A walk downtown in July

Tonight we attended a meeting in Billings at the “Tap Room” bar on First Avenue North with US House candidate Kathleen Williams, of Bozeman.  P. and I had previously knocked doors for her run for Congress in 2018. We walked downtown from our house.  We were a little early.

P. bought us a couple of beers and we found some stools in the pool hall where Kathleen was to speak.  Finally, Kathleen placed her beer on a shuffleboard table. She thanked everyone for coming. The noise subsided.

She told why she was running again.  She almost won last time. She expressed concern for many of the issues important to Democrats:  Health care insurance for all, fixing the partisan, divisive, climate in Congress, helping to stabilize wheat prices, helping curb climate change, and a few other issues.  She didn’t speak of the concentration camps along the border, although we left the meeting early, so she might have.  She didn’t speak of impeaching Trump.

When she asked us for our concerns, I was first. I raised my hand.  I asked her to get Congress to stop the “forever war,” now 18 years and running, originally declared against the perpetrators of the 9-11 attacks.  An old guy sitting next to me said I made a good point.  Kathleen said she would advocate that Congress take back its Constitutional responsibilities that also includes economic policies toward other countries.

A woman at the end of our line of stools asked Kathleen to support a woman’s control of her body.   Kathleen said making abortions illegal would not stop abortions, just make them illegal and more dangerous.  Kathleen’s husband added, “and available only to wealthier women.”  Kathleen said the rate of abortions is less than in previous times.  I don’t know if that means the total number is down, or if the rate per 1000 pregnancies is down.  A man in the audience started pontificating about health insurance, so P. and I decided to exit.

Walking home a man asked for help getting a job, so P. gave him $10.  A woman companion with him said she would have him stay with her on Lewis Avenue.  We continued home.

On the initial block of Burlington Avenue, a friend, Karen, bolted from a house across the street to greet us.  Turns out they own the house and it’s now an Air B&B.  Some happy chatter ensued.  Karen said she is a registered voter.

We finished walking home, past this guy a block east of where we live who always dives into his house whenever we approach.  He has consistently avoided engaging with us.  Example:  We walked toward where he was sitting near the street, facing his house.  As we approached, he stood and walked hurriedly up his walkway.  I guess I don’t mind, after all it’s a free country!  but I think it strange.  

Farther up the block, an unruly hedge has been cut to within a few inches of the ground.