Viewpoints

by Dick Schilling, "Editor Emeritus"

... that I am not a big fan of Iowa Public Television, but at certain times I am drawn there by the programming. That happens during their fundraising efforts, akin to what commercial networks call “sweeps week” I suppose.

So, upon successive nights I got to watch such things as that show in black and white by Roy Orbison and friends, for what I think they said was the 30th consecutive annual showing. I was not a fan of his at that time and despite the fact that I enjoyed hearing several of his songs on radio, I could not have told you at that time what he looked at. But he has a remarkable voice and talent.

I also got to see a showing of The Highway Men, four country and western male singers who were in their prime at the time it was recorded, and a couple of them have since died.

Concerning marriage, sometimes, if not oftentimes, God’s heart is misjudged by human beings who do not understand Him and His ways. God is love, but He’s also holy and righteous. His ways are always right, good, moral and upright. Some people see God as a “do this, don’t do that” kind of taskmaster. But in actuality, love and our ultimate good are at the heart of God’s intentions for us - for mankind. His ways can be trusted because His love can be trusted.

In Genesis, the biblical book of beginnings, it says that “in the beginning God created man in His own image, in the image of God. He created him, male and female, He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it.” And God saw everything He had made and indeed, it was very good.” (Genesis Chapter 1).

by Hugh E. Conway

School Games

In 1857, the children in the Wexford area began attending classes at the Lamb School in Lafayette County, with the first teacher being Ann Dishart. The Lamb School was located half a mile south of what would later become the Wexford School. Anne Dishart was also the first instructor at the Wexford School. Other early teachers for the children of Wexford included Anne Ryan and James Lyons.

To the Editor:

Pat Ward, in his letter to the editor March 15, demonstrates he does not know that the election for president is based on the Electoral College and not the popular vote.  It would appear that he obviously does not know why the founding fathers created the Electoral College. I suggest a remedial course both in Civics and American History for Mr. Ward. And, in his lame argument about the outcome of the election he failed to acknowledge that a great majority of Iowans voted for President Trump.

The other arguments posed regarding the president by Mr. Ward are totally unsustainable. I am not sure of his source of information, I strongly suspect the mainstream media and any obscure website that will give him all the false information he wants to believe about the president. When he shows one iota of proof for any of his allegations I will believe him. Until such time that he can show facts, he might do well to refrain from making such claims.

To the Editor:

Mr. Quandahl has written several letters to the editor questioning the validity of Christians who voted for Hillary Clinton. I must admit, Secretary Clinton was not my first choice. I merely voted for her because she was and is better than #45. I am not a fan of ad hominem attacks so I will refrain from speaking to Mr. Quandahl’s character or his sense of morality. Instead, I will defend my faith as well as refute the idea that Christianity and Left Wing politics are mutually exclusive.

The first claim I wish to refute is the following quote from Mr. Quandahl: “(#45) won big, and the big help came from Christians and Evangelics - 82% for and 18% against. I really wonder what kind of Christians the 18% are. Are they for killing babies, throwing the Bible and Ten Commandments out, no mention of Christ in schools, ministers forbidden to be involved in politics?”

by Dick Schilling, "Editor Emeritus"

... that when I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes nearly 20 years ago, and brought home a list of dietary restrictions, my mother, in her mid-70s, said if I had to eat like that, I would have to do the cooking, since she was too old to learn to cook all over again.
And so, I became the chief cook for the two of us.

She ate what I prepared, but she would make comments, such as “nothing wrong with it that a little salt wouldn’t cure.” Or maybe, “it’s better with a cream sauce.” In fact, sometimes she would set aside a portion of something (peas, cauliflower) and make a cream sauce for her portion.

At any rate, when she died 15 years ago, I was pretty much used to doing the cooking, so only had to adjust to one instead of two.

It is not easy to cook for one. But with the ability to freeze unused portions of most things for another day, I get by with ham chunks and turkey breasts with bone attached.

Proverbs 18:24 …a true friend sticks closer than one’s nearest kin.

Have you noticed the different kinds of people who come into our lives? Some people come into our life for a reason. Doctors, nurses and other health professionals wait upon our every need when we are in the hospital for an illness or disease. Patrolmen, lawyers, and people in the court system help us through a difficult time in our lives. Waitresses, clerks and other store personnel help us find what we need. These people come into our lives for a specific reason, to help, to give advice, to serve.

To the Editor:

Mr. Quandahl is living in a world of  wrong facts, according to his latest letter. His president lost the popular vote by almost three million votes, not a landslide victory.

He expects you to trust what he says to be the gospel truth, but let me tell you he is a long way off from the gospel and uses Christians  and Evangelical values and morals as his passport to another world. Whether a man or woman, it’s hard to believe that someone believes that he or she is pure and has morals and is working their way to heaven but still votes for an alleged lifetime sexual  predator, a lifetime liar who is reported to be tied in with Russia and Putin, and who has a cabinet member who reportedly launders money for Russia.

But neither Mr. Quandahl, nor Kristi Hager, nor one-time Republican candidate Lowell Engle will ever mention these facts, which are true. Go ahead and check, but I think you also were duped.

To the Editor:

Following the passing of Dan Otting this past week I have felt moved to write to you to express the sadness felt by a number of people here in the UK (United Kingdom). I have been a close friend of Brother Leo Jones and Mary Anne, Dan and the family since 1983 when I first visited Waukon.

In 2001 I brought a group of high school students to the U.S. from England and part of the itinerary was a two-day visit to Waukon where we stayed with Dan and Mary Anne. For the students, this was by far the most memorable aspect of their whole American experience. The hospitality we received was second to none.

Dan always enjoyed hosting international students and my last visit was for Thanksgiving in 2013 when I came with a student from Beirut and one from Palestine and we shared a wonderful few days in Waukon. They remember the stories that Dan told late into the night about the characters and events over the years in Waukon.

To the Editor:

I would like to thank Mr. Ward for his wonderful fake writing skills as it appears he has obtained his information from the fake news, as he likes to refer to it.

I plan on showing in this letter how Mr. Ward’s letter writing is fake, like the fake news. How to get started? Might as well start with Mr. Trump being accused as a serial sexual abuser, as Mr. Ward claims. Where in heavens did he come up with this accusation? I know; the fake news. I got on the computer and Googled if Donald Trump was a serial sexual abuser, and to my surprise sites started to pop up. Which one to choose? I scrolled down to where it stated, “Trump Civil Child Rape, Sexual Abuse & C. “Filed” SDNY Fed’l CT 1:16-CV-04642 6-20-16.” What a shock! Maybe Mr. Ward was right after all.