As little ol' Kalispell, Montana makes it's debut on national television tonight (most of us won't see it until tommorrow), I believe a list of things to watch is in order:
Project 7 -- Not just one whacko, but an organized conspiracy with a "hit list," illegal weapons, and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
Intimidation in the High School -- Ugly talk seeping down to kids, and teachers threatened to their face by Project 7's leader.
Talk 'Radio Rage' -- Isn't harmless or funny when guns become part of the equation.
Check out my previous diary:
My Town on the Tube!
Among all the hubbub you'll see two certain individuals on supposedly "both" sides of land use issues. There won't be much difference between the way they live, or the nature of their work.
Some of their friends and allies are in the picture too, and they'll speak long and loud!
The role of KGEZ radio seems to be a focus for those who'd rather see people fight with each other than settle anything.
Every threat and "Green Nazi" stunt you see in the film was real, but there are many other dispicable things done by KGEZ that aren't mentioned. It's pretty obvious who actually acts like a Nazi -- the tape of KGEZ's rant against a visiting Holocaust survivor is sadly typical of the attitudes projected by that station.
The story of the ex-cop has been shortened. A series of letters to the editors brought brave night-stalkers after a single mom and two teenage girls. She was a student at the college where I work, and I thought she should have contacted the Southern Poverty Law Center to sue KGEZ's butt for sic'ing them on her. (She declined.)
There's a somewhat confusing moment where Keith Hammer, one prominent target of KGEZ's threats, is quoted (second-handedly) as bringing up the case of Tary Mocabee -- an activist who was repeatedly threatened, and found dead one day on her property south of Flathead Lake.
The producer relays what little is known about her death, plus agrees that it was "probably an accident," but Tary Mocabee's sad story itself became an issue -- when her very name was used as a threat, and taken as such.
When you speak of barriers to communication -- watch what happens when public officials try to organize meetings -- what is said, and who imitates who.
I am amazed that The Working Group found a positive note on which to end their film. The wildfires that flared up in and around Glacier National Park took widespread cooperation to fight against, and everyone who mattered saw sense in working together.
In fact, this whole project is about talking with one another! Check out the fancy multi-media discussion features on POV's website:
POV The Fire Next Time