Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I have been investigating relocating to various places and Billings is on my radar screen. I've always loved the beauty, tranquility and the people of Montana. I'm originally from Oregon, where I grew up, but have lived the last year in Washington, where I want to leave. To let people know about myself, I am Jewish guy in my mid 30s and I do practice my religion, although I am not what people call "Orthodox". Although, I do tend to blend in with the attire of my surroundings, once a week I do wear my religious clothing, on our Sabbath. As far as my politics views, you can say I am certainly on the right of most issues, with Libertarian/Republican leanings. As well, I am big into personal freedoms, including the RKBA and was looking for a place that would be gun friendly, which I know Montana most certainly is.
Billings has caught my eye, due to the lower cost of living, more mild weather (in comparison to other parts of Montana) and close proximity to beautiful and majestic mountain ranges to the south, such as Beartooth Mountains.
Now, I apologize for even asking such a question. In all honesty, the story about what happened in Billings back in the early 1990s has earned me great respect and admiration for people of Billings and the story could even bring a tear to a Jewish person, like myself's eyes, where 10,000 people of the town put menorahs in their house, both to help protect the Jewish community that was under attack, but also to let the neo-nazis/racists konw they would not be tolerated. For anyone who is not aware of the event, I have some links here, from the "Not In Our Town" website and another news source.
The story of the 10,000 menorahs and the Schnitzer family and how the Billings community took action is now been made into a play, which is performed across the country.
Why I am asking this question and bring up the event is I would like to know the current situation for Jews in Billings in 2013. I'd like to know how safe the area would be for a Jewish guy to live there. I am aware there is one reform synagogue in the town. I am Orthodox, so probably would not be accepted there, but I am happy there is at least synagogue there. Would people say the neo-nazi/anti-Semitic issues of the 90s are no more? Is there any threats imminent in the area today? Has there been any more vandalism, desecration of Jewish property, bomb threats, etc, in the area?
P.S. I am open to meeting people of various backgrounds, religious beliefs, etc and don't require a JEwish community. I just want to know it is a place I can be accepted and not suffer from intolerance due to my religious/ethnic background.
P.S.S I also realize there has been a neo-nazi congregating in Kalispell and around the Flathead Valley. The most notorious example is April Gaede and the Pioneer Little Europe (PLU) Neo-Nazi/Neo-KKK group. I'm hoping the influence of her group hasn't spread to the Billings area. The heavy presence of PLU/Neo-Nazis in Kalispell has inspired me to not live there, until they are hopefully run out. Beautiful area and I did visit a couple years ago, but recently learned about this problem.
Thanks for everyone's help and input on this issue.
I don't live in Billings, but I do my major shopping there. Also, the Billings Gazzette covers news of my area better than any other paper, so that is what we buy, when we buy a paper.
I have NEVER heard of any Neo-Nazi, as you put it, groups or problems in Billings. Nor have I heard of any problems with being Jewish in Billings. Of course, I am not Jewish so I don't look for those exact topics to exploit every word they say.
I have a friend who lives in Billings, female and jewish, practicing, she has never once mentioned a problem. She used to be my secretary here in Sheridan and she went to Billings to attend school. After school, she decided to stay in Billings to work. That was in 1994 and she's been there ever since. I don't normally talk to friends about religion or politics, however, the next time we go out for supper, I'll have to ask her if she's had any religious problems in Billings. I suspect not, or it would have come up.
I spend lots of time in Billings. I would be shocked if you had any problems at all.
There are reportedly tiny batches of dipsticks in different communities in Montana that are some type of Aryans. I saw a half dozen of them sporting white & Nazi type power tattooes in line for more at a fair midway last year. Every state has some rotters. Most people in our state have no time for hate groups of any kind.
In Montana religion is considered a personal private matter. It is really not up for discussion other than perhaps someone inviting you to worship with them. Everyone just does their own thing.
As far as guns go, most families have a collection of prized rifles that have been handed down and some more recently aquired because hunting and or target shooting is part of the Montana culture. It is not a gun crazy culture but a culture well versed in gun safety and one that holds a deep respect for wildlife. It is hard to explain. Perhaps someone else can do a better job.
With regards to personal safety issues, most Montana gun owners can hit what they are shooting at & would be prowlers and the like know that.
Montana is gun friendly. The State of Montana has inacted laws that allow the people to exercise their second ammendment rights to the fullest extent. Not necessarily the best set of laws, but the best for what the people wanted. To protect yourself is not a questions, you do what is needed and the laws allow that. There are, of course, laws that do prohibit the citizens from following the constitution to the fullest extent. The same laws, although they hold back the citizens, they keep the bad guys in check. Which is needed.
Hunting in the state is outstanding. The department of Game and Fish do a great job of keeping track of numbers of the different wildlife and they issue tag numbers to properly cull the herds so that the rest have enough feed and are free from disease. Those tag numbers are plenty for the citizens to purchase so they can either, gain a new hat rack, or fill the freezer, or both. Careful studies are done on those numbers so that not too many are harvested, yet enough to "clean" up the herd.
I appreciate the responses and I am glad to hear from people local to the area that Anti-Semitism/Anti-Jewish and racist crimes are not a problem there anymore. It seems the community has risen above it and the few scumbags who attempted to rid Billings of Jewish people were overwhelmed and themselves pushed out. I'm glad to hear. I know there is a freedom-loving spirit of Montanan people and people like fascists and nazis go against that very spirit.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ElkHunter
I have a friend who lives in Billings, female and jewish, practicing, she has never once mentioned a problem. She used to be my secretary here in Sheridan and she went to Billings to attend school. After school, she decided to stay in Billings to work. That was in 1994 and she's been there ever since. I don't normally talk to friends about religion or politics, however, the next time we go out for supper, I'll have to ask her if she's had any religious problems in Billings. I suspect not, or it would have come up.
ElkHunter, I'd appreciate to hear what she has to say. There is nothing like hearing about the living situation of Jewish people in Montana from a local, especially a Jewish local. This is one of the great things about the internet and city-data forum, being able to reach out to people, I'd otherwise never be able to.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ElkHunter
Montana is gun friendly. The State of Montana has inacted laws that allow the people to exercise their second ammendment rights to the fullest extent. Not necessarily the best set of laws, but the best for what the people wanted. To protect yourself is not a questions, you do what is needed and the laws allow that. There are, of course, laws that do prohibit the citizens from following the constitution to the fullest extent. The same laws, although they hold back the citizens, they keep the bad guys in check. Which is needed.
I'm glad to hear Montana is gun friendly. Sadly, so many people have moved into the Pacific Northwest and are trying to do away with our 2nd Amendment rights. It seems more compassion and respect is given for the rights of criminals than for law abiding citizens these days. I'm happy to be in a place where there is justice and people have the rights guaranteed by our Constitution to defend themselves, their property and loved ones. This was a right my Jewish ancestors in Europe and even those in New York do not have or ever had. I'm not exactly sure about the last line, of not following the Constitution to the fullest extent. I never think modifying or restricting the rights of our Constitution does any good for anyone. I'm assuming Montana is a much more Constitution respecting state than others.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ElkHunter
Hunting in the state is outstanding. The department of Game and Fish do a great job of keeping track of numbers of the different wildlife and they issue tag numbers to properly cull the herds so that the rest have enough feed and are free from disease. Those tag numbers are plenty for the citizens to purchase so they can either, gain a new hat rack, or fill the freezer, or both. Careful studies are done on those numbers so that not too many are harvested, yet enough to "clean" up the herd.
I'm not really a hunter, because in Judaism we are not suppose to use a gun to slaughter an animal. I know it is confusing and hard to understand. It goes into halachic/Judaic law. An animal is suppose to be slaughtered by a shochet (a person certified in ritual slaughter) with a knife called a chalef. Anyhow, due to the times we live in, I have come to the conclusion that it is a necessity for my survival to learn to hunt. So, I am actually interested to learn to hunt and it would be something I pursue, even if it upsets the Rabbis. I'm not the most ultra-Orthodox, so I am not opposed to use a gun to harvest an animal. I also love bison and elk meat. I'm wondering if Moose and Caribou meat are available in Montana for purchase? I've never tried them and hear they are really wonderful.
Quote:
Originally Posted by historyfan
With regards to personal safety issues, most Montana gun owners can hit what they are shooting at & would be prowlers and the like know that.
Sounds great! People keep talking about how more gun control equal less crime, but Chicago is the city with the most gun control and has one of the highest crime/murder rates in the country. Bililngs is a town with some of the least gun control and has the some of the lowest crime/murders in the country. I think the statistics speak for themselves.
Speaking of which, do you know of any ranges in or around Billings where I can do rifle shooting out to 1000yards and do draw/shoot, practical pistol shooting , as well as tactical carbine type of shooting? The gun ranges here in Western Washington really suck and they have so many d*mn rules and restrictions. My gun range where I live won't even let me load more than 7 rounds in any of my guns, including my 10-round S&W 617 revolver. What a pain in the butt! Back when I lived in Boise, they said public BLM land was being shutdown and that you could no longer shoot out there, due to too many people leaving their garbage there. So, a gun range with a membership would be more ideal.
P.S. My original post I made a typo, it is the PLE (Pioneer Little Europe), not PLU. They are the largest active neo-nazi group in the state. I am hoping the people of Montana chase them out of the state like the people of Idaho chased out the Aryan Nations group in Hayden Lake. Many of the people of the AN group of Hayden now reside in Kalispell and are members of PLE. I wonder what the status is in that area. I've considered Kalispell in the past, but the presence of that group has made me think otherwise, at least for now.
Last edited by RotseCherut; 07-29-2013 at 10:18 PM..
I'm not exactly sure about the last line, of not following the Constitution to the fullest extent. I never think modifying or restricting the rights of our Constitution does any good for anyone. I'm assuming Montana is a much more Constitution respecting state than others.
Montana does not have pre-emption laws so the state doesn't control, counties and city's are allowed to control. So you'll find that concealed carry is not the same, in every town. Same with open carry, it is not uniform throughout the state.
Quote:
I'm not really a hunter, because in Judaism we are not suppose to use a gun to slaughter an animal. I know it is confusing and hard to understand. It goes into halachic/Judaic law. An animal is suppose to be slaughtered by a shochet (a person certified in ritual slaughter) with a knife called a chalef.
Can't you just, you know, shoot it a little and slow it down for this feller with a shochet?
Montana does not have pre-emption laws so the state doesn't control, counties and city's are allowed to control. So you'll find that concealed carry is not the same, in every town. Same with open carry, it is not uniform throughout the state.
Interesting, so you mean in Montana you cannot conceal carry in some towns, even if you have a CHL that is recognized by the state? I guess I would frown upon such a regulation. That is what the governor of Portland (Oh , oops I mean mayor ) did and now it is against the law of Portland to conceal carry downtown in the city, even with CHL. However, the law is not Constitutional, and even goes against State Law. So, anytime they arrest somebody for carrying, they bring them down to the police station, let them sit there for an hour to scare them and then let them go home without a citation, as they have actually broken no real law. To me, local laws shouldn't be able to triumph laws that are Constituional Rights. For example, like the civil rights era, where some local governments thought blacks shouldn't be able to use the same bathroom, schools, buses as whites, etc. This is my opinion. Anyhow, I hope not too many towns in Montana have enacted gun control, prohibiting law abiding citizens from carrying. I never heard Montana had any issue with that before, unlike my home state of Oregon.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ElkHunter
Can't you just, you know, shoot it a little and slow it down for this feller with a shochet?
Haaaaa.. Well, it would be a bit hard to perform ritual slaughter on a wounded animal that is real pissed at you. Maybe, I will have to stick to hunting with small diameter FMJ rounds and hope I don't break any bones. Kosher laws are strict and rabbis so dang fussy. If they see a broken bone, it is immediately deemed non-kosher by halachic standards. This proves difficult for people who love game meat, like you and I. As I said, these are tough times, its time I do some hunting and bend a few rules.
P.S. Sorry to the all vegetarians on this thread..
whoops, maybe you misunderstood. A concealed weapons permit allows you to carry all over the state and in every town, as far as I know. Where it becomes iffy is carrying concealed, with no permit. See, I live in Wyoming, where all residents can carry concealed and we do not need a permit of any sort. When I say all residents, of course that means mentally competent, non-felon, etc...
Montana says they are an open carry state but then towns or counties say "not here, or during season only, or? ????" It comes down to the point where you have to know what the laws are, where you are. If Montana would pass state pre-emption laws then it would be uniform, throughout.
At least it is not like Virginia, years ago, when I had to have 4 different permits just to get to work.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
People keep talking about how more gun control equal less crime, but Chicago is the city with the most gun control and has one of the highest crime/murder rates in the country. Bililngs is a town with some of the least gun control and has the some of the lowest crime/murders in the country. I think the statistics speak for themselves. 
) did and now it is against the law of Portland to conceal carry downtown in the city, even with CHL. However, the law is not Constitutional, and even goes against State Law. So, anytime they arrest somebody for carrying, they bring them down to the police station, let them sit there for an hour to scare them and then let them go home without a citation, as they have actually broken no real law. To me, local laws shouldn't be able to triumph laws that are Constituional Rights. For example, like the civil rights era, where some local governments thought blacks shouldn't be able to use the same bathroom, schools, buses as whites, etc. This is my opinion. Anyhow, I hope not too many towns in Montana have enacted gun control, prohibiting law abiding citizens from carrying. I never heard Montana had any issue with that before, unlike my home state of Oregon.
