he will see and appre- ciate its truth.
When I was hired at the Beacon, I had recently graduated college in Buenos Aires, Argentina, through a University of Montana exchange pro- gram, and had so far used my degree as a spring- board to poverty and couch-sur ng. Initially, my Beacon employment didn’t change my living status much: I moved from a friend’s oor in Missoula to editor Kellyn Brown’s sofa in Kalispell.
I eventually bought my own house and took up the hard business of pretending to be a grownup. Even more di cult than that charade was the real business of starting a newspaper. Through long hours, trial and error, and youthful determination, we managed to get the Beacon on its feet despite our elder statesmen – Kellyn, Dan Testa and Lido Viz- zutti – being only 27.
I remain extremely proud of that achievement, and of all my rst six years at the paper. I now return to the Beacon refreshed and eager to build on those years, as well as the extraordinary work of the sta over the last three years. My colleagues here are extended family, making up the bulk of our baby shower guest list. Dillon Tabish arrived at the shower with a tower of diapers, unwrapped and swaying precariously in the summer breeze. Fisher is wearing them today.
He was in one of those diapers the other day when I was holding him and suddenly grew pan- icked that he wasn’t breathing. I pressed my hand against his breast. Then I felt it, right there in his tiny chest: the very rhythm of life, the only intervals of time that matter. From now on, amid the dead- lines and fast-paced newspaper world, my clock will forever be set to that gentle thumping. I am whole.
BY TIM BALDWIN
Distrusting government is not new; but every gener- ation carries potential energy to alter, amend or abol- ish the system when distrust builds over time. America is subject to this law of human nature like any nation.
Government administrators hold the people’s politi- cal power in trust, but watch them closely because they have the power to take life, liberty and property. Natu- rally, the better these trustees administer government, the more people will respect, trust and obey them.
Today’s political movements seem to embody a fun- damental distrust that millions of Americans have in the federal government, though the reasons are very di erent. The distrust will materialize regardless of whether Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton is elected. People are going to expect major changes from these candidates. More speci cally though, Trump’s support- ers will expect him to “make America great again.” If he doesn’t, the ripple e ect will be great.
The Libertarian Party may rise in power. Trump supporters may seek a radical leader to “make Amer- ica great again” in 2020. States may remove power from the federal government through constitutional amend- ments or declare independence from the union. West- ern civilization has long accepted the truth that politics is a science rooted in human nature. Governments built on principles contrary to human nature are doomed to fail and create misery. America has done well at balanc- ing the people’s trust so far. How long will that last?
BY JOE CARBONARI
Our political system is an ever-changing exper-
iment. How free can we be and still have a healthy and secure living environment – characterized by fairness and opportunity? Voluntary cooperation is required. That calls for trust. Currently, politically, we are short on trust.
Donald Trump, as a candidate for political lead- ership, should be rejected out-of-hand. Leadership presupposes a moral compass, a sense of apprecia- tion and respect for others and their sensibilities. Do not kid yourself. Donald Trump fails this test, and supporting him indirectly supports the dark side of human nature – plain and simple.
Hillary Clinton is a major disappointment. Her inability to admit that she is not perfect has led her to level of linguistic gymnastics that is extraordinarily annoying. Too often, her tone does not match her words. She is too willing to use a misleading truth to arrive at an exonerating conclusion. Her email server, for instance.
In Montana’s gubernatorial race Steve Bullock accuses Greg Gianforte of wanting to deny public access to our rivers and streams and to sell-o our public lands. Gianforte accuses Bullock of waging war on the coal industry and wanting to destroy the viability of the town of Coalstrip and of the economic future of those that live there. Both twist and over- state the facts in a way designed to denigrate and demonize their opponents. This does not build trust in either our candidates or our system. It should stop.
AMERICAN RURAL DIANE SMITH IN THE MEANTIME
I
swiftly. So, what’s the solution?
Well that brings us to #HappinessIsTrending.
Alpine Theatre Project’s recent production, “Happi- nessIsTrending”, was two hours of delightful respite and reset. Alpine Theatre Project is one of small town America’s great jewels, bringing Broadway talent, pro- duction, and education to the Flathead Valley through- out the year. ATP leads through example and outreach, showing other artists what’s possible in out of the way places. It’s a bold, risky proposition and each year they pull it o with guts, hard work, and remarkable vision.
One of the songs performed at #HappinessIsTrend- ing was “In the Meantime” by the incomparable Dolly Parton. Dolly Parton, who grew up in rural Appala- chia, is one of my personal heroes. She’s an amazing performer and businessperson whose songs often
convey profound wisdom. Like “In the Meantime, released in 2011:
“Well we rant and we rave about the good old days and
how di erent it was back then,
Well the greatest days we’ve ever known are the days
we’re living in
Well we worry about earthquakes, aliens from outer
space, nuclear holocaust
Well we’re so consumed with the fear of dying; the joy
of living is lost
In the meantime, in between time, let us make time to
make amends
Lead the good life, just treat this planet right And try to all be friends and say with me again Think about life, think about living
Think about love, caring and giving... Technically we’ve come so far
But still we wonder who we are
The farther along we go.”
That Dolly Parton song was performed by a brilliant theater company, on a community supported stage in a small Montana town by amazing performers from around the world. It reminded me that, despite all the gloom and doom that’s inundating us these days, in this moment, life is pretty good.
Hopefully as this summer winds down, #Happines- sIsTrending for all of you. If not, think about replacing some of your “if it bleeds it leads” media with a Dolly Parton tune like “In the Meantime. You won’t regret it.
F IT BLEEDS IT LEADS. #HAPPINESSISTREND- ing. Dolly Parton is freaking awesome. Stay with
me here, I’m going to pull these together.
You’ve no doubt noticed that media reports pulsat- ing with lurid tales of disaster are pretty much every- where these days. Now, I’m a big fan and defender of technology. I believe new technologies have the poten- tial to improve the daily lives of many of us in profound ways, particularly those of us living o the beaten path. As with everything though, there’s a downside. Social media outlets have adopted the “if it bleeds it leads” mentality with such vigor and success that many of us are feeling besieged and poorly equipped to deal in a world that appears to be going to the dogs pretty
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AUGUST 24, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM