My senator, Steve Daines, was in Montana yesterday on a brewery tour. His published schedule said he would be at Big Sky Brewing in Missoula between 11:30 and 12:15 so I went over to express my opinion about his benefactor, the NRA. I arrived at 11:15 and, without my sign, I went in to ask where he was and when he was arriving. The young attendant at the counter said oh, he's already inside, taking a tour of the brewery, but "unfortunately" he's not talking to the public today. I said "Oh, how sad," which seemed to cause the young attendant some discomfort. So I went outside, got my sign out of the back of my truck, and stood outside, alone for a few minutes, then with some other people who started arriving, because Daine's was supposed to be there in a few minutes and they wanted to be in time to speak with their senator. A journalist (I didn't catch her name) said she'd go around back and see if she could catch him there. Let me know, I asked her, and in the meantime, that KGVO rightwing talk show host (no, I won't grace my time with looking up his name) stood outside the front door where I and another woman were standing, politely explaining that yes, he had indeed been on the "brewery tour" with HIS (not our) reprenstative, Steve Daines, and that he, like the nice, young brewery attendant inside, knew the inside story that the public had been left out of the loop on, that no, Daines can unfortunately not talk to us because, you see, he's so busy taking a brewery tour. You see. And I hope you do.
About this time, which was still before 11:30, the journalist came back and said he'd already split out the back door before she could get there. By this time there was a small crowd at the front door (still before 11:30, remember, his own personally-published time that one of his personally-hired staff members who are paid by us taxpayers to start being at the brewery). Jaws dropped, expletives were shared as well as the information that a large group of high schoolers were marching on Higgins Bridge at the very moment Daines was--apparently--sipping beer with a right-wing talk show host and a few other personal buddies of his inside Big Sky Brewery. Daines (of course!) didn't have time to go over and meet with high school students asking him (in public) to do something so they wouldn't have to worry about getting shot in school any time soon with his benefactors' weapons of choice. That would be, as he so eloquently expressed at another private showing of this bought-and-paid-for senator of the NRA's, enabling "green decoys" or "left-wing front groups" out to get him, you see. And you do see, I hope.
I, however, being a mere citizen, had the time drive downtown and walk to Higgins St. bridge, where I saw the high schoolers heading in the direction of Daines' office in downtown Missoula. I headed for his office, too, and when I got there, I saw a notice on his locked door (photos below). Any students who also walked there had to have seen this notice, too, and being the impatient "green decoy" teenagers that they obviously were since they were upset at Daines' behavior, had split.
To Senator Daines: you are a coward. Nothing more, maybe something a little less. Shame? That's for people who know the meaning of the word.
To the rest of us: Boycott Big Sky beer and tell them why you're doing so. How dare they host a sipping party for this man while high school kids are demonstrating because they're worried about getting shot because of their beer-sipping senator's craven inaction.
Who's side are you on, Big Sky Brewing? I can't hear you . Speak louder.
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