Viewpoints

Recently I took a friend to a hobby expo.  He’s a great guy, but as the years have passed, dementia has slowly stolen away the friend I once knew.

He shares the stories of the past, a walk down memory lane, the same lane over and over again.  Sometimes I’m tempted to be bothered by the repetition, but then I am reminded that the Bible says, “Love is patient.” (I Cor.13:4)

We used to have great conversations; he has so many experiences and travels to draw from. Now a comment can derail his mental train and he starts up a new story. It’s tempting to feel annoyed, but then I am reminded that the Bible says, “Love is kind.”  (I Cor. 13:4)

My friend used to ask about my life. His understanding and advice were always helpful to me. But the slow twilight of dementia has taken that away. Sometimes I find myself wishing that we could talk about me (does that sound selfish?).  Then the Bible reminds me, “Love seeks not its own.”  (I Cor. 13:5)

To the Editor:

School finance is confusing. As a teacher and school administrator for 36 years, I didn’t fully understand the process until I took classes for my superintendent’s endorsement.

I understand why ordinary tax payers have bought into Governor Reynolds’ argument that parents get to direct their roughly $7500 per student to whichever school they choose, including private schools.

However, the Governor is misleading by attaching that $7500 to the idea of a single child or taxpayer because their tax contribution is not based on the number of children that tax payer has. I have no children, so can I opt out of that portion of my property taxes? If someone has four children do they pay $7500 x 4? No, that is not how taxes work.

To the Editor:

Casting your vote for the person who will  represent you is fundamental to having your voice heard. Voters in Allamakee and Clayton Counties elected Anne Osmundson to represent them in the Iowa State House of Representatives. But, she did not vote on our behalf when it came to school vouchers.

Iowans have always taken pride in our public schools and want them supported. This overwhelming support was evident at the large number of individuals and groups who spoke out against private school vouchers at the State Capitol and at town halls.

To the Editor:

The Iowa legislature passed the Senate File 94 that will provide $7600 per year as an “educational savings account” (ESA) for students attending private elementary or secondary schools. This bill did not have to pass the House Education Committee, go through the Appropriations Committee, nor were any amendments allowed, thus restricting debate over budgets and additions.

To the Editor:

I am writing to express appreciation to Allamakee County​​​-area residents for sharing the true meaning of Christmas with children in need this past holiday season. Generosity throughout contributed to a successful shoebox gift collection season at drop-off locations for the Samaritan’s Purse project Operation Christmas Child.

Across the U.S., the project collected over 9.3 million shoebox gifts in 2022. Combined with those collected from partnering countries in 2022, the ministry is now sending nearly 10.6 million shoebox gifts to children worldwide.

Through shoeboxes - packed with fun toys, school supplies, and hygiene items - Allamakee County​​-area volunteers brought joy to children in need around the world. Each gift-filled shoebox is a tangible expression of God’s love, and it is often the first gift these children have ever received.

Are you a member of a church?

Lots of people aren’t. A 2020 Gallup poll found that only 47% of U.S. adults belonged to a church. It’s not the norm anymore.

Nevertheless, many people find great value in belonging to a church. Let me share with you some of the important benefits.

Sense of community
Personal connections are vital to our health. High social relationships can lower rates of anxiety and depression, heighten self-esteem, and even increase longevity by 50%. Historically, churches have provided people with a sense of community, friendship and belonging. According to an article in Psychology Today, feeling that you belong is most important in seeing value in life and in coping with painful emotions. Research also shows that it improves your motivation, health and happiness. After the isolation caused by the pandemic, our need for community is greater than ever.

To the Editor:

Thousands of creative and imaginative minds helped our country grow and prosper. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if those brilliant minds could come up with a solution for substance abuse and addiction?

If so, what kind of changes would occur in a society without drug-related crime, people dying from overdose, and the resulting financial burdens? It may seem like a utopian dream that can’t come true, but let’s try to imagine what life in a drug-free society would look like.

The following are some of the most noticeable changes we could expect if substance abuse and addiction didn’t exist:

To the Editor:

The Democrat Party has been taken over by the devil. They are anti-American and openly anti-Christian, our national debt is a disgrace, and it happened with Democrat programs and some RINOs (Republicans in name only).

They built 105 Planned Parenthood buildings and they want to defund our police and military. The states that have Democrats for governors are riddled with crime and in debt big time. Also, cities with Democrat mayors, ditto to the above.

They won’t support English only in our schools, they ban anything Christian in our schools - the Bible and 10 Commandments. Christian teachers could not wear a cross. Clergy could not be active in politics or they would lose their tax exemption status. These facts should make you sick, and to think the Republican Party helped them. I can not express how badly we need to clean the swamp in the Republican Party to make it great again.

Every new year some people make “resolutions”. Maybe it is to change a behavior or habit, possibly to learn a new hobby, to exercise more. Too often we fail because we do not consider taking small steps toward personal change. This is true for our spiritual lives as well; we don’t think about how challenging it can be to create and sustain new, grace-filled habits.

To the Editor:

As we move into the New Year, I find myself giving thanks for living in Iowa and for having Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) and their entire staff serving us.

December 1 I suffered a serious accident while working in the woods with my son, Jonathon. We were working recovering firewood from a steep hillside on my farm and I was struck by a falling tree. The blow from the tree fractured my right femur and destroyed the artificial knee which had been implanted 21 years ago.

The Harpers Ferry Fire Department Rescue Squad brought me out of the woods and delivered me to VMH where they diagnosed the full extent of my injuries. Once the full extent of my injuries was known, the hospital staff began the search for anyplace to do the repairs required. It took all day to find a surgical team that does the type of work needed and that turned out to be University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City.