Showdown at Judith Gap

Racial tension is not confined to large cities. It raised its ugly head this summer in Judith Gap, a town of about 200 people in central Montana.

It all started when Jeff Weimer, owner of J.D. Lumber in Judith Gap hired seven Hispanic workers when he could not consistently fulfill his employment needs through the Job Service. Some local residents became concerned about lost employment opportunities. Rumors began to fly, tension in the town rose, threats of violence struck fear in the heart of the community.

Weimer feared that if the threats heard in bars and around town continued, the situation would escalate into violence. The city council suspended their regular agenda on September 11 to allow Jeff Weimer the chance to present his concerns.

Weimer reported hearing one resident comment that it would only take one match to send the mill up in flames. According to Weimer, the same fellow went on to say that there "used to be a time when people would have solved the problem with these Mexicans by taking them into the woods and putting a bullet in their heads." (The resident denied making those remarks.)

Various other death threats and acts of intimidation were reported. A local bar owner stood up and confirmed that she had heard many of the allegations. One of the Hispanic workers was said to have pulled a gun. The local sheriff said he was investigating the incident, but did not comment further.

MHRN was there to commend the town for bringing these issues into a public forum. All too often, by simply ignoring a problem, empty threats escalate to violent acts.