Viewpoints

To the Editor:

June 15, 2022 is World Elder Abuse Day. Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging joins communities across the world 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 members of our communities 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:

Memorial Day celebrations honoring our fallen soldiers and our veterans have occurred throughout Iowa. I had hoped that their sacrifices and service would be valued by my U.S. Representative.  However, when it came time to vote on two important bills which  help veterans, our First District U.S. Representative voted no. What a gut-punch to veterans.

Fortunately, the EVEST Act is now law in spite of our U.S. Representative’s no vote, and soon, Honoring our PACT Act of 2022 will also become law.

To the Editor:

I am humbly grateful and deeply appreciative for the Quilt of Valor that I was given at the annual Memorial Day Ceremonies in Waukon. An early ancestor of mine fought in the American Revolution, two great-great-grandfathers fought in the Civil War, my great-grandfather served in the Army during the Spanish American War, and my grandfather (Dr. R. H. Wheat) was an Army dentist during World War II.

My dad (Daniel Regan) saw significant combat as a corpsman with the 9th Marines in the Pacific. I served in the Navy during Viet Nam.

My own service to our nation was insignificant and unworthy of note; however, I accept with gratitude this incredible quilt, so painstakingly created and sewn, not so much for my military service, but in memory of my family who has seen their duty to don the uniform of this nation in time of war and in time of peace.

Gratefully,
Stephen D. Regan, Ed.D.
 

To the Editor:

I hate to write but there are a few things that concern me.

I have lived in the city of Waukon for a long time and walked on sidewalks that were essentially flat. Now with the new sidewalks in many places - like Main Street, Allamakee Street near the stop light, between the Presbyterian Church parking lot and St Patrick’s Church, to name a few - by some feat of engineering the new sidewalks now slope to the curb.

This town gets a lot of snow and ice. Imagine the hazard when someone steps out of a vehicle onto the curb and ends up under the vehicle. I hope this town has lots of liability insurance when someone gets hurt and the out-of-town lawyer firm hears about it. I expect that the most egregious of these mistakes (yes, I said “mistakes”) to be corrected in a timely manner.

To the Editor:

I stopped today, on our county courthouse lawn, gazed up at the statue of a Union soldier, and read Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address engraved on the base. There was patriotism, the men from Iowa, fighting to preserve our young union of states. Iowa didn’t fly a Confederate Flag. Her men sought to preserve the union, not divide it.

As Lincoln saw it, the survivors of the terrible battles of the Civil War have an obligation to honor the deaths of so many and to protect and preserve this new birth of freedom with government of, by, and for the people. Can we not follow the ideals of our great grandfathers, and fight to preserve democracy and  these United States? Our veterans have, in two world wars, two “police actions” (Korea and Vietnam), Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan. For their acts of courage, we honor them.

To the Editor:

In her letter to the editor in the May 18 edition of The Standard, Lisa Welsh proposed packing the Supreme Court in order to get the outcome she wants.  Ms. Welsh is upset over the leak by someone within the Supreme Court that Roe v. Wade is about to be overturned. So her response is to change the rules because she does not like the outcome.

This is exactly the type of response one expects from people who think like Ms. Welsh. They refuse to look at the real issues at stake and focus only on their own personal beliefs. Their issue seems to be that more federal control over all aspects of our individual lives is OK.

If memory serves me correctly, President Franklin Roosevelt attempted to pack the court and was rebuffed.  The current administration is trying the same end run and the effort will again be defeated.

To the Editor:

Back in the year 2020 our country was running like a fine-tuned Cadillac. Gasoline was very reasonable, food prices the same, borders were somewhat secure - and bam, things changed. We became dependent on our enemies for our fuel, terrorists and undesirable people walked freely into our country and our present government treats them better than our own people.

Now, a survey shows that 67% of Biden supporters would not vote for him again. I guess that leaves 33% that would support him. I wonder what kind of people they are, hired brains or non-thinkers. Putin’s respect has fallen in Russia, but he is still admired by many. Both Russia and the USA are in shambles now.

Both Putin and Biden seem to have no common sense, and the misery they create will continue until both men are voted out of office. Be sure to vote in every election.

Kindest Regards and God Bless,
Osmund (Ozzie) Quandahl
Waukon

To the Editor:

This is a scary moment. According to a leaked draft opinion, the Supreme Court is preparing to dismantle abortion rights across America. As a result, twenty-six states could outlaw abortion, including 13 that have passed “trigger” laws to take effect immediately after the Court overturns Roe v. Wade.

This news should set off alarm bells for all Americans. Our fundamental freedoms are coming under attack by a hyper-partisan supermajority on the Court. And this could just be the beginning. But there’s a way to fight back, which is why I’m urging Congress to pass the Judiciary Act of 2021.

To the Editor:

Our country is facing an overwhelming growth in drug and alcohol addiction. While statistics show that more than 23 million people in the U.S are living with addiction, less than 10% of people with addiction seek and receive help with the condition. This means that over 20 million people who need treatment for addiction aren’t getting it.

The important thing to remember is when people are in active addiction, their addiction will create any possible means to  avoid getting help. Their disease justifies, rationalizes and creates false scenarios to escape the reality. The addicted mind will do anything to distract from the issues at hand. In reality, they are either in denial, experiencing shame, or they are afraid.

Denial is the biggest factor that allows addiction to thrive. Addiction creates a smoke screen that can make a person oblivious to the source of their problems.

To the Editor:

Diabetes affects about 37 million Americans, and an estimated seven million use insulin to control their blood sugar. However, a recent study found that over 25% of diabetic patients have had to skip this necessary medication due to the unduly high costs the pharmaceutical companies have charged - in some cases as much as $1,000 a month.

Led by its current majority party, the U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a bill that would cap the monthly cost of insulin at $35 for insured patients. Guess who voted against the measure - all three Representatives from the state of Iowa not of that majority party. Which party truly cares about the healthcare of everyday Iowans?

Thomas Hill
Lansing