My letter to the editor

I know I have so much to catch up on. My camera is full of pictures from the end of school. I will get them on here. But today I have something else on my mind. In response to a letter that was written in last weeks Valley Citizen I decided to write a letter to the editor. I have a pretty strong opinion about our government and would say that I am an "extreme" conservative. However, really the only person who knows how I feel is my husband. I have never really voiced my opinion about such things. As most of you know I live in Teton Valley, a once quiet and tight knit community of mostly farmers and ranchers. That has changed drastically and more and more diversity is becoming apparent in our valley. I am not saying that is bad but I am getting more and more frustrated with those who move here because of the nice area but then get here and want to change it all. There are many here who are willing to voice their opinions and do whatever it takes to change things into what they want while the rest of us sit by and do nothing, all the while upset at what is happening. When a local writer decided to voice his objection to Glenn Beck coming to Teton Valley for the fourth of July and trash those of us who may agree with some of Glenn Beck's ideas in the local newspaper I decided to respond. Attatched is Mr. Walsh's letter as well as mine. The only way to read Mr. Walsh's letter is to save it to your computer then downsize it so you can actually read it all on one page. I would suggest reading it, it really got me worked up, especially the comment about Ezra Taft Benson.

Insult to WHO?

I would like to ask Mr. Walsh who the insult is towards when asking Glenn Beck to visit Teton County. When I heard the news I was immediately on the phone to family in Alaska telling them the news and that they should fly down for the event. So maybe Mr. Walsh’s side of the valley was insulted but not all feel that way.

I would just like to respond to some of the comments that Mr. Walsh so eloquently touched on. You know, just because Teton Valley is now a liberal majority doesn’t mean that those of us who are conservatives can’t have a voice. I would hate to think that anyone from out of town would read Mr. Walsh’s letter and think that is how all in Teton Valley feel, quite the opposite. The diversity in Teton Valley is becoming much more apparent as more and more begin to voice their opinions.

Mr. Walsh stated that, “Glenn Beck brings naught but hatred and lies to his audience.” Tell, me Mr. Walsh, who is being truthful? Is it our government being truthful and transparent in all they do? I don’t believe so, I believe that our government has many dishonest, power hungry, money driven people. They are not the voice of the people. They want to be the voice telling the people what to do and how to do it. They are taking our freedoms to choose away from us. Many of us agree with Glenn Beck when he said, “….the government is the devil.”(May, 2010)

“Beck brings naught but hatred and lies to his audience, many of whom rarely read anything meaningful; people who are content to get their information through the filter of Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News.” Do tell, Mr. Walsh, where do you get your information, CNN or maybe MSNBC or one of the countless others? Are you telling me that all they give are truths and nothing but? Our government is feeding the American people full of lies, they are brainwashing them into thinking that they can solve all our problems with free healthcare and more government. If we don’t stand up now and defend our freedoms to choose and believe what we want those freedoms will be taken from us.

Glenn Beck stated, “The President has exposed himself as a guy….who has a deep seated hatred for white people…or the white culture.”(May, 2010) Please tell me Mr. Walsh what President Obama meant when, in his book, Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance he said, “I ceased to advertise my mother’s race at the age of 12 or 13, when I began to suspect that by doing so I was ingratiating myself to the whites.” Or when he said, “I found a solace in nursing a pervasive sense of grievance and animosity against my mother’s race.” To me it says that our President, at one time, had animosity towards whites. Let’s hope that he has overcome that animosity as he is now our President.

What right does Mr. Walsh have in saying, that those of us who agree with some of what Glenn Beck says, that we are haters and racists? As Mr. Walsh told us, Joe Scarborough said, “You can’t preach hatred.” Wrong, you can’t preach your conservative opinion without it being labeled as hatred, racist, and ill-educated. If you are a liberal you are free to speak as you wish because you are “educated” and have looked at all sides and made a well informed opinion on the matter, it’s a double standard.

The bottom line is we now have a full understanding that Mr. Walsh has ill feelings towards Glenn Beck and the “extreme” conservatives but more directly those associated with “Utah” and Ezra Taft Benson as he so clearly stated in his article. Mr. Walsh also made it clear that hate speech is never American but please tell me exactly what Mr. Walsh was trying to convey in his letter, if not hatred and racism towards those, “whom rarely read anything meaningful?”

One last question for Mr. Walsh, what is the message that you feel Teton Valley should reflect? Is it the small town feel, the wonderfully kind and friendly atmosphere, the beautiful scenery and God fearing Christian attitude? Those are all things Teton Valley once was but those days are quickly fading as those who built this wonderful valley pass on or move out and are replaced with others who feel their ways are better, that those of us who get our info, “through the filter of Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News,” can either change our opinions and live peaceably or follow the highway out.


Rachel Nelson
Victor, Idaho