Viewpoints

Got Gratitude?

Is the pandemic getting you down?

Our world has been turned upside down in the past year. We have endured so much!  Some of us have lost loved ones due to the coronavirus, we fear for our own health, our financial stability is threatened, we’re unable to gather with other people the way we used to. Everyone has been affected in one way or another. So if you’re feeling exhausted and hopeless, you’re not alone.

To the Editor:

Iowa’s battle with the coronavirus pandemic is not over. Governor Reynolds’ premature rescinding of her weak mask and social distancing ordinance, done without consulting Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), may cause the estimated death of an additional 400 Iowans before Memorial Day. The rapidly spreading variant B.1.1.7 is already in Iowa. We wish we could trust her to do the right thing..

1) We do need to trust truth and science. We again now trust CDC.gov/coronavirus under Dr Walensky MD, MPH. Go there for information and a video on double masking. Wear the best mask you can and make sure your mask is tight and doesn’t leak around the edges. Dr. Osterholm’s podcasts at CIDRAP (cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/podcasts-webinars) are good general information.

To the Editor:

For months I have been watching and studying what’s been transpiring in my country and around the world, and I feel compelled to share what’s on my heart and mind.

What’s happening is not just about Trump vs. Biden or Republicans vs. Democrats or Conservatives vs. Liberals... it’s about a spiritual battle of Good vs. Evil.

One side stands for Truth and Justice, the Rule of Law and the American People. It stands for The Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. It stands for honoring the National Anthem and the American Flag. It stands for God in our government and God in our schools and, above all else, it stands for the Sovereignty of God and the Sanctity of Life.

Years ago when I visited with a parishioner he told me that a groundhog was coming onto his deck and eating the food he would set out for his cats. This bothered him so much that he prepared his shotgun; a few days later the groundhog came onto the deck and he shot at it. But he had forgotten to open the glass patio door before firing! Needless to say, the glass in his sliding door had to be replaced.

Removing obstacles (more important than a glass door) is on my mind as the season of Lent begins on Wednesday, February 17. I am thinking of ways to remove one or more of the obstacles in my heart which prevents a deeper relationship with Jesus. I was amazed by a recent national poll; it reported that a majority of US citizens stated they intend to be a different person after the COVID-19 pandemic ends. They want to lead a different life once the coronavirus subsides.

To the Editor:

I am responding to the letters to the editor in The Standard, February 3, 2020 edition.

I am, first and foremost, a believer, that Jesus Christ is my Savior, and God is my King. Secondly, I am a proud American, and a proud Iowan. And I am also one of those “deplorable” Trump loyalists. I love Donald J. Trump and what he has done for America.
President Trump is up for impeachment. What happened to “innocent until proven guilty?” What about Due Process? It was a rush job to get him impeached. Why? Whatever happened to the concept of “agreeing to disagree”? What happened to respect, integrity, unity and love?

What has happened to this country? President Trump went through four years of hate, judgment, scorn, ridicule and plots against him, and he is still standing. Could any of us have withstood that for four years? I know I couldn’t. I pray for his strength and wisdom and protection.

To the Editor:

Addiction is a complicated brain disease. As it progresses, it can change the way an affected person thinks and makes decisions. A person in the throes of a full-blown addiction can’t choose whether they are going to use their drug of choice. No matter what else happens, the addiction always comes first.

Emotional barriers to addiction recovery occur because addiction is a chronic disease. When someone goes to treatment, they don’t emerge from the process magically cured. Instead, the goal of drug and alcohol treatment is to give people the tools they need to learn how to live in recovery one day at a time.

Here are several emotional barriers that get in the way of addiction treatment and/or recovery:

To the Editor:

This has been a very difficult and unusual year. Have you, or do you know of someone who has, become food insecure because of the pandemic? We at the food shelf can help.

All that is required is a photo ID. If you don’t have one, a bill with your name and address will do. This is to verify you are who you say you are.

If you are afraid of the COVID-19 virus, we follow all procedures. You stay in your vehicle and we bring out the food. You have some decisions on what you want, but a volunteer comes out to ask you for those choices. All volunteers wear a mask.

We are open every Thursday from 9 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. If you have more questions, come and ask them.

We are closed on holidays that fall on Thursday and when school is closed in the winter time because of weather. Our volunteers are retirees and we don’t feel they should be on the roads at that time, either. If school is delayed, we are there.

To the Editor:

The Iowa Senate recently passed SF 159, which some are referring to as the school voucher bill. This bill affects education in Iowa in a variety of ways. The main provisions are to expand charter schools, expand open enrollment, and create scholarships for students who wish to attend private schools rather than public schools (also known as vouchers).

This bill may seem like it would not have much effect on school districts in the area, especially because there are no private schools in the Eastern Allamakee Community School District. That assumption is incorrect, as it is anticipated that it will have a huge effect on the budget of all public schools in the state. The Legislative Services Agency, which is a nonpartisan agency that provides budget analysis for the Iowa legislature, shows increasing negative impacts to all public school district budgets in Iowa over the next four years. There are no budget projections beyond that point.

To the Editor:

You’ve heard that saying, “Silence is golden.” This may hold true in some cases, but today, more than ever, citizens need to stand up, speak up and tell the truth!

After reading the article in The Standard by Jodi Peake about her presence at the January 6 rally in Washington. D.C., we cannot, in good conscience, remain silent. Peake described her experience as “joyful and peaceful,” and also stated “the energy was filled with light and love.” That may describe her own experience, but we would be willing to bet that our elected leaders and their staff would disagree when they were forced to flee for their lives as insurrectionists stormed the Capitol.

To the Editor:

The new year is a great time to make positive changes in your life, as one of life’s chapters close, another begins. Lasting positive change doesn’t typically happen overnight. In fact, the most impactful resolutions often are a journey.

Quitting tobacco is undoubtedly a very rewarding resolution but can also be very challenging. One way to initiate this change and increase your chances of success is by creating a “quit plan”. Quit plans help assist you on your journey to becoming tobacco free by establishing your underlying motivation for change, identifying your support options, understanding factors that can lead to a relapse, and learning how to address them.