Viewpoints

To the Editor:

Thank you, Mr. President.

On behalf of corn, wheat and soybean farmers across America, I thank you for this 12 billion dollar, one-time bailout.

Your tariffs on soybeans and pork have caused financial loss to soybeans, wheat and corn amounting to 13 billion dollars in June, 2018 alone.* That is one billion dollars more than the “bailout”. And that is only June.

According to University of Illinois and Ohio State University research, China’s 25% tariff on soybeans could cost Illinois midsize farms 87% of their income, and a $500,000.00 loss in net worth, per operation.* That’s per farm family.

Kalena Bruce, a fifth generation Missouri rancher, states that hogs are down 20% and lean hog futures by 14%.

by Dick Schilling, "Editor Emeritus"

... that as this is being written, forecasters were saying northeast Iowa could have a high temperature in the low 70s later this week, the last full week of July.

We were due for some relief from the heat, and can probably expect a return to heat and humidity sometime in August.

The thought of atmospheric conditions was perhaps partly prompted by the news of those widespread fires in Yosemite National Park.

I have not heard how that fire started, but it brought back memories.

The Ark Encounter and the Door

As I am returning home from a trip to visit Noah’s Ark and the Creation Museum in northwestern Kentucky, I’m pondering the fact that I’ll probably never be quite the same. It’s like going to Israel and seeing and experiencing the land where Jesus walked and the places you read about in the Bible. It makes the Bible, even though you believe in it, come to life in a new way.

To the Editor:

I am responding to Mr. Engle’s letter (July 18) criticizing my earlier letter (July 5). I am afraid Mr. Engle has fallen down the rabbit hole into the post truth world of Donald Trump where shutting your eyes tight, putting your fingers into your ears, and yelling as loud as you can “It is not true” will make any unpleasant elements of reality disappear. Sadly, the real world does not operate that way.

The authors of the book How Democracies Die are respected scholars and diligent researchers who carefully documented all the points they make in their book. In my brief letter I did not have space to cite all the supporting evidence for their arguments, which is substantial.  All the statements I made in my letter are correct.

by Dick Schilling, "Editor Emeritus"

... that the reception, or really rejection, that President Trump experiences in appearances in foreign countries pretty much matches what his casual appearances here in cities in the United States evoke.

Apparently it is just as easy in large foreign cities as in America to call to arms protesters of various stripes to turn out to heckle the president.

Governments, and the people who elect people to run governments, from international to national to state and local, have a lot in common.

As someone who was news editor for Waukon newspapers for 36 years, 1962 to 1998, I can think of several instances locally when boards hired administrators or other professionals to do pretty much what President Trump was elected to do, that is, shake things up, and hang the personal consequences.

To the Editor:

This is in response to several previous letters.

Yes, Donald Trump won the general election electoral vote; no, he didn’t win the popular vote. Whether Donald Trump or someone on his campaign “colluded” with a foreign government is the reason for the Mueller investigation.

As of July 13, 2018 there are 25 known indictments by a Grand Jury involving Russian meddling in our election and that should make every American upset, no matter what your party is. Our election process is the very foundation of our country and we need to find out if that process has been compromised.

Until Trump’s trip to NATO and England, I thought he was just in over his head. But, after the NATO conference, he proved he is in over his head and has an ego problem that has set back the trust our allies have that the United States can be relied on in the time of crisis; especially under Article 5 of the NATO Treaty.

by Dick Schilling, "Editor Emeritus"

... that government at all levels suffers from a lack of respect these days.

The comments I am about to make might come under the heading of “fake news” because I have not followed the story closely, since I had no personal interest.

When I saw the large tent set up along 11th Ave. S.W. with its huge ape-like inflated guardian, advertising the sale of fireworks, I wondered what effect sales might have on peace and quiet in the neighborhood. With the Fourth of July weekend past, I think I can say it had little effect, and in fact might have reflected the acts of government.

It is my understanding that the state government passed a law which makes it legal to buy and sell fireworks in Iowa, but also allows cities and counties to ban their use. And lots of cities did. Which begs the question, why buy them if you can’t legally use them?

by Hugh E. Conway

Easter Vigil

One of the most important celebrations of the liturgical year for all Christian churches including Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, and Greek and Roman Orthodox is the official celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus during the Easter Vigil, also known as the Great Vigil of Easter or Paschal Virgil. The Easter Vigil coincides with the beginning of spring, a time of lengthening days, extended sunshine, and warmth when the earth is getting ready for new growth. At Wexford, as well as churches across the world, the celebration is held in the hours of darkness between sunset on Holy Saturday and sunrise on Easter Sunday. In most churches the normal time is late on Holy Saturday evening up to midnight. The Easter Vigil service consists of four parts with the first part being the Service of Light.

To the Editor:

I see God’s name has been used in a letter to the editor of The Standard by someone who thinks he can sway people using God as a crutch, as many in his party do. How can someone be a God-fearing person, if he really is that, and vote for a sexual predator and a liar - noted in his words and video? He can pretend to be a Christian, as many others do in his political party to get what they desire. Remember the old song, “The Great Pretender”? It fits him perfectly.

Pat Ward
Waterville

To the Editor:

The pseudo-intellectual diatribe by the author of the letter in the July 4, 2018 edition of The Standard underscores precisely what the author claims. It is noted that two unwritten rules in the political arena have been particularly important: “mutual tolerance - the understanding that competing political parties accept one another as legitimate rivals, and forbearance - the belief that politicians should exercise restraint in deploying their constitutional prerogatives.” The entire letter is exactly the opposite of both.

There is a lengthy discussion of how other democracies have failed in the 20th century, based on a study by two Harvard University professors suggesting that just because the leaders of those democracies were outside the political mainstream the democracies failed. There is no proof offered that this was actually the case. I actually lived in Venezuela and Peru and saw no evidence of what he claims. Democracy did not fail in Peru.