Letters to the Editor

Dirt Road Indictment

My best friend’s father recently lost his battle with cancer. He was a man I knew my whole life, a good man. He had been sick for a long time and I would see him in the local grocery store and say hi and chat him up. I went to see him one more time before he passed, the first time I had driven “down” his drive in the 10 years since I moved back to Saco. I drove “by” his drive countless times, often twice a day for work.

It is in these times a lot of people look back with regret. “How many times could I have driven in to say hello?” Countless times. “I could have done more!” Yes, I should have. Regret is a tough thing, but not entirely useless if you turn it around. I see what I could have done better with hindsight, but I need to apply that to foresight. Who else do I know that needs just a visit? I’m a busy guy, no more than anyone else, but we live busy lives running around like ants these days. What we would gain from spreading a little humanity is inestimable. I am not encouraging anyone but myself with this letter to live more for others.

Chris Pippin,

Saco

Admiring Ammon?

Congressman Zinke’s commentary on sale or transfer of public lands in your June 22 issue stirred a long-smoldering resentment within me regarding such matters. Please indulge my attempt to articulate my legitimate grievance with his stated position.

Be forewarned that I may rhetorically step on a few friends’ and neighbors’ political toes when trying to make my point. This is poor man’s politics.

I am a first-generation Montanan, born to a family arriving from back in the states in 1946. I have watched the Rocky Mountain front and 140 miles of the Missouri River declared wilderness or monument, and that list goes on. I’ve watched mines and sawmills disappear. On that note, I find it interesting that Mr. Zinke managed to be in Miles City when Weyerhaeuser announced their mill closure in his old state representative district, but I digress.

The tourism and recreation industry that he kowtows to in his stated position does nothing to alleviate the economic displacement concerns thus far outlined. Remaining service sector jobs do not generate sufficient income to purchase housing or real estate at the inflated price caused by the remaining private land left available. Ranchers and farmers from earlier arriving families lease a significant portion of federal land. I believe that the time has come to tell them to scoot over.

If the Americans don’t exploit and develop their empire, some of the huddled masses at your local soup kitchen or rescue mission or welfare office as well as the overflow crowd from farm labor of varying legal status along with other refugees will take it from them. I’m starting to admire people like Ammon Bundy and the freemen.

Edward D. Neil,

Glasgow