Viewpoints

To the Editor:

To the parched audience at Waukon High School auditorium so long denied group gatherings, West Side Story was a cool drink of water in a July hayfield. Just to be back in the seats, hear the rustle of programs and the nervous murmur of moms and dads was a draught, soothing the soul of our community.

Set in the mean streets of New York, this retelling of Romeo and Juliet has the most gripping and lyrical music of any musical put on stage. To attempt to tell this story in Waukon took courage, vision and dedication from Waukon High staff/volunteer crew of Sarah Bieber, Louise Wild, Adam Hooten, JoAnn Sherman, Sarah Hagen and Katie O’Regan.

To the Editor:

For three days, Dr. Chuck Harding from Mission to America was guest speaker at Bible Baptist Church, Prairie du Chien, WI. Dr. Harding spends time in Washington directly involved with what is going on.

Dr. Harding talks about how sometimes the way to move forward is by first looking back. He has a website where you can learn more about him as well as obtain facts about the history of our country. That website is missiontoamerica.us.

May all Americans take some time to look back and refresh their memory of the sacrifices made for America to be a free country that is governed by the people and for the people.

Plus, I see that the House has passed Washington DC to become a state. Washington DC is a city. We are opening a can of worms. If one city can declare themselves as a state, what will stop other cities from doing the same.

To the Editor:

In his April 7 letter to the editor, the author Jeff Johnson states that “To become a true Socialist/Communist country you need to get rid of the middle class and individualism.” He implies that the Democratic Party wants the U.S. to practice Socialism/Communism and thus would get rid of the middle class and individualism.  This is not correct.

Socialism and Communism are different economic or political theories. There are some similarities, but there are major differences.  And to make it more complicated, there is Social Democracy, which is different from Socialism and Communism.

To the Editor:

Mr. Johnson in his letter to the editor (The Standard, April 7, 2021) asked who cares if President Trump made thousands of lies and misleading statements when he was President since he is no longer in office. We should all care.

Trump’s lies demeaned his office, led to public distrust in government, and continue to influence his followers today. A recent poll found that 67 percent of Republicans still view the 2020 election as invalid.

To the Editor:

Mr. Trump has been fact checked for 30,573 misleading statements. In his April 7 letter to the editor, Jeff Johnson wants to know, “who cares?”.

I do. It’s hard to believe anything Mr. Johnson writes when it doesn’t seem he respects the truth by asking that question. He seems to just want to repeat the same lies.

Hate? January 6 the United States Capitol building was stormed during a riot and violent attack. Guns, knives, pipe bombs, bear spray and more were used against the Capitol police. Five people dead. Trump flags flying and his supporters destroying property.

I appreciate Mr. Hill, Mrs. Klees, Mrs. Pratte and Ms. Hart for fact checking their statements. The truth goes a long way when it doesn’t fall on deaf ears.

I appreciate President Biden saving our natural resources from the companies that choose to profit from destroying them. I appreciate my fellow Democrats for using your right to vote to choose honesty and decency.

To the Editor:

It was inspiring to read in last week’s paper (The Standard, April 14, 2021) about how Iron Ridge Church was playing such an active part in the distribution of donated food. I would like to take this opportunity to call to mind several other ways that Iron Ridge has served this community in recent years.

The church had purchased the Main Feature Theater to be used not only for their church services, but also for the continued showing of movies. And then at Christmas time, after the parade, the church would open the doors of the theater for a free Christmas celebration with tons of sweets and treats, and Christmas songs delivered by their worship band. What a joyous place to be. I remember things like that. The people of Waukon remember things like that.

To the Editor:

Across our community, there are parents and caregivers who may be struggling with balancing the stress of daily life alongside caring for a child. Whether it is working multiple jobs trying to put food on the table, grappling with a substance use disorder, wondering where the next month’s rent will be coming from or dealing with anxiety related to the COVID-19 crisis, balancing these pressures with parenting and running a household can at times be very difficult.

Sadly, stress in its many forms can be a contributing factor to child abuse and neglect. At Northeast Iowa CASA, we see this time and time again with the children and families we serve who are involved in the foster care system. Stress is a natural byproduct of parenthood, but when those stresses are combined with anxieties over things like financials, health, employment or relationships, it can become too much for one person to handle.

To the Editor:

Hate is a pretty strong word. It’s been used a lot lately. Maybe we should tone it down a little. I would like to rebut a few items from Mr. Johnson’s letter.

A total of 30,573 false or misleading statements from President Trump during his four-year tenure. Mr. Johnson says, “Who cares?” Wow, we should all care. Truth is the foundation of democracy. We citizens should expect the truth from our country’s highest official. Much of what we are living with now, the fracturing of our society, the anger and mistrust, has been brought on by those lies, spoken or tweeted. Once stated, never corrected and, sadly, believed.

And they continue, the name calling and accusations. Biden is a liberal. Well, look it up. Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary says, “one who is open minded or not strict in the observance of orthodox, traditional or established forms or ways, an advocate or adherent of liberalism especially in individual rights.”

To the Editor:

I encourage all our neighbors in northeast Iowa to support the Solar Energy Tax Credit bill currently going through the Iowa Legislature (HF 221).

After years of researching renewable energy and trying small projects on our farm and in our home, we decided to grow our effort to “farm” the sun by adding a solar energy project. The Solar Energy Tax Credit at the time made the price tag look a little more manageable.

This tax credit, however, needs to be expanded now so farmers and others will be encouraged to add solar without having to be on a years-long waiting list to get the credit. The current law was tied to an expiring federal credit and the amount allocated for each year did not meet the demand. HF 221 fixes these issues.

This guy, Jim Rossi of Lansing, is one of few remaining U.S. Army Veterans from World War II, and he helped a lot of people. He was just 18 when is Army Tank Battalion came upon a horrific place called Buchenwald. It was created in 1937 near Weimar, Germany and many of its first internees were Communists. Yes, Jim remembers the place.

He’s going on 95 and is grateful for the health he has. I always remember Jim as my first Scoutmaster. He has a lot of talent in the kitchen. He is a good guy, and you know what, the country needs more like him. Thank you, Jim!

John Dunlevy