Let 'er burn
In 11 years while fighting forest fires all over the west, not once did anyone ever bring me a port-a-potty.
Last week there was a fire on the Crow Reservation near the Wyoming-Montana border. AP had a story which quoted a fire management boss who said the blaze was in such wild steep terrain, the base camp had to be located two hours from the fire lines. He said one of the major problems was the difficulty confronted in transporting and placing the port-a-potties.
Maybe they should have given all the firefighters a generous dose of kaopectate.
Near as I can tell, there are more citizens out there without medical insurance than there are with; BUT there is one segment of our population that doesn't have to worry about care or finances from getting sick or injured. THEY ARE THE CRIMINALS. Doesn't matter if they are jailed for drunk driving or in prison for deliberate homicide, they are covered for hospital, doctor and medicine bills. I know we can't just let incarcerated men and women suffer if they are really sick, but where do we draw the line?
From reading the police and sheriff's logs anyone can see that there are prisoners who fake illness. The problem for law officers is that some guy could fake being sick three times in one month then actually be seriously ill the fourth time; and if he isn't taken to the doctor in time, there are inevitable lawsuits. Related incidents are in the Montana news every week.
Lately the Missoula County Sheriff and his jail have come under fire because they can't keep qualified nurses there to tend to the inmates. I'm sure the Civil Liberties Union has been notified because wimpy inmates are complaining to high heaven about such things as not getting their pills "on time." The liberal wing of the press is once again siding with the prisoners and giving their petty complaints all possible publicity. While the poor sheriff is begging for patience while he makes contractual arrangements with a medical care organization out of Great Falls.
Have you made your medical insurance payment this month?
Was flabbergasted to read recently about Montana's luck in getting one of the new teams, which are "experts in allowing wildfires to burn." I thought we had dozens of those.
The new "let it burn" team is based in Choteau: "When conditions are right, the crew manages a fire rather than working to put it out. The goal is to let the fire burn only in places where it will benefit wildlife and ecology."
The AP story ends with this statement: "Letting some of the fires on public lands burn represents a major policy shift, after more than 60 years of fire suppression."
I figure the reporter who wrote that story and the government person who released it were certainly not around northwest Montana in the summer of 2003.
Last Thursday the Glacier Mountaineers held a ceremony where we celebrated the life of our beloved friend and teacher, Dr. Gordon Edwards. Though I had known Gordon since the 1960s there were still some surprises for me. Did not know about a special commendation for bravery under fire signed by Gen. Patton.
The ceremony was held in the auditorium in the St. Mary Visitor's Center and was well attended. Guess I've never known anyone with such a fine mix of intelligence, talent, guts, humor and kindness. Yes, I miss Dr. Edwards just as so many others miss him, but the memories of having Gordon as a friend and sharing adventures far outweighs the sorrow that came with his death on Divide Mountain a year ago.