When I first listened to Greg DeVries during his candidacy, one thing was clear to me: The man knew nothing about the rule of law in the state of Montana. He is a missionary-evangelist at heart, not a person who can be trusted to navigate any of the issues vital to civic process. He proved this repeatedly with his foolish diatribes, faithfully published by the Monitor to, I hope, an increasingly shocked and disbelieving audience.
Many times, I considered writing rebuttals to his drivel, but I came to trust Dean Grenz to do so with more wit and civility than I possess.
I was once both a missionary and an evangelist. I understand the general worldview from which Mr. DeVries works. I wish our faith-based organizations, both churches and other groups, could come together to meet the needs of our neighbors in need, as the representative often postulated should happen. I wish our communities could find grass roots solutions to such things as job creation, 21st century level education, health care for all, etc.
Mr. DeVries did absolutely nothing in his term to create any forward movement on any of these issues. He likened schools to prisons, suggested that health care was a privilege rather than a right, and had nothing useful to say about creating meaningful, life sustaining jobs where we live. Instead, he went out of his way to vote to destroy jobs, as in the mining industry.
The representative spent his time on issues that are far larger than our county, region or state in his efforts to “ban abortion” and change laws, and if I recall correctly, the state constitution, to declare that a zygote is a person with all of the rights and privileges pertaining to a child who has exited the womb. Yet at the same time, the representative declared himself repeatedly in opposition to any community—read government—funds to be spent to aid the persons and institutions that we have in place to support that infant, child, teen…on the journey to a responsible, strong, healthy adulthood.
Greg, when is the last time you spent a day in any of Jefferson County’s public schools, just to listen and get educated about what happens in those rooms and buildings? Do you know the faiths or moral values of the various educators, paraeducators and staff? Do you know anything about what any of those people do to not just attempt to educate, but to feed, clothe, deliver basic healthcare and mental health services to any of our precious young people?
How many college credits of civics, government or political science do you have, and from where? Can you explain the basics of how our state government works? Do you have any idea what keeps our county running financially? How many ranchers, miners and construction professionals do you count among your friends? (Or with whom you’ve even had a conversation?) Do you understand that it is both illegal and unconstitutional to try to promote your particular brand of faith through your political office?
If any good thing has come of your time in office, I hope it is to motivate more voters to come to the polls and to elect a representative who cares about our county’s real issues and who is able to work together with other legislators, showing tolerance, intelligence and appreciation of diversity, to make real progress over many issues.
— Irene Wiener, Boulder
