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Home ›Letter to the Editor: Submitted by Nancy Bechtel
To the Editor:
I was watching an older movie called “Miracle” the other day. It was about the U.S.A. hockey team that played in the 1980 Olympics. Those teammates came from other teams and had to become a team. They had to put aside their animosity toward one another and become one.
In our last election millions of people voted. Many voted; on both sides. When the dust settled, the Republicans had many victories. Those who lost were disappointed. Both sides felt they were superior to the other.
We are all Americans, part of the U.S.A. We are a “team”. We have our disagreements but we are a part of a country that has many good qualities. I am trying to learn about all the countries of the world this year. So far, I have read about wealthy and poor nations. When people within a country are divided and fighting one another, the nation becomes weak. That can happen to the U.S.
We need to work together. The best Democratic ideals and the best Republican ideals end up being the best for all of us. We can hold on to our allegiance to a party and lose sight of the goal. We are part of the U.S., not them and us.
It is also a goal of mine to visit all the states in the U.S. Each state I have visited is amazing. It has its own personality; its own makeup. Yet, we are the United States, not just a bunch of states who want their own way. We celebrate 250 years as a nation next year. Will we be defined as a divided nation where democracy does not work? What will we have to show for it on July 4, 2026?
I have lived in rural and urban areas. Each has unique needs. Sometimes the rural areas forget about the needs of the urban people; other times the urban areas forget about the needs of the rural areas. Both are important. We all cannot live in the rural areas and we all cannot live in the cities. We need to respect those needs.
Government cannot solve all our problems. Insurance rates go up because of the cost of labor and parts for vehicles and the natural disasters that no one can predict. Prices on food and everything else increase because of transportation and wages so people can live. Our basic needs are food, clothing and shelter. But we also must pay for utilities, our roads being maintained, services to help others, and the list goes on. Often we live for ourselves rather than thinking of others.
There are many still facing loss of homes due to hurricanes, fire and floods. One person can make a difference; many can bring about a miracle. There are many people that have good ideas about how to make the U.S. a better place to live. Those ideas need to be shared. We need to work together and still respect each one’s individuality.
Sincerely,
Nancy Bechtel
Waukon