Letters to the Editor: A question for my neighbors

I love my country. That is why I am concerned.

I was born and raised in Iowa. I know the values of our communities — hard work, faith, family, service and personal responsibility. Those values helped shape me. Yet today, even among people who share the same roots and values, division can appear in surprising ways. A longtime friend once told me, “My wife doesn’t like you.” I replied, “I’ve never met your wife.” His answer stayed with me: “But she knows you lived in China.”

Living and working internationally did not make me appreciate America less. It made me appreciate America more. Seeing other systems and governments gave me a deeper understanding of how rare the American experiment truly is. Freedom, independent institutions and government accountable to citizens are not guaranteed. They survive only when citizens protect them.

The question is simple: What standards should Americans demand from those entrusted with power?

The founders created checks and balances because they understood human nature. No individual, family or movement was intended to become bigger than the republic itself. Public office is a public trust.

When Reuters reported an estimate that a president’s family gained approximately $2.3 billion through private ventures during a period of extraordinary political influence, citizens should ask: Where is the line between public service and private benefit?

When loyalty to a person appears to become more important than independent judgment, citizens should ask whether that reflects the system our founders intended.

When decisions are made — military, economic or political — citizens should ask who benefits, who bears the cost and whether those decisions serve the nation or narrower interests.

Here in Iowa, farmers understand consequences. Decisions made far away can quickly reach the family farm. Input costs, commodity prices, interest rates, energy costs and trade relationships affect real lives.

My son serves as an officer in the United States Navy. Like every military family, I understand that decisions made by leaders are more than political arguments. They affect people. That is why leadership matters.

America’s strength has never rested only on wealth or military power. It has rested on trust — trust in our institutions, our principles, and the belief that no person stands above the country.

The coming election should not destroy friendships or families. It should create serious conversations. Are we applying the same standards to our own side that we demand from others? Are we placing country above personality?

These questions are not attacks. They are responsibilities of citizenship.

America’s future requires more than confidence and power. It requires wisdom, character, humility and a compelling vision worthy of the nation we inherited.

History will not remember only what leaders promised. It will remember what citizens were willing to accept.

James Anderson, Pocahontas

Congress must reject budget for Dept. of War

The proposed $1,500,000,000,000 Department of War budget for Fiscal Year 2027 is not just excessive — it’s a moral and economic abomination. At a time when families in America struggle with housing costs, medical bills and climate-related disasters, pouring unprecedented sums into military spending diverts resource urgent needs of our communities.

Senator Ed Markey’s proposal to cap the Department of War  budget at $750,000,000,000  is a sensible and responsible alternative, especially since the Department of War has never had a successful audit. Who knows where this money is going and for what?

This level of funding would still leave the United States’ unmatched defense capabilities while freeing up hundreds of billions for investments in education, healthcare, clean energy and infrastructure — areas that strengthen our nation from the ground up. We must remember that true security is not measured solely by the size of our arsenal, but by the well-being of our people.

Congress should reject the $1,500,000,000,000 request and embrace a budget that reflects our values and priorities.

John Jadryev, Iowa City

‘The Kicker’

In 1870, American humorist Josh Billings (1818-1885) wrote a poem called the “The Kicker.”

I hate to be a kicker

I always long for peace

But the wheel that does the squeaking 

Is the one that gets the grease.

They still had wagon wheels back then didn’t they? It’s in us from the start. Who gets more attention, a crying baby or a quiet one? 

Remember taxation without representation. This country actually started with a protest, the Boston Tea Party. I believe this, people get only what they accept. Our very smart forefathers wouldn’t accept an autocratic king making money off them with nothing in return. Why are we letting this mess happen now?

We act like sightless lemmings being led off a cliff. Conman Bernie Madoff’s ponzi scheme involved $65 billion over two decades. He “made off” with $18 billion in the largest fraud in history. 

Finance investigator Harry Markopolos tried to warn the SEC with 14 years of Madoff’s revenue reports and they ignored him just like you will when I tell you crypto will be worse.

Well I hate to be a kicker, and I always long for peace, but my shouting for freedom and fairness that will never cease.

You must vote Blue in November.  

Dave Haynes, Duncombe 

P.S. “True freedom is the right to say something that others don’t want to hear.” — George Orwell

Who are the people in our neighborhood, part 10

In this 10th article it is my hope that by sharing these stories, we can all get to know our community a little better. I feel thankful to have met so many amazing people in the Storm Lake area who are working hard to build better lives. They are truly remarkable, and I believe their stories deserve to be shared. So, here is the tenth:

We often think we know our neighbors. But how well do we really understand the journeys that brought them here? Some stories are full of joy. Others are marked by loss and challenge. All of them can help us see each other with more understanding. It’s easy to believe the struggles we see on TV, or hear about in the news, only happen far away. But many of those same struggles affect people right here in our community.

The details in this story are changed to protect privacy, but the person is real. They might be standing next to you at the store or waiting in line for coffee. My purpose in sharing these stories is to help us connect with, and feel connected to, the people around us. After all, I believe that when we know each other’s stories, it is harder to hate or harm one another.

The tenth community member’s story began in another country, where she was born and raised. In her home country, if she wanted to move permanently to another province, she would have needed to get government approval and documentation. As a result, she stayed in her province and grew up near the ocean. The ocean is the one thing she misses most about her home country. The lake is very nice, but it is not the same.

Her decision to move to the United States came about one day when she woke up and realized she no longer knew how she was going to feed her family. This was too much than she could bear, so she called husband, who had already moved to the United States, and told him it was time for her to join him.

Today, nearly all of her immediate family is here, except her mother who also struggles to find food back in her home country. To help, she does her best to purchase food for her mother on the black market. It is a daily task — one she has unfortunately accustomed to.

She has a daughter who will be in the second grade this fall, is soon to be a big sister, and loves participating in community activities (especially, KidsFest). Recently, she took her daughter to Arnolds Park for a day to enjoy the fun activities there. One thing she has noticed is that her daughter is that she is always asking for “American” food for lunch rather than food from her home country. This saddens her because she worries her daughter is losing her connection to her culture. At the same time, she finds it interesting because she has had to learn what “American” school lunch foods are. One difference she has noticed in her own eating habits from her home country, is that she puts salt on any green fruit. She did not realize this was unusual until one day in her high school class when she was asked about it.

Like many people, growing up she aspired of being a teacher. In fact, she earned a degree to teach Spanish and worked as a Spanish teacher for a time in her home country. Unfortunately, her qualifications do not transfer fully to allow her to be a Spanish teacher in the United States. Instead, she is pursuing her high school diploma, which allows her to improve her English skills.

She also has two jobs. One is to work in the nursery at a Storm Lake church, and the other is as a notary. She had been working at a local restaurant, but it recently closed. For now, she has chosen not to look for another job because she is expecting a baby in October. Two weeks ago, she found out she is having a baby boy and is over the moon with excitement.

She is our neighbor.

Sarah E. Schoper, Storm Lake

The only time Hinson cared about low income Iowans

Representative Ashley Hinson is running for the U.S. Senate seat in Iowa. She recently introduced a bill which would repeal the $200 tax on the transfer of firearms including short-barreled shotguns and silencers. The “Repealing Illegal Freedom and Liberty Excises” Act is known as the RIFLE Act. Congresswoman Hinson works hard to maintain her “A” rating from the NRA.

There is very little we do not tax in the U.S. We tax the transfer and sale of vehicles, tobacco products and alcohol. Hinson states she is concerned the tax on guns would disproportionately affect low income individuals. Really? Then this is the only instance when she is concerned about the well-being of low income persons.

She thinks nothing of voting to eliminate ACA, Medicaid and SNAP benefits for low income persons. I think her constituents would prefer to see the doctor when sick and food on the table rather than a short-barreled shotgun and silencer.

The tax on the sale of firearms helps fund the ATF, which regulates and enforces firearms laws. In Iowa the rate of gun deaths has increased 55% from 2015 to 2024 compared to an 18% increase nationwide. It is not a coincidence that the 55% increase occurred at the same time Iowa Republicans in the state legislature eliminated virtually all gun safety and protection laws in our state.

We do not want to send Ashley Hinson to the U.S. Senate where she will vote in support of the NRA and the continued proliferation of guns in our country.

Marcia Swift, Cedar Rapids