We stopped at a Hudderite Community in Valerie, Montana where there are some 111 people living in community because of their Christian beliefs. While they don’t do television and shun many “wordly notions,” they have adopted modern farming technology in a big way. The have established, for instance, big chicken confinement and pig confinement facilities. (They ship 200 to 250 pigs a week all over the midwest.) Arnie Kleinfasser said the Hudderites have felt compelled to use these technologies to keep pace with the industry. I couldn’t help but think, however, that many of the Old Order Amish and Old Order Mennonite have given in to the same pressure.
7/20/05
Liz took our kids to the Lewis & Clark Interpretative Center in Great Falls, Montana. This expedition charted a course that would eventually strip almost all the land from the Native Americans out west. We’ve built shrines (read: museums and interpretive centers) to the feat. However, maybe it’s time for a different: “interpretation…” We stopped in Conrad, Montana where we were interviewed by the local ABC News affiliate. I said we stood for: “common sense…” We then entered Glacier National Park where we took the kids wading in a river near Essex, Montana and then I pulled into a service station for gas and a box of firewood, 4 bucks. I said to the gas station guy that I bet this was, oh, a little bit removed from how Lewis & Clark got their firewood. He smiled.
7/19/05
Was interviewed by Jim Dullenty of the Lewistown (MT) News-Argus. I told him I would have signed the Kyoto Protocol to curb greenhouse gas emissions, and what’s more, as president I would push for more wind turbine intitiatives in Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota. I also said as president, I would be regularly protesting, and praying, in front of abortion clinics… We then headed toward Great Falls, Montana, where Jonathan Martin (a member of the Constitution Party) told me he and his family regularly protest in front of abortion clinics — holding graphic pictures of what the unborn baby looks like after an abortion. He said people tell him he shouldn’t be holding up “those types of pictures in public…” “Then what pictures should I be holding up?” he scoffed.
7/18/05
Headed into Jordan, Montana where I interviewed the prosecuting attorney in the famous Freeman Case (which happened 20 miles from here). Nick Murnion received a John F. Kennedy “Courage Award” for his work on the case. Murnion told me he received numerous death threats while the case was going on. (The Freeman ordeal was the longest “stand-off” — 81 days — in U.S. history, out-distancing: Waco, Ruby Ridge, etc.) “I used my faith to get through it,” the prosecutor added… While in Jordan, I also interviewed cattle rancher Bob Gibbs. (He is the third generation on the ranch, dating back to 1906.) He told me current figures show in this part of the country, on average, it takes: 40 acres a year of pasture land to feed one cow.
7/17/05
We’ve traveled into the “Missouri Breaks” region of Montana, one of the most sparsely populated areas of the country. We pulled into Circle (pop. 660) at sunset where I put up a campaign flyer in the town gas station/general store. A group of regulars were standing around, all in dusty cowboy boots. I was wearing sandals. “Ya still got your slippers on,” one of them laughingly pointed out… Then in Brockway, Montana, (pop. 20) we met Don Tescher who was here for the annual Brockway Rodeo. Tescher was once ranked 17th in the world at bronco riding. He told me he broke a leg in Houston, Texas, broke an arm in Glendive, Montana… he’s riden 1,300 broncs over 35 years. Note: We were told Brockway had a “free range cow.” That is, a cow here regularly wanders about the town grazing on everybodys’ lawns. Another Note: If you are reading these journal entries and plan to vote for us in 2008, would you please consider putting up a homemade yard sign, get some “average Joe” Schriner for President buttons printed up, and so on — now. It’s never too early, and your action(s) could start a chain reaction. Wouldn’t that be fun.
7/16/05
We’ve driven west on I-94 to Richardton, North Dakota where I interviewed the Prioress of the Sacred Heart Monestary and Retreat Center, Sr. Ruth Fox. The nuns here installed the first commercial wind turbines in North Dakota back in 1994. Sr. Ruth told me, according to studies, North Dakota has the highest wind potential of any state in the U.S. I then told the Ranger Review newspaper in Glendive, Montana that our administration would push for many more wind turbine initiatives in North Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, and so on. It only makes sense, sound environmental common sense… In Glendive, I also met with Glendive Public Library Director Gail Nagle, who told me several years ago the town started a “Healthy Community Project.” For instance, Ms. Nagle said one of the arms of the project is to provide Parenting Classes to the community. And to help, the library has donated space for these classes and a coordinator’s office. (You can’t heal the country, until you heal the family, we often say.)
7/15/05
We did a whistle-stop event in Bismark. During the event, I talked to Burce and Paula Kuhnley who own the Country House Deli here. Bruce said one of his concerns is the big box stores going in around him can pay more to employees. And he’s worried this will drain a pool of his already trained employees. Paula told us one of the policies at Country House Deli is: “no gossip.” She explained gossip can really hurt morale, camaraderie, and so on. (At the Broken Spoke Restaurant back in Valley City, North Dakota, a sign said: “I don’t repeat gossip. So listen carefully…”)… The evening of the event, I met with Mark Dagley, who has installed four Whisper 900 wind turbines on the top of his barn in rural Mandan. He said the turbines, on average, provide half the power needed on the farm.
7/14/05
Traveled to Mandan, North Dakota where we met with Mike Liffrig, who was the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate here in Campaign 2004, and his wife Julie. Although Mr. Liffrig lost, I was tremendously impressed with he and his wife’s committment to sacrifice to make this a better country. Julie, for instance, often traveled campaigning with her 9 children. And she told me her goal each day was to make sure at least 150 people on the street knew about her husband. (My wife Liz has been, oh, a little shy of that number each day.) Mike, who has a degree from Michigan Law School, is Pro-Life and and believes in a Constitutional Amendment to support: “One Man-One Woman Marriage.” Also, besides Julie’s political and motherhood experience (a bumper sticker on her vehicle says: “Motherhood: Changing Society One Diaper At A Time”), she was also a volunteer in the Peace Corps. Julie worked in central Africa where she said the average income was a mere $150 a year. She explained parents there seldom have medicine for their children, while we in America often spend money lavishly on ourselves — without a social justice thought.
7/13/05
More of “this & that” from North Dakota: North Dakota, we learned, has .02% of the population of the U.S. So we’ve decided to campaign heavily here. Who says we need a political stategist, huh… Interviewed “Captain” Tim Miller, who coordinates the Salvation Army operation in Jamestown, N.D. He said the store regularly donates clothes to churches for “garage sales,” and gives clothes to outreach projects to the Ukraine and Native American Reservations north of here. Yet with all this charity, they find themselves still continually making a profit. “You can’t out give God,” Miller said… Met with Sharon Maulding who started an extremely innovative: “Moral Positive Behaviors Kindle Success Forever and Beyond” program for schools in a 120 mile radius of Jamestown, N.D. The orientation is to move away from “punitive” discipline models, toward “positive” discipline in the classroom and at home. “If you want to help children, you have to help the family,” said Sharon… We then headed toward Bismark.
7/11/05
More summary stuff from the last week: Stood in solidarity with a group protesting and praying in front of the Red River Women’s Clinic in Fargo, North Dakota. While there, I also interviewed Allie Keller, 19, who is actively involved with the local chapter of “Collegians for Life”… We headed west to Valley City, North Dakota where they were having a 1960s high school reunion weekend. According to the town newspaper, one of the main weekend events include: “Recognizing each other (It’s been so long!)… In Jamestown, North Dakota, I interviewed agronomist Bob Hoffbeck. He said because of corporate agri-business efficiency on the big farms across the country, America pays the least for food of any Developed nation (8% of the average Americans weekly take home pay). I told a reporter for the Jamestown Sun newspaper that this is a “double-edged sword.” That is, the chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbacides used in this ultra-efficient process are leeching into the groundwater, then polluting major waterways everywhere. In addition, the chemicals that are accumulating in the plants are causing chemical time-bombs in our systems that are showing up as cancer, and so on. (Not to mention, I said, agri-business is pushing the small family farmer off the land.) I said to the reporter that common sense would say: The short term benefits of cheaper prices at the market are killing the eco-system — and us.