Viewpoints

To the Editor:

Democracy is governing by and for the whole population, usually through elected members. It is a peaceful change of government given the right to rule because everyday people say it may.

Our Democracy is in peril. We are being held hostage by an obstructionist minority, and they want to retain power.

There are 34 laws being put forth and passed by Republicans that seek to enhance that power in at least 22 states. These laws make it more and more difficult for everyday Americans to cast their votes. Our election systems are the most secure they have ever been, and these laws do not improve that, they merely impede everyday Americans’ right to vote.

The House bill HR1, put forth by Democrats, and passed by Democrats without even one Republican, has moved on to the Senate, where Mitch McConnell has vowed to kill it.

To the Editor:

Humid, Humid, Humid,
The air is fit to drink.
Humid, Humid, Humid,
I can not even think.

Humid, Humid, Humid,
My hair is plastered to my face.
Humid, Humid, Humid,
I wish I was in a different place.

Humid, Humid, Humid,
As I lie on the floor.
Humid, Humid, Humid,
This day is such a bore.

Humid, Humid, Humid,
Oh, I wish the air was dry.
Humid, Humid, Humid,
How slow the day goes by.

Moriah Downing
Age 13
Waukon

To the Editor:

June 15, 2021 is World Elder Abuse Day. Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging joins communities worldwide to promote awareness and highlight solutions to this systemic social challenge.

As Americans, we believe in justice for all, but we fail to adhere to this value when we allow older community members to be abused or neglected. Older people are vital, contributing members of American society, and their maltreatment diminishes everyone. Just as we have confronted the social issues of child abuse and domestic violence, we can also find solutions to address elder abuse, which also threatens the well-being of our community.

To the Editor:

May 28, Senators Grassley and Ernst, along with other Senate Republicans, blocked the Senate from bringing up the bill to form a January 6 Commission. Why don’t the Republicans want to expose the facts concerning the insurrection on the U.S. Capitol?

Democracy is in the balance. The U.S. Congress, including Vice President Pence, evacuated the premises or were quickly ushered into safe locations, yet the Republicans pretend like the mob did not storm the Capitol, killing five people, injuring 140 police officers, and causing over $1.5 million in damage.

These were not everyday people touring the Capitol.  The videos of people shattering windows, assaulting police officers, breaking into offices, scaling the walls, spraying bear spray, shouting obscenities, and waving Trump flags have been shown multiple times on television. These were domestic terrorists, trying to stop the democratic process.

To the Editor:

I would like to express my gratitude for the great Memorial Day celebration to all who made that possible in Harpers Ferry. Legion Post 722 deserves a huge amount of credit as they were the primary organizers of the event, starting with the visit to six cemeteries in the area to honor those who served and died for this country.

Msgr. Cletus Hawes deserves much credit also as he delivered a moving tribute to all veterans who helped create this great country, going back to the time of the American Revolution and through the present. He also made a great appeal for the country to come together once again as One Nation Under God and honoring the Constitution.

Then there is the Legion Auxiliary, which was instrumental in putting together the parade. This is the first parade in Harpers in three years since the last one was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the one before that was diminished due to rain.

Happy Pride Month

Jesus commanded his followers: ‘Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.’

Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Lansing is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCA). Formed in 1988 with the merger of three smaller Lutheran organizations, the ELCA is based in Chicago and encompasses nearly 10,000 congregations and more than 3.8 million members across the country. Since 1991, the ELCA has passed repeated resolutions to welcome, include, and advocate for the equity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual/aromantic (LGBTQIA+) Lutherans in all aspects of the life of their Church, congregations, and community.

To the Editor:

Iowans have always valued helping and supporting our neighbors. We step up when a farmer is in the hospital and needs crops planted or harvested, or when our neighbor is out of town and needs someone to care for their pets or lawn, or when our community is planting trees to improve the park and curbsides.

Members of the Democratic Party support and vote for this value. During the pandemic our national Democratic legislators passed the American Rescue Package putting $1400 in everyday American accounts, making sure there is food available for those struggling to provide for their families, reducing child poverty and financially supporting small businesses.

Our two Republican senators, Grassley and Ernst, and our Republican legislator, Hinson, voted no on this bill, failing to support this life-saving relief for everyday Iowans.

To the Editor:

In response to letter-writer Lowell L. Engle’s criticism of the Paris climate agreement, I want to draw attention to a remarkable document on climate change and national security.

“A Climate Security Plan for America: A Presidential Plan for Combating the Security Risks of Climate Change” is endorsed by more than 20 admirals and generals, including Rear Admiral David Titley, former oceanographer and navigator of the Navy, and General Gordon Sullivan, former chief of staff of the Army. This 2019 report states:

At an ecumenical prayer service in Latvia on September 24, 2018 Pope Francis said: We Christians are very much aware that “if the music of the Gospel ceases to resonate in our very being, we will lose the joy born of compassion, the tender love born of trust, the capacity for reconciliation that has its source in our knowledge that we have been forgiven and sent forth. If the music of the Gospel ceases to sound in our homes, our public squares, our workplaces, our political and financial life, then we will no longer hear the strains that challenge us to defend the dignity of every man and woman.” Fratelli Tutti, pp. 115-116

I am wondering: as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic are you more in tune with the music of the Gospel or are you seemingly “off key” with the Gospel’s music in your life?

To the Editor:

The Allamakee Democratic Party honors the brave men and women who lost their lives fighting to defend our country. We are grateful for our veterans and active military who keep our nation safe.

We thank you. May we be worthy of their sacrifices and service by protecting democracy against the internal and external forces seeking to destroy it. May we make our nation united and strong by seeking truth over lies, conspiracies and disinformation.

Ann Hart & Karen Pratte
Allamakee Democratic Party