Montana Bumper Sticker Sends Strong Message, But is it Offensive?
A new bumper sticker has been selling like hotcakes in Montana but is the message taking it too far?
If you talk to almost any native Montanan, they will tell you how frustrated they are about all of the out-of-staters moving to Montana. It's a fairly common sentiment among Montana locals. The fear is that people from different states are going to come to Montana and try to change our way of life.
A couple of years ago, a bumper sticker that read "Make Bozeman Montana Again" was making the rounds and a lot of people in the area purchased one and slapped it on their vehicles. Bozeman has been referred to as "Bozangeles" due to the influx of out-of-staters that often get blamed for the outrageous home prices in the area.
The bumper sticker mentioned above isn't really offensive. It just points out the fact that Bozeman no longer has much in common with other places in Montana. It's become a haven for the rich.
If you are on Facebook or any other social media platform, it's not uncommon to see questions asked by out-of-staters met with responses like "Go back to where you came from" or "Get out." There's no question that Montanans are fed up with people from other states moving here.
Recently, I stumbled across an ad for a bumper sticker with a strong message for out-of-staters. The sticker simply reads "The Locals Hate You." Here's my issue with the sticker. Montanans aren't mean people. In fact, most of us are kind, good-hearted people. I understand the frustration with out-of-staters, but hate is a strong word. It's one thing to not like someone that much, but hating someone is a completely different thing.
Here is the Bumper Sticker We're Talking About
Honestly, I don't think that the message on the sticker reflects how most Montanans actually feel. Maybe I'm wrong though. I'm not a fan of out-of-staters, but I certainly don't hate them. I just think it makes Montanans look like a bunch of jerks, and I know that isn't the case.
What do you think? Is "The Locals Hate You" really a positive look for Montana? Send us an app chat on our station app and let us know your thoughts.