Viewpoints

One of the best ways to measure a society is by how the members of that society treat those who are on the fringes of society. I was recently invited to consider the question, “Is your church community HAVING needs? Or is your church community MEETING needs?”

I suppose the short answer is “yes” to both questions. And when I consider the wider community of Waukon and the surrounding area, there are several examples of people meeting needs.  Our parish community has the St. Patrick Thrift Store.  Not only are people able to get good quality used clothing, but there is a network of volunteers who do a lot for people who are in need. For the past several years, Marilyn Clark, the store’s director, and many of our parishioners have reached out.

To the Editor:

Just yesterday, I had a Waukon RAGBRAI Housing Request Form come across my desk and as I looked it over I was so intrigued. Jack and his wife, Lucille, will be riding this year’s RAGBRAI ride and it will be their 25th year of riding. They are not part of a biking group but ride alone.

This is not a unique request, except for the fact that Lucille is 90 and Jack is 89! Now, that had my attention and I was and am compelled to help them out. What a good chance for anyone to have the opportunity to visit with these fine people and to learn from them. Think of the stories they can tell.

Our RAGBRAI Housing Committee needs to find host homes to house special people just like Jack and Lucille.  We are asking our residents to show their hospitality by opening up a bed(s), floor space or backyard.

by Dick Schilling, "Editor Emeritus"

... that the single cell cartoon called “Pluggers” in the daily paper is a favorite of mine because I can relate to the same things the elderly man in the cartoon favors.

Some examples:

There was a list in USA Today of 25 television series shows, asking which viewers wanted to keep on the air. I saw one of them once. Otherwise, none at all.

This clergy column is called “Word for Word” but what if no words come? What if it seems God is silent? Does it mean abandonment?! I don’t believe so – I don’t believe we are ever alone - whether one believes in God or not, God is still with you!

There are numerous references to the fact (in the Hebrew Scriptures AND New Testament) that God does not abandon nor orphan us as His children. As I write this, Mothers’ Day is just days away and Father’s Day is a month away – many of us say we would be ‘lost’ without having had our moms and dads! So thinking about being orphaned/abandoned is perhaps the ‘word’ I should explore with you.

To the Editor:

As a Waukon High grad, I occasionally read the online paper. Since our grandchildren go to elementary school in Berkeley, I was surprised to see Dick Schilling’s editorial knocking protestors there. It is true that Berkeley attracts far right and far left protesters who come hoping for a fight and the media coverage that goes with it. But that is a burden the city and its residents bear and have to pay for out of local and county revenue. Both sides exploit Berkeley because of its history of demonstrating for free speech in the 1960’s. It is not fair to blame Berkeley for radicals on both sides who travel sometimes great distances to stir up trouble. Those who live there wish they would find peaceful ways to make their views known closer to their own homes.

by Dick Schilling, "Editor Emeritus"

... that I checked in the mirror as I shaved this morning to see if mere were any signs of gills developing, thinking they might be necessary soon if it doesn’t stop raining!

Bad weather apparently held down the crowds at those climate change rallies scheduled for the weekend, which seems kinda ironic, weather affecting climate change protests.

One protest which did not develop involved that bastion of liberal thought, the University of California at Berkeley. The university once again cancelled a speaking appearance by a conservative, implying that free speech advocating ideas with which the university does not agree could prove an incentive for riots.

To the Editor:

I would like to thank Sue Fry Vonderohe of New Albin for the insightful letter to the editor April 26, 2017. The letter was spot on in every aspect.

I began my education in a similar manner and highly value everything that was taught in the one-room school, especially the love for country, the flag and the Constitution. I hope and pray that all our local schools are trying to instill those values.

I especially noted her comment on the Gettysburg Address and remember that for many years of my life it was recited during Memorial Day celebrations. I think it is a pity that it is now ignored.

To the Editor:

Great things happen when people join together for good.  Whether volunteering to help children succeed, driving community improvement, or helping our neighbors, Iowans share the will to see our communities thrive.

Four years ago, the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque imagined the potential for a concentrated single day of giving called Great Give Day. This 24-hour, online-only giving event offered an opportunity for community members of all financial means to come together to support and celebrate our local nonprofits. Over the last three years, in a combined span of just three days, community members from Waukon to Maquoketa have raised nearly $900,000 for more than 100 Northeast Iowa nonprofits. These incredible people have come together to make a whopping 6,392 gifts to local nonprofits: an average of $129 per person.

by Dick Schilling, "Editor Emeritus"

... that May Day has come and gone for you as you read this. Given the many situations around the world, that international cry for help may have meaning. It is an American interpretation of the French phrase for “help me,” m’aider.

May is graduation time for high school students, and The Des Moines Register has named its all-state academic team. There are ten members of the “first” team, and 20 honorable mentions, if you will.

As I looked at photos and names, I was struck by the fact that half of the top ten appeared to have national backgrounds other than the United States. Four appeared Asian and one Indian. The nation, not early American.
Four of the next 20, likewise.

A couple ethnic groups more populous in Iowa are conspicuous by their absence.

To the Editor:

Happy spring fellow human earthlings!
 
I write these words on Earth Day, 2017. If you have been following the seven years of our exposing the damage caused at our beloved Effigy Mounds National Monument by federal employees you may care to know that we have recently received our last long awaited redacted (FOIA) Freedom of Information Act Request.

People lived here in the Driftless Area for thousands of years before our European ancestors arrived. These cultures had a very nature based society and revered their home to the extent they built earthworks, earth art many in the shape of other creatures.

Historically there were white folks who came on the scene who appreciated these mounds uniqueness and importance to the human story. The likes of locals Ellison Orr and others formed a group and petitioned congress for protection beginning around 1905. Effigy Mounds National Monument would finally be created in 1949.