Viewpoints

To the Editor:

Several years ago I wrote a paper titled “Angst and Apathy in Adolescence” based on a two-year study. Now I wonder about the angst and apathy in adults, only I don’t want to study it. I have had enough.

How many times can anyone stand to hear the phrases “at the end of the day,” “fake news” and “alternative facts?” Of course, there is also the other question of where the line is between adolescence and being an adult?

Not to sound like Anne Murray’s song “A Little Good News,” but wouldn’t it be wonderful not to wake up in the morning, or even in the middle of the night, feeling compelled to check the TV or internet to find out what’s been going on (or tweeted) while we have been trying to sleep?

by Dick Schilling, "Editor Emeritus"

... that I read with considerable interest the series of articles in The Des Moines Register about the education efforts regarding the ever-increasing number of foreign born students in Iowa schools.

My interest stems in part from the fact that Postville is essentially tied for third among all school districts in the state in numbers of such students. And partly because of a chance encounter with what was then a Japanese foreign exchange student in Waukon whom I interviewed many years ago for the newspaper. She was back visiting the hostess of her exchange, and has been back several times since her school days. She speaks essentially unaccented English these days.

I am certain English has to be among the more difficult languages to learn. Cattily I might observe that lots of citizens born here do not manage it well.

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.