Montanans used to live and let live. Today bitter confrontations dim Big Sky Country.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Politics

Montanans used to live and let live. Today bitter confrontations dim Big Sky Country.



Billboards and crosses in the shadow of Columbia Mountain in Montana. (Tony Bynum for The Washington Post)

By Lisa Rein
Today at 6:00 a.m. EDT

KALISPELL, Mont. — By the time the third teenager had died by suicide since the start of the school year, the Flathead Valley was desperate for unity. The community had been jittery for months. ... Supporters of former president Donald Trump, adamant that Joe Biden stole the 2020 election, were driving through town in pickups lined with Trump flags, Confederate flags and “Don’t Tread on Me” flags featuring a rattlesnake coiled and ready to strike at government intrusion. ... The coronavirus pandemic had cleaved neighbors into camps for and against masks. A popular Facebook group featuring wildlife photos and local events had degenerated into a forum for politics, bullying and suspicion of the new people moving here.

The October death by suicide of the ninth local teenager in 16 months prompted offers of counseling, training for teachers and visits from national suicide prevention experts. But it also whiplashed into partisan recriminations, as residents lashed out in public forums against the superintendent of schools for failing to impose dress codes and discipline, against parents for not securing their plentiful firearms — used in several suicides — and against the supporters of masks and other pandemic restrictions for stifling teenagers. An issue the valley might have rallied around, in another time, risked dividing it yet again.

The coronavirus pandemic had cleaved neighbors into camps for and against masks. A popular Facebook group featuring wildlife photos and local events had degenerated into a forum for politics, bullying and suspicion of the new people moving here.

The October death by suicide of the ninth local teenager in 16 months prompted offers of counseling, training for teachers and visits from national suicide prevention experts. But it also whiplashed into partisan recriminations, as residents lashed out in public forums against the superintendent of schools for failing to impose dress codes and discipline, against parents for not securing their plentiful firearms — used in several suicides — and against the supporters of masks and other pandemic restrictions for stifling teenagers. An issue the valley might have rallied around, in another time, risked dividing it yet again.

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A view of Kalispell with Glacier National Park in the distant mountains. (Tony Bynum for The Washington Post)

{snip}

By Lisa Rein
Lisa Rein covers federal agencies and the management of government in the Biden administration. At The Washington Post, she has written about the federal workforce; state politics and government in Annapolis, and in Richmond; local government in Fairfax County, Va.; and the redevelopment of Washington and its neighborhoods. Twitter https://twitter.com/Reinlwapo

[Enter stage left]

1. I'd be willing my whole fortune that this has happened in the last 5 years...

Let me think?

What happened in the last 5 years that could have torn a community in half, if it didn't happen during the Obama administration?

Guesses anyone?

[cilla4progress]

7. He broke

America.

[MontanaMama]

8. Yes he did.

And, 30% of our citizens willed it to happen.

[cilla4progress]

10. America's flirtation with

fascism.

SMDH.

[Walleye]

2. A gun in the household makes suicide by a family member five times more likely

[Irish_Dem]

4. Adults are damaging a whole generation of children.

This is a tragedy of epic proportions.

[czarjak]

5. Hateful ignorance wrapped in religion and or religion is still hateful ignorance...

It’s everywhere.

[montanacowboy]

6. Lived there for many years

and my kids and grandkids still do. It was always a little divided but nothing like it is now. People have become lots more divided and hateful and hardcore and I blame it all on the right wing assholery of TFG. You would think with all those kids killing themselves the parents would have some real reflection but I doubt it very much.

Such a beautiful place such hard core bigotry.

[MontanaMama]

9. I wish this weren't true.

But it is. It's getting worse with the current MT state leadership. Our governor is a thug and he's surrounded himself with thugs.

[GusBob]

11. Witness to the Facebook outdoors' groups

I belong to several different ones. And the hostility to outsiders!!! Boy howdy its brutal. A simple kinda question " I'm coming from XYZ and wondering what kinda' bait to use while on vacation in June for trout on the X river"

next thing you know the poor poster is accused of being the spawn of Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden

And the hunting forums are worse, these poor people from out of state, any state, asking for advice, 4 replies in are being dragged with homophobic slurs. One would think they would scroll thru the page and see what happened to previous advice seekers