Topic
Opinion
The Opinion section of Western Montana News is where ideas take center stage. Featuring editorials, columns, op-eds, and letters, this space highlights diverse perspectives on local and national issues. From in-depth analysis to passionate viewpoints, we encourage open and thoughtful discussion.
Have something to say? Share your thoughts by submitting a letter to [email protected].
It’s Clear As Mud Where The Rubber Hits The Road In Missoula
Explore the complexities of Missoula’s homeless initiatives as Travis Mateer investigates rumors of church parking lots hosting “urban car campers”.
Failure Is The Plan
Darin Gaub of Restore Liberty analyzes how political failures of the current and previous administrations are a feature, not a bug. He explains how these failures have been orchestrated through subversion of cultural and economic priorities.
Mayor Davis’ Culture of Controlled Curiosity, Brought to You by Lee Enterprises
Travis Mateer critiques media framing of Missoula Mayor Andrea Davis’ involvement in the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, covering local politics, city officials, affordable housing, and media narratives for Western Montana News.
Lawfare: A Very Effective Tool Of Attack
Travis Mateer reflects on how lawfare is used in politics to attack and delegitimize opponents. He shares his personal legal battles and creative resistance with the Lego Meth Lab, highlighting the high stakes of truth-telling.
Duplicitous Republicans Reframe Platform
Montanans for Life Chair Robin Sertell criticizes the Republican Party’s new 2024 platform, accusing them of abandoning core pro-life principles and engaging in duplicitous rhetoric. Sertell calls for a return to unwavering support for the sanctity of life from conception.
Celebrating the Fall of Roe in Montana
The first annual Celebrate Life Montana event in Hamilton commemorated the Dobbs decision’s second anniversary with heartfelt speeches, activities, and community gatherings, highlighting the value of human life.
Why My Ellie Boldman Problem Is Your Ellie Boldman Problem
In his weekly op-ed, Travis Mateer offers a candid profile and his personal experiences with Montana transplant politico Senator Ellie Boldman. Explore the controversies and key events shaping her influence in Missoula’s political landscape.
Am I Broken Windows Or Am I An Opportunity?
Travis Mateer discusses the challenges of “urban crisis camping” in Missoula, sharing real experiences, interactions with law enforcement, and the impact of the Broken Windows theory.
The Capricious Nature of Speed Limits
In his latest op-ed, Roger Mitchell explores Blue Mountain Road as an unlikely bypass with scenic obstacles, speed nags, and nanny state controls, highlighting the frustrations of navigating Missoula’s backroads.
My Weapon of Mass Instruction for the Culture War
You might not consider yourself a culture warrior, but, like it or not, you’re in a culture war, and it’s being fought in all kinds of new-information ways.
What Kind of Homeless Will I Be?
I used to have a respected position in this Missoula community describing what the various sub-populations of “the homeless” were like, and the different approaches needed to address the unique challenges they presented. I wonder, what would THAT Travis think of me now?
Let Me Introduce Myself
Hello, my name is Travis Mateer, a writer and tax-activist from Missoula, Montana, who in past incarnations online has written under the pseudonyms William Skink and lizard. What am I doing here? That’s a good question, and the answer is even better. I’m here to do a weekly report UNIQUE to the audience…
Celebrate June as Pro-Life Month
“We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled. The Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision, including the one on which the defenders of Roe and Casey now chiefly rely—the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.” Justice Samuel Alito in Majority Ruling Dobbs…
The End of the World… and TikTok
This op-ed was originally published at Poor Roger’s Almanac. Against my advice and counsel, Greg Gianforte, the governor of the State of Montana, signed the TikTok bill sent to him a few weeks ago by the Montana legislature. TikTok is now officially verboten within the boundaries of the state and as of Jan. 01, 2024, any app…
The Target for Today: Missoula County, Montana
I titled this article like the 8th Air Force in the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II would introduce the bomber crews to their mission for the day. Most Montanans and Missoula County residents don’t understand that we are engaged in a war with an Evil Empire of globalists that have the destruction of…
Flex the Tenth
When Restore Liberty first began to organize in early 2020, we started advertising to people that the solutions necessary to Restore Liberty in America would not be found in Washington D.C. We constantly skim the swamp water off the top in hopes that we made a difference while the Marxists, fascists, socialists, et al. continue…
Montana Human Rights Network’s Attempts to Hijack and Silence Conservative Media
This op-ed was originally published at Casey Whalen’s Substack. Flathead County, Montana is a very important area for radical Marxist organizations nationally, but none more so than the Montana Human Rights Network (MHRN) based in Helena. The organization was founded in 1991 by Christine Kaufmann and Ken Toole, both of whom would later become Montana State Legislators. The mission of…
Predicting How America Falls
Historians are averse to using the study of history to be predictive about the future, and journalism tends to talk about what happened with a little bit of why mixed in if those funding them demand they blame something or somebody for the results. Usually, the wrong something or somebody. This is an article about…