Viewpoints

To the Editor:

Marijuana is a highly debated topic. The perception that marijuana is harmful has been greatly reduced, especially among youth. Media coverage and legalization of retail marijuana and marijuana used for medical purposes in certain states has contributed to this view that marijuana use is “safe.”

Coalitions and staff at Helping Services for Northeast Iowa are working to educate youth and the community on marijuana and to spark conversations about healthy decision-making.

Marijuana today is not the same marijuana that was around in the 1960s and 1970s. Today’s marijuana contains much higher levels of THC, the chemical component that makes people “feel high.” But this high does not come risk-free. According to the American Psychological Society, heavy marijuana use in adolescence and early adulthood is linked to “poor school performance, higher drop-out rates, increased welfare dependence, greater unemployment, and lower life satisfaction.”

by Dick Schilling, "Editor Emeritus"

... that I am afraid my reaction to the death of Muhammad Ali was not appropriate. When I first heard the news, I thought something like, here we go again. It will be a week of all-day coverage by the national media, with 90% of commentators eulogizing him and 10% making critical comments.

To the Editor:

Waukon Burying Ground Association, a/k/a Oakland Cemetery, contains much historical information. Many people enjoy walking the cemetery. Others come from far and near to search for burials of relatives and friends.

For many years, the Board of Directors could successfully maintain the grounds using income from investments. With declining interest rates, this Board, as well as many other cemetery boards, has been forced to dip into investments, and for the last ten years has been using investment principal.  Bequests and donations have greatly diminished; in fact, virtually disappeared. However, expenses for weed control, fence and road repair, and repairs to a 30-year old mower continue to grow.

To the Editor:

It has come to my attention that the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors considered and approved a request, spear-headed by one of the State Representative candidates, allowing the use of the Allamakee County Courthouse campus for a four-day Bible marathon. This comes after Governor Branstad’s proclamation suggesting all counties have the Bible-reading event June 30-July 3.

Was there any consideration on how the decision to support such an event reflects on our County and City administration?

First, there was the decision to approve this event.  We need to understand how the event can be interpreted as the Allamakee Board of Supervisors supporting only one religion, when we have several in our county, and clouds the division between church and state.

To the Editor:

I spent a short time living in the Elon area. This Memorial Day weekend my family and I spent time in the Waterville and Waukon area. We saw some great farming operations.

As a young boy, I worked in the Waterville area. I noticed Arlyn “Butch” Fossum’s farming operation really impressed me. I was told he is a great supporter of the Waukon community.

What a beautiful area to live in and raise a family, living in the city is not living in northeast Iowa. So, people in northeast Iowa are very, very lucky and fortunate.

T.J. Kelley
Cedar Rapids

P.S. You have so many people in the area that should be recognized. It’s a beautiful drive from Waukon east on A52/Elon Road.
 

To the Editor:

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) declined to approve the initial construction permit for the hog confinement for Riecks View Farms because, according to an article reprinted in The Standard, they wanted to build the confinement buildings in a “region of porous, shallow bedrock in steep terrain overlooking two streams with naturally reproducing trout”. The amount of pigs would produce an estimated amount of manure at 5.8 million gallons in a year’s time.

Now the Reicks’ have changed their permit to a lesser amount of pigs, but on the same site. What is wrong with this picture? Who in their right mind would, in such a sensitive area, even consider their permit, let alone okay it?

by Dick Schilling, "Editor Emeritus"

... that I have been preaching that as one ages, habit is a good thing. For example, taking prescription drugs at the same time every day. In my case, that also means doing a load of laundry every Sunday, something started when that was usually my only entire day off from work.

And since Monday is the day for trash collection in my section of the city, I have made a habit of setting out the containers every Sunday afternoon.

Along about sundown Sunday, it dawned on me that Monday was the Memorial Day holiday, so the trash collectors would not be coming. But I was not going to go back out and collect the stuff, so it stayed out. And the neighbors probably concluded that the old boy has finally lost it!

by Dick Schilling, "Editor Emeritus"

... that the late Ogden Nash, one of my favorite authors, wrote something which I often recall when 1 try to remember something from last month, last year, last century, whatever. The wording probably isn’t exact, but it goes something like: How confusing is memory’s lamp. One day a bachelor, and the next a gramp.

When the first recent warm day appeared, I opened my front porch jokingly called a three seasons porch, but really barely a two seasons porch most years. That’s one of the reasons it serves mostly as a book storage area these days. As I did so, I seemed to think it was a bit late this year, but a check of my food (and selected other things) diary showed it wasn’t until the Memorial Day weekend last year.

To the Editor:

May was Mental Health Awareness month. It is a little known or talked about fact that most hospitalizations for mental health concerns and suicides do not occur during the holidays, but during the spring months. There are all sorts of theories as to why that is. One of the most widely accepted is that individuals who are depressed get just enough energy with the change to spring weather they either choose to slug through deeper puddles of isolation and despair, or attempt to complete suicide.

I have my own theory. It’s all about hats. A person can either hide under or make a statement with a hat. For cripes sake, the Kentucky Derby TV coverage was more about the hats than horses!

Hats may become a ritual or necessity. All winter long, it’s about grabbing a hat before braving the cold cruel world. Spring rains typically require some sort of headgear or umbrella. Remember those plastic rain bonnets and babushkas?

by Rev. Lynn Groe

Lighten Up Already!

Matthew 11:28  - Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest..

These days, it seems that all of us are much too serious! People are frustrated and uptight about virtually everything – from being five minutes late, to having someone else show up five minutes late. From being stuck in traffic to seeing someone look at us wrong or say the wrong thing; from paying bills, waiting in line, overcooking a meal, or even making an honest mistake – you name it, we all lose perspective over the simplest and silliest of things in our life. Did you ever stop to think that a hundred years from now, even one year from now, perhaps even next week – no one will even care!