Viewpoints

To the Editor:

I grew up in Lansing and will always consider myself an Iowan. I went to medical school at the University of Iowa and have worked in public health for the last 35 years, most recently in the Tuberculosis Program at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).  Eight days after the inauguration of President Trump I was terminated along with thousands of other employees by Elon Musk in what was described as an effort to root out waste, fraud and abuse. That is simply not the truth.

After years of misinformation and distortions of the true role and benefit of foreign assistance and its importance to our standing in the world and to our national security, USAID was the first agency to be completely (and illegally) dismantled. By July 1, only a few hundred of 10,000 staff worldwide remain as it has been shrunk and absorbed into the Department of State, making it impossible to deliver its prior lifesaving work in those areas of greatest need.

To the Editor:

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski refused to vote for President Trump’s big ugly bill until she received special changes to it that benefited her constituents, insulating Alaska from some of the bill’s harshest cuts to Medicaid and SNAP food assistance. Afterwards, she said, “it is not good enough for the rest of our nation and we all know it.”

In contrast, U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst meekly voted for it. That’s all the voters need to know about Grassley and Ernst.

Thomas Hill 
Lansing/Cedar Falls

To the Editor:

Poverty doesn’t care about political parties, but how we fight it must be smart, effective, and fiscally responsible. That’s why it’s so concerning that Congress is considering cuts endorsed by the current administration that would gut programs proven to help families help themselves.

Programs like the Low-Income Home Energy Program (LIHEAP), Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), and Weatherization - administered by local Community Action Agencies - don’t create dependency; they provide critical stability and support for low-income Iowans who are working hard to achieve self-sufficiency.

To the Editor:

As I drive around the city of Waukon doing my daily errands, I can’t help but notice all the building construction going on. I turn onto the new road, 8th Avenue SW, and notice the huge living unit going up. Then I drive farther to Rossville Road and see Pladsen’s new facility taking shape, and on the next corner I see the future Peoples State Bank. And this is all happening in just the southwest corner of town.

No question about it, our city is a growing community. I look forward with excitement to all the changes this will bring. As our city grows, many more opportunities will arise, and many more newcomers will move here.

Some may view community growth more apprehensively, thinking it will change the friendly quality of our once small town. It doesn’t have to be that way, however. As we grow, we can preserve those same great characteristics that have long graced our community.

God’s Blessings on the People who dwell in the land we call Driftless. Here are more wondering thoughts from a wayward follower of Jesus the Christ. Let me get right to the point… We need the CHURCH (i.e., the Community of Believers, the Body of Christ), but do we really need organized religion (i.e., the Lutherans, the Catholics, the Protestants, the Baptists, the Methodists, etc.)? The answer is yes, if just for the reason, as people, we need some kind of structure to govern our lives and the activities we are called to do together. The problem is when we try to control ourselves and leave God out of it, either entirely or more often, not putting Him in total charge. At a Christian summer camp I attend for many years in my youth, I learned that I needed to live by this guideline, “God First, Others Second, and I’m Third”. We have turned that around, where “I’m” is first, others are used to benefit “I” and God if consisted at all, is used as window dressing, a name drop.

To the Editor:

I read the Letter to the Editor in the May 28 issue of The Standard from Harriet Sharp. Even though several of her comments about President Trump are blatantly false: “President Trump is highly respected by world leaders, he is a brilliant businessman and boldly stands for Biblical values,” I am not overly concerned with those views because any American who follows multiple news and media outlets knows better.

What is much more bothersome is her belief that “God’s anointing is upon President Trump.” I know Harriet Sharp and consider her a friend and fellow Christian. It saddens me to see her true Christian values be diminished by the words and actions of America’s greatest conman since P.T. Barnum.

To the Editor:

John 3:3 states, “Jesus answered him, ‘Truly, truly, I tell you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’” This verse, part of Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus, emphasizes the need for spiritual rebirth or a new beginning to understand God’s kingdom.

If you have ever watched Sid Roth on YouTube, near the end of each episode he says: “Repeat after me out loud and mean it to the best of your ability. Dear God, I know I have made many mistakes for which I am truly sorry. I believe the Blood of Your Son washes me clean and now that I am clean, Jesus come live inside of me. I make You my Savior and my Lord and I give my life to You.”

You will probably feel different right after you say these words.

This is the way to your salvation because God wants a personal, intimate relationship with you.

May God bless you all.

Dick Kistler
Waukon

To the Editor:

The new Farm Bill is against states’ rights. Back in the 1970s, the Republican party touted local control - laws should be made for and by the people who were affected. Over time, the Republican party has switched to a “one size fits all.” And many times, the one size gives the large corporation the benefit, not the individual.

The new “Food Security and Farm Protection Act” is no exception.  This bill takes away states’ rights to regulate agriculture, “dictated not by local voters, but by corporate lobbying” (Harkin, The Des Moines Register, June 5, 2025, 7A).

In the United States from 2018 to 2020, “AgReliant, Bayer, Corteva and Syngenta accounted for 83.4% of corn seed sales and 78.1% of soybean seed sales” (Jenkins, DTN.com, 10/16/2024). AgReliant Genetics is headquartered in Canada; Bayer is headquartered in Germany; Syngenta is headquartered in Switzerland.

To the Editor:

Depression is a medical condition that affects millions of people. There are several types of depression, and the symptoms vary among individuals. Here are some of the symptoms that someone with depression may experience:

FEELING SAD OR EMPTY - Mood changes are one of the most common symptoms of depression. A person who has depression may feel sad or low for extended periods of time.

FEELING HOPELESS OR HELPLESS - Depression can make people feel hopeless because there is no foreseeable end to how they are feeling. The person may also feel helpless and they may say or think that no one can help them get better and that they will always feel depressed.

FEELING WORTHLESS - A person with depression may feel as though they are worthless or that their life has no meaning.

To the Editor:

June 14, citizens across the country - including right here in northeast Iowa - will gather for the No Kings Protest, a National Day of Action to defend democracy and reject authoritarianism. In Decorah, meet at 1:00 p.m. at Mary Christopher park on East Water Street to rally then march to the Winneshiek County Courthouse. Come join thousands of others across our great nation to say clearly: we are a nation of laws, not of kings.

This movement isn’t about partisanship, it’s about principle. We’ve watched with growing alarm as President Trump and his allies have undermined democratic norms, attacked the free press, and threatened the rights of everyday Americans. The No Kings movement is a peaceful, nonviolent response to these threats, rooted in the belief that power must be accountable to the people.