DEAR EDITOR,
Don’t know exactly how to say this but – I quit. Writing THE OUTDOORS column these past five years has been fun, and I love sharing about critters and the outdoors. Couple of years ago political comments were added. This amounted to ‘coloring outside the lines’ meaning I should stick to birds and bees and skip the political stuff. Several things came to my attention. Everyone liked the outdoors stuff, but some hated the political stuff. However, twice as many people liked having a voice in a one-sided political newspaper than those who did not. The Editor liked it because more papers got sold and some awards accrued. The Editor explained outside of my misuse of the outdoors column there was no other place in the paper offering a counter political viewpoint. In effect folks were scared to speak up after seeing how I was attacked.
What to do? Letters to the Editor centered around how rotten and disgraceful my comments were regarding facts shared about Trump. His numerous lies were pointed out along with fact checks indicating he was disgracing the office of a president. That bothered me and still does. Me telling facts about Trump was a terrible thing to do but his declaring he could shoot a person in broad daylight and not get arrested or have unwilling sex with a woman and not be charged with a crime appeared acceptable.
A leader in my mind and in what I grew up in America to expect (respect). That is a decent individual doing what that person was elected for when they solemnly swore to uphold the Constitution. Swearing that he would treat all peoples fairly ‘so help him God’ was a good start. Until I realized he was the god he was swearing to. Loyalty to himself instead of the Constitution was his interpretation. After some time, his self-centered, insensitivity really bothered me so political stuff was added to my column in an attempt to help folks see what he was like. Unfortunately, I failed.
I am no longer an American. Now I am just a guy living in America. At age 80 all the things I grew up with, wore a uniform for, raised a family to respect, a successful, honest business, – no longer mattered. Into the trash went the myth America stood for. Not perfect, I agree. But the myth involved tolerable prejudice, compromise, balanced political issues sorted out where necessary by Congress or the Supreme Court. I sat in that court one day and marveled at how our democracy worked. I made presentations to committees of Congress and again marveled at how our democracy worked. Wearing my military uniform, I met people from Vietnam to Japan, Canada to Mexico, Arizona to Montana and marveled at how much envy there was for our way of life.
I feel it is too late for me to be an American these days. When I held public office, it was important to stand up for the people who elected me, but that no longer is the standard. Now it is to get reelected and maintain a hold over the people we were elected to serve.
One thing needs to be clear here. No way do I expect hard line individuals to come to their senses. Old timers can reminisce about hard work, raising a family, following a religion and being model citizens but that no longer is the American way. Trophy wives are in. Bribery is in. Total disrespect is in. Common sense is being done away with worthless excuses.
So, here’s the deal. I will quit making political comments in my Outdoors Column. If the Editor fires me or even cuts my pay in half , I will no longer ‘color outside the lines’. It will be a relief not to have to put up with the vicious reactions by Trump supporters. I no longer need fear for myself or my family. Boycotting my businesses will be unnecessary as I will sell them. From now on just me and wild critters, and those of you who are helping to tear apart our country can just go to hell.
Carl E. Wolf
Worden, MT
