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Anti-mine couple really less concerned about wildlife, Libby native says

by The Western News
| November 22, 2011 10:25 AM

Letter to the Editor,

There have been several letters from the Roses in which they rant and rave about their dislike of the Montanore Mine.

 I think it’s safe to say their anti-Montanore stance is pretty clear.  Their rants all have the same theme talking about “junk science” and “kumbaya perceptions,” blah, blah blah…..  The ongoing tirade made me question…who are these people; what is their motive; what do they stand to gain or lose? 

So I started looking and I believe I see their true motive.  The following is from a blog on the Web site of HR Literary Services offering writing and other Web-based services and owned and operated by Lynne Haley Rose.  

“Sometimes, I am surprised at the things we do to preserve our unique way of life in our Montana mountain home.  Maintaining not only ourselves, but our integral pack of old MacDonald animals against the weather and the encroachment of commerce is a never-ending challenge.  I hope you will follow along with me in the times to come as I regale you with true-to-life tales of what it takes to make a life in the midst of National Forest lands, next door to grizzly bears and gray wolves, miles from the comforts of television sit-coms and shopping malls.” 

 This statement calls to question the real motive behind the Roses bid against Montanore and it shows just how far the Roses are willing to go to preserve their “unique way of life” in their “Montana mountain home against the weather and the encroachment of commerce.”  

Clearly, their true motive is self-serving.  Clearly, what the Roses are attempting to do is preserve the façade of “A Mountain Family Robinson” that they’ve attempted to portray on their blog.  (I’ve seen that movie too, the family lives off the grid, makes friends with the bears and so forth and has all sorts of adventures and excitement.  It was a great movie but seriously, it’s been done already.

Clearly what the Roses are concerned about is keeping what they consider as their private little corner of Montana complete with wolf tracks in the back yard all to themselves.  Their motive is totally and completely self-serving.  It’s about keeping people and “commerce” out of what they consider their territory. 

Would they be so concerned if the mine was located in Eureka, Kalispell or smack-dab in the middle of Libby?  I don’t think so.  The Roses profess to be concerned about the wildlife yet they intrude daily with their “pack of old MacDonald animals” and their comings and goings to and from their home.  Their travel must disturb the grizzly bears and gray wolves. 

They certainly don’t walk in and out so how do they get there …. a car …. or a snowmobile?  They aren’t concerned enough to leave the area free from their intrusion.   The Roses just don’t want other traffic in there making noise and bothering them while they fabricate true to life tales of communing with the great grizzlies and wolves so they can regale whoever encounters their little blog in whatever marketable version they can come up with.

“Unique way of life” …. what fakes!  I’ve seen these folks in town so they must own a car, they have cameras, they have access to computers and the Internet in order to make a living; obviously you can’t have a dot.com business without those tools. 

“I hope you will follow along with me in the times to come as I regale you with true-to-life tales of what it takes to make a life in the midst of National Forest lands, next door to grizzly bears and gray wolves, miles from the comforts of television sit-coms and shopping malls. “ 

Really?  I have news for you ... if you live in Libby, we’re really 90 miles away from the closest shopping mall, and we all have bear, wolves, coyotes, deer and numerous other animals in our yards, too.  Welcome to Montana. It’s how we live. 

But the Roses aren’t concerned with how “we” the community of Libby lives.  The Roses are concerned with how the Roses live. 

The Roses aren’t concerned about the welfare and livelihood of this community or the people in it.   Are they really so concerned for the environment and the animals or is that the stance they choose to hide behind because it’s easy to get people who live in a concrete jungle stirred up about us Montanans who are too ignorant to take care of our own back yard. 

We’ve heard it all from the Roses, the mine is lying; there will be no jobs; Montanore will destroy the earth, blah, blah, blah. 

How can anyone believe what they say? It’s pretty clear they live in a fantasy world of their own making, and they’ll do and say anything to protect their fantasy. 

“Sometimes, I am surprised at the things we do to preserve our unique way of life in our Montana mountain home.” 

Libby is my home, it is the place I was born and it is the place I choose to make my home.  I am an outdoor enthusiast and an environmentalist.  I love this community and the creatures and environment that surround it.

 I support growth in Libby and I support Montanore and the jobs it will bring to this area. 

OUR community has an opportunity; people need jobs, our businesses need income, our schools need students, our builders need to build. … I think you get where I’m headed.  Montanore needs your support; our community needs your support. 

 — Teri Kelly

Libby