June 13 Letters: Our Readers’ Opinions

Why not oppose fascism?

It seems the right wing is addicted to slogans or buzzwords. One of the most frequently used is “antifa,” along with their favorite, “woke.” I suspected antifa meant anti-fascist, and when I looked it up online, the primary definition was “people opposed to fascism.” It is hard for me to see why opposing fascism is wrong.

My father and millions of others like him were civilians who donned the garb of war to travel far away to defeat the Nazi fascists and the Japanese Imperial fascists.

Tom Brokaw phrased it more eloquently than I ever could. In “The Greatest Generation,” he wrote, “They answered the call to help save the world from the two most powerful and ruthless military machines ever assembled, instruments of conquest in the hands of fascist maniacs.”

I would say most Americans have decent lives and free lives, so it is difficult to imagine why any free-born American citizen would want to live their lives with someone’s jackboot on their neck. Since most of those carrying on about antifa are the ultra-right-wing whites, I tend to suspect their true concern is that, somehow, the people of color will come along and take away their cherished white supremacy. That is a poor reason to choose fascism.

If our country is taken over by fascists, these right-wingers won’t have any supremacy at all, unless they are among the ranks of the oppressors. Then God help them when the American people rise up and throw off their yoke.

Danny Radakovich

Lewiston

Gun law cities aren’t safer

I must applaud Mike “Marco Munez” Epstein for his consistent rants.

In the June 7 Tribune, Munez-Epstein raged against guns, closing by writing that “... states with strong gun laws and lower gun ownership have ... lowest gun violence rates.”

OK, Mike, Chicago has the toughest gun law in the entire universe: no guns allowed.

Does Chicago’s gun law make Chicago safe?

Forget it.

On June 5, Chicago police reported: “Forty-six people have been shot, nine fatally, in shootings across the city over the weekend.” (abc7chicago.com/chicago-shootings-shooting-breaking-news-today/13346099)

Chicago gun law: No guns allowed. Shootings during June 3-4: 46. Wow, how effective.

Munez-Epstein should move to the South Side of Chicago, which is the neighborhood of “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown,” by Jim Croce.

From the song: “He got a custom Continental; he got an El Dorado, too; he got a .32 gun in his pocket for fun, he got a razor in his shoe.”

But Munez-Epstein would be delighted. The Windy City has “strong gun laws.”

Bridger Barnett

Clarkston

Truth needs to be told

The community needs to know the truth about the Milner Trail and what private landowners are actually doing and not listen to all the ridiculous rumors that are floating around.

The Idaho County Commissioners validated the Milner Trail, Old Florence Road, Florence Wagon Road and Forest Service Trail No. 641, which includes portions of the “historical” trail that do not exist anymore.

Those areas are full of boulders and trees, and have no driving surfaces anymore in several places between Mount Idaho and the Salmon River. Private landowners at Adams Camp and White Bird Station are simply requesting to vacate the portion of the validated trail that has not been used by the public for more than 50 years.

Now it’s being opposed by the Idaho Pathfinders, and several other misinformed people, even though their testimonies in the Nov. 29, 2022, hearing clearly stated “We are not trying to take Adams Camp away. We’re not trying to take White Bird Station, or Tollgate. We’re not trying to do anything; that we’re, we’re perfectly fine where we’re at.”

If that is the case, then why are they doing exactly the opposite? The Pathfinders were willing to work with one private landowner ... but not other private landowners?

We want to make it very clear that private landowners at Adams Camp and White Bird Station are not closing off any part of the Milner Trail that is being used today, and we are not taking anything away from the public.

Shanna Fogleman

Grangeville

Mike Stickles

Grangeville

This letter was signed by one other person.