Dear Rep. Gillette:
When you ran for office, I received circulars promoting your leadership qualifications. Once elected you have not expressed your leadership about issues you have expertise in, such as public health since you have a public health degree (MPH). Why have you not spoken out against the proposed lifting of the state mask mandate when you know as a public health expert that mask wearing contains the covid-19 pandemic?
Why haven’t you spoken out against the current legislation promoting guns into our colleges, universities, and bars? As an MPH you know the statistics of the high suicide rate in our state and you
know that easy gun availability can lead to impulsive suicide and gun violence against others. Why haven’t you spoken out about the legislation supporting vaping in our state?
Additionally, you swore support to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic. Why haven’t you expressed your outrage against this incredulous example of a domestic enemy that violated our democracy? Nowhere in the oath is there mention not to defend against domestic enemies if they are members of a political party, such as the riot instigated by President Trump and his party supporters.
There is a need for legislators and concerned citizens to flame out this ongoing domestic threat to our democracy. As my local district representative, I ask you to demonstrate courage by speaking out against all domestic threats to our democracy regardless of their political allegiance and as a public health expert to speak out against legislation supporting the spread of guns in our colleges and bars, the removal of the mask mandate, and vaping in our state.
Alan Wanderer M.D.
Bozeman
Bozeman Daily Chronicle Letter to the Editor 2/19/21