Quote for the Day…

There are two ways to get enough. One is to continue to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less. ― G.K. Chesterton

Today’s independent commentary deals with these people/issues:

• Friends in High Places
• Masks On
• The Western Word Poll
• One More Thing

FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES:

The Associated Press (AP) picked up the story from the Montana State News Bureau about Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen.

Here is what the AP reported:

The office of Attorney General Austin Knudsen asked a county attorney to dismiss two concealed-carry charges filed against a Helena man accused of assaulting employees who asked him to wear a face-covering while entering a restaurant last year during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As for the background, the AP reported that in November 2020, Rodney Robert Smith, 45, was charged with felony assault with a weapon and misdemeanor assault after he allegedly showed a holstered firearm to employees at a Helena restaurant who asked him to comply with the statewide mask requirement or leave.

With Knudsen asking the county attorney to dismiss two concealed-carry charges against Smith, something smells.

It brings up a lot of questions. Does Knudsen or someone close to Knudsen know Smith? Has Smith donated to Knudsen’s campaign? Does Smith have something on Knudsen?

People are probably wondering what they need to do to get Knudsen to intervene in their cases. It appears the Montana Department of Justice is refusing to comment about the case, which makes them look guilty.

As for Smith, he is a member of the Montana Army National Guard. Is this the type of people the Guard wants representing them?

Read the AP story HERE. Read the Lee Newspaper story HERE.

MASKS ON:

There are fights from sea to shining sea about children wearing masks when school starts. That is this week’s poll question (see below).

The Electric in Great Falls is reporting about the mask issue in the Great Falls Public Schools:

Superintendent Tom Moore told The Electric that the GFPS cabinet met Aug. 17 and there have been modifications to their proposal to the board.

Based on conversations with district officials, health professionals, lawyers, the Montana School Board Association and community feedback, Moore said they’re recommending a policy to the board that will authorize the superintendent to implement and adjust health and safety protocols throughout the year based on the community COVID transmission rate.

In a nutshell, he’ll be recommending that GFPS start the school year with a mask requirement due to the current high rate of community transmission.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued guidelines on August 5, 2021:

Given new evidence on the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant, CDC has updated the guidance for fully vaccinated people. CDC recommends universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status. Children should return to full-time in-person learning in the fall with layered prevention strategies in place.

With the infections rising, it would be ridiculous for schools to allow students to attend classes without masks. Some students cannot be vaccinated yet.

Regarding masks, I suggest School Boards and Superintendents listen to the healthcare experts and not Facebook doctors and certainly not politicians.

Read the full story from The Electric HERE.

Read the CDC Guidelines HERE.

THE WESTERN WORD POLL:

Schools are opening across the nation in the next few weeks. There are different opinions about children in public schools wearing masks. This week’s poll question asks:

The results will be released Thursday.

ONE MORE THING::

Here is the latest fake news…

“We have put together I think the most extensive and inclusive voter fraud organization in the history of American politics.” – Joe Biden

The uneducated folks posting this are about a year behind as the posts on social media with this fake news started in October 2020.

Reuters fact-checked the statement and put it in context:

It was a slip of the tongue – Biden was describing the voter protection program his campaign has launched in anticipation of potential legal fights over the outcome of the Nov. 3 election against President Donald Trump.

After first seeing that, I partially typed the quote into Google and found a page full of information that showed it was fake news. The people who hate Biden won’t let the facts get in the way of posting things they know as fake.

That is what sets this blog and the things I post on Twitter and Facebook associated with this blog apart. I will not post fake news to “get” someone because I hate them. I will give my opinion on the news and put my name on every post. If I find I posted something that later proves to be false or fake, I will correct it immediately.

Read the Reuters fact-check HERE.

## MASK-UP – GET VACCINATED ##