Last week, I stood with families and friends at the Grateful Nation Memorial on the University of Montana campus to honor the 43 Montanans who lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Some of these fallen Montana heroes I served alongside in uniform. Others I’ve come to know through their parents, spouses, and children.

What did these Montanans — and so many other Americans — die to protect? Not a party or a platform, but principles.

At the heart of those principles is the belief that every American has the right to speak freely, to debate ideas openly, and to participate in the democratic process without fear of violence or retribution.

This is not a liberal or conservative principle. This is an American principle.

When Charlie Kirk visited UM last year, some in our community strong

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