Our View:Hi-Line has a lot to be thankful for

While we each individually look at what we should be thankful for in our lives, it might be nice at this time of the year to look at what we are thankful for and what inspires us in the public life of our community.

Lots of Hi-Line people have inspired us in the last year. Usually it’s not the civic and political leaders we cover daily Instead it was the courageous everyday people who go above and beyond the call of duty in their private lives.

Here are some of the folks who made us proud, people we are thankful for this Thanksgiving:

On April 8, the people of Havre were very lucky to have such a competent police department.

A seriously troubled man held the department at bay, threatening to kill himself and others.

Their first and only concern was to save a human life, a priority that should always be first among police agencies and the rest of us human beings.

It was tough and traumatic on police as it would have been for anyone, but they remained professional, always trying to help this troubled soul while not endangering others.

Some complained that the police should have been more worried about their right to have lunch or a cup of coffee at their favorite downtown restaurant. Police remained true to their better nature, though, and worked under stressful conditions for 21 hours to keep the man alive.

Sadly all their hard work failed. The man eventually shot and killed himself.

That must have been difficult on police who spent every bit of their energy to the point of exhaustion.

But as the episode came to a conclusion, had given quiet assurances to residents that their police department valued human decency and would put themselves at risk for all residents, even an emotionally troubled, hurting young man.

We are thankful we got to know Bonnie Bennett as long as we did, even as we are sadden that we didn‘t have her to treasure for a lot longer.

Bonnie had developmental disabilities. She also had a heart of gold and energy to do the volunteer work of any 10 people. Every holiday she would be working at community gatherings of some kind. She would help cook and serve food, clean up and carry away recyclable trash.

For 33 years, she has been ringing the Salvation Army bell at Gary & Leo’s Fresh Foods from the day after Thanksgiving and throughout the Christmas season. People gave a lot more money because it was Bonnie collecting. She chatted with every person who dropped coins or bills in the kettle.

The kettle at the north door of Gary & Leo’s will be one of many vacant spots in the volunteer world caused by Bonnie’s death.

Some brave, good-hearted people will take over her duties at Gary & Leo’s.

Bless them, but it won’t be the same.

No one person will be able to fill Bonnie’s shoes. Instead, it will take many of us stepping forward to assume some of the tasks that we have assumed Bonnie would always be there to do.

We are thankful for knowing Bonnie all these years. We are also thankful because we know Havre people will come to pick up the work she did for all of us.

We hope people will, one by one, volunteer to help the Salvation Army, be willing to cook, serve or clean up at the Christmas dinner, help out with the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, or help recycle trash.

Native Americans have endured all kinds of oppression over the years, and they have endured, maintaining their rich culture and unique sense of community developed over millenniums.

In recent years, Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation has undergone a series of tragedies. Residents endured severe flooding that caused damage to homes and reservation infrastructure. Federal funding, the lifeline of the reservation, was slashed. And perhaps most seriously, several tribal leaders who should have been role models for young people with few role models, have been charged with felony corruption charges. Some have already been carted off to prison.

With all of this happening, you might think Rocky Boy is a dispirited place, full of defected people. Not at all the case.

It’s heartwarming to see how Rocky Boy residents have come closer together in light of these problems.

Rocky Boy is a place where people can vilify each other on the blogs but moments later risk their lives to help each other.

It’s a place where two high school seniors can successfully run a program to ensure that every elementary school student is guaranteed a Christmas present.

It’s a place where the tribe’s cultural traditions are celebrated at a powwow that entertains and educates people from all over North America.

It’s a place where, even when it’s embroiled in controversy, tribal council can take time out to make sure every family has a Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings.

We hope that modern times change Rocky Boy for the better, but we hope it doesn't change the centuries-old tradition of community that are unique to Rocky Boy.