Opinions

Happy New — and old — Year

2020 is the challenging year that just won’t go away, however much we wish it would, as many current issues over First Amendment freedoms flop over into the new year.

It’s time for the Forest Service to honor tribal ties to the Crazy Mountains

Last summer, the U.S. Forest Service released its final draft of the Custer Gallatin National Forest plan revision. The Forest Service is now considering objections to that plan before it signs its record of decision and begins implementing the plan, which should occur sometime in spring of 2021.

When water dries up, it can be deadly

In Oregon, the Klamath Basin wildlife refuges have fallen into their winter silence now.

Trump can leave a legacy of life

Mitch McConnell’s rationale on appointing Supreme Court Justices in the last year of a President’s term just isn’t rational.

A tale of two systems

From the cluttered old attic that is my memory I remember that “Stability is possible without freedom, but freedom is not possible without stability.”

One state still craves coal

As the rest of the West rushes to meet increasingly ambitious goals to reduce carbon emissions, one state is moving in exactly the opposite direction.

Controlling our outrage — again

Not long ago we had in place more controls over the passionate emotion of outrage.

Faith-based healing in the past, present, future

America and Americans need healing. Our faith communities can help.

‘This has to stop’

Political courage on the Republican side of the political spectrum seems to be blooming in state legislatures and the offices of state and local election officials, but it is scarce in Congress.

We’ve been living with too much rudeness

There's a lot of disgruntlement if not downright hate these days in America. On Facebook, strangers snipe at each other. Old friends “unfriend” each other based on political preference. Talking heads trade insults on cable “news.” The angry acting out isn’t new: Four years ago New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo told an interviewer on public radio “…hate has become the currency of this nation. We hate, therefore we are.” The facts bore him out: The FBI had just documented a 16-year peak in all types of hate crimes.