Self-described “Deplorable Montana Redneck” offers her views

•EDITOR'S NOTE: Keffer refers to herself as a *Montana Deplorable Redneck." No one in the Stillwater Rising group used that term.

In reading a recent letter to the editor about the newly formed group Stillwater Rising, I wasn’t aware of this informal group meeting for the past year. Shame on me.
It must be that my view points (principles and values) being to the “Right” (Republican) that word hadn’t reached me. Although the letter stated not affiliated with a political party, the names that were listed as contacts are to the “Left” (Democrats).
Being that “I Am A Montana Deplorable Redneck,” this piece of news perked my interest. Especially when I read further down that their first program speaker was from the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union).
Another item of interest was “Membership is open and free.” More on that at a later time. An American hero to many is John Wayne a.k.a. “The Duke.” One of many of his quotes is “Courage is being scared but saddling up anyway” or “A man has to do, what a man has to do” — in this case a “woman.” Picking up my old fashioned land phone, I placed a call to be notified of their next meeting.
The contact person called me when their next meeting was to take place. Viewing this as an opportunity, on Sept. 27, 2017, I saddled up. The odds were 10 to 1. Actually they would have been 11 to 1 (late arrival that I passed on the road). Two points of interest about the group that I learned: (1) They were all friends (2) Like minded. As a courtesy ( I think) they introduced themselves (I knew five). When it came my turn I captured the moment and made the best of it.
The group was informed about the activities of the Stillwater Republican Women starting with our educational programs that began in November 2015 called “Politics and Eggs Breakfast-MontanaStyle.” One lady didn’t know about it and another asked about the cost and the money going to the Republican Party. I clarified that any profit made from the programs went to our scholarship fund. Be watching for a news article on SRW Scholarship 2018.
I didn’t stay for their meeting but was offered an agenda which I accepted. This group of friends being of like mind has chosen to be called Stillwater Rising. My personal take is this: if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, IT’S A DUCK. They now have their “DUCKS in a ROW.” In my opinion this group could be a Stillwater County Democrat Central Committee or go down the path of a Bernie Sanders (a democratic socialist party).
FALL has arrived which means “Politics and Eggs Breakfast-Montana Style” hosted by SRW is back on the menu of activities. Saturday, November 4th program speaker to be Montana Secretary of State, Corey Stapleton and Saturday, Dec. 2, Audrey Walleser, a wildfire firefighter. God bless America.
Shirlee Keffer
Columbus