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“Words, words, words, I’m so sick of words!” Eliza Doolittle rebelled. Henry Higgins recreated her as a “lady.” What was her privilege? It was education. Eliza was taught to speak and act like a lady. George Bernard Shaw knew what worked.
I’m out of the loop, living in the past, somewhere before the Millennial Y2K clock struck. My grandkids use a vocabulary unknown to me and some of the words aren’t yet in the dictionary.
I haven’t kept up with acronyms. Three letter words to me are often like four letter words to others.
Seems like I missed out on “memes” and “woke” and all the tech apps, too. The word meme was invented in 1976, so when I say, “I live in the past,” my time must be 1975 or before. What a good time it was!
Today, so much is negative. There are culture wars, critical race theory, the 1619 Project (just read the Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858, that’s enough, you’ll get the picture) and white privilege. Somehow, I feel I missed that privilege. Dang, no inheritance, I was on my own, and like most of my friends growing up we had jobs and we weren’t hitting the books and then I think about Willie Brown. He was mayor of San Francisco, best dresser the city ever had, came out from Texas, and wrote his autobiography, “Brown on Brown.”
Born in Mineola, Texas, Brown graduated from San Francisco State University in 1955 and earned a J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 1958.
Willie left a segregated town and school in Texas and came to San Francisco in 1951, age 17. I came back in 1958 after graduating high school in Colorado. I bet Willie would laugh and tell you he had brown privilege: brown skin, smarts and a work ethic.
As I see it, what we both had was California privilege (that was before Ronald Reagan got a hold of the state and took some away). In the 1950s, we had a number of California privileges: union wage standards, cost of living was reasonable, a guy could support his family with one job, a single fellow could save, education was encouraged and tuition free. We had the Master Plan for Higher Education, no tuition (Reagan would take that away), semester books and fees could be paid for out of one week’s paycheck.
Things weren’t perfect, they still aren’t. Property covenants restricted races and even marriages in the 1950s, but we all had a shot at an education, academic and job skills. Eliza got educated, wasn’t easy, her blessing was Henry Higgins. Willie and I got educated. We had California privilege. Bring it back, make California privilege universal across the land. A college education and job skills are the best, most productive, return on investment a nation can make in its people.
Dick Davis, Danville, Calif.
My hope is 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 fifth:
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 that the struggles we see on TV or hear about in the news or on social media, only happen far away. But many of those same struggles affect people right here in our community.
Our fifth neighbor’s story begins in another country, where he worked as a resident physician in neurology. It was after the second wave of the pandemic that he made the decision to leave his home. At the time, he was working in a hospital treating patients with Covid, often without masks or other personal protective equipment. If he or his colleagues managed to obtain an N95 mask, they would wash and dry it each night so they could wear it again the next day. This led many healthcare workers to become sick and die from Covid.
At the same time, he saw that his government was reporting false information to citizens about how many people were dying, which deeply alarmed him. He heard false news claiming there were only a few deaths, while simultaneously watching the government use trucks to transport hundreds of dead bodies every day. It was all too much — the number of people he had to try to help each day and the number dying. Yet he knew that if he spoke out, the government would take his child and place him in an orphanage.
Remaining silent was already deeply disturbing; he could clearly see how corrupt his government was — claiming to be a democracy while functioning as a dictatorship under a communist system that presents itself as socialist to the world. It is a regime that did not care about its citizens and uses repression and violence to maintain power.
So, he and his wife made the choice to take their child and leave the only country they had ever known in hopes of freedom. They knew that the family they left behind would struggle to make a reasonable living and that they would not be there to help. They first traveled to Brazil, then through Mexico, and eventually arrived in Storm Lake, where his brother had been living for some time. Upon his arrival, he sought employment in the healthcare industry, but after receiving an offer, signed executive orders from the federal administration meant he could not take the position.
However, this bad news did not stop him. He and his wife decided to improve their English language skills by participating in the Conversation Club held at The Bridge. He also enrolled in the high school equivalency diploma program at Iowa Central where he enjoys helping his classmates and sharing stories from his home country.
For example, he shared how in his home country he would have to get permission to travel into another province, which is equivalent to what we call states, and that often the government denies such requests. In these moments, he stresses the importance of valuing individual rights, such as freedom of expression and freedom of the press, because he did not have those rights in his country. All of the citizens in his home country are always being monitored by the government to prevent any uprisings. He knows that all forms of government have both strengths and weaknesses, but he strongly believes that the government of the United States is better than that of his home country — especially because of its system of checks and balances. He can also see how social media is changing the education of American citizens, particularly because there are few rules governing its use in terms of age or truthfulness.
Eventually, his goal is to create a better life for himself and his family by returning to a career in the healthcare field — a field in which he is already fully educated and experienced. He dreams of a life in which he does not have to fear his child being taken away and where he is not forced to lie on behalf of his government to neighbors and family. Although he already holds a professional medical degree from his home country, he knows that a high school equivalency diploma will improve his English skills and help him learn more about the United States. He will continue learning about American culture and plans for his family to make Storm Lake their home.
He is our neighbor.
Sarah E. Schoper, Storm Lake
I keep hearing people shouting about the “radical left” without evidence. Let’s see who is radical.
The President trashes the Rule of Law and the Constitution. The President’s private military attacks our cities and states.
Detention and removal of people without due process and changing the rules of who is in the country legally. The pardoning of the Jan. 6 criminals, drug king, and pedophiles just to name a few. The idea that elections should be nationalized, taken over by the Republican Party but only in places where he cannot win.
His acceptance of bribes to enrich himself, to give special treatment to those who pay. Pretty radical.
The legislature on the right has taken away food and health care to give tax breaks to the top earners. Our representatives on the right are watching the trashing of our economy through tariffs, (farm and manufacturing economy) and trade policies (giving Argentina $40 billion to prop up their economy and importing beef). Not standing up against attacks on our allies and his extrajudicial bombing, without evidence, of boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. The invasion or threat of invasion of other countries, (Venezuela, Cuba, Columbia, Iceland). There is more. Pretty radical.
Meanwhile the left wants people to have food and health care as a right not a privilege. The left believes in respecting our neighbors no matter what their circumstances: religion, color, sexual orientation immigration status. Women should have the right to decide what to do with their body. The left believes that the rule of law does matter. The left believes in the Constitution.
The left wants the U.S. to thrive as a member of the world, not as a bully but as a friend and a partner making it a better place to live. Not very radical.
Cheri Shatto, Fostoria
For the following reasons I strongly support the passage of Senate File 2067. It is innovative and necessary if Iowa is to capitalize on the value of her natural resources and the creativity and innovation of her citizens.
This is longer than your normal mass mailed postcard showing a POV for a particular piece of legislation. Yet, I urge you to take the time to review it.
The flaw which has negatively affected the agricultural economy and rural America is 10 decades of status quo ag policy. These policies have consistently provided farmers with financial safety nets. The result has been a fear of, and dearth of creating new value-added market opportunities. A government subsidy check is viewed as the best risk management strategy.
In the case of 45Z, CI scoring and year-round E-15, producers, processors and entrepreneurs are aggressively working with outside industries to develop new sustainable markets based on innovative carbon capture and storage technologies.
When policies with properly defined lifespans are designed to enhance and enable new opportunities, we know what benefits can accrue to rural America. We have already identified the kind of economic and environmental gains possible by reviewing what occurred when similar opportunities were exploited in the first decade of the 21st century.
All of this occurred when policies like the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 were enacted. They provided the basis to build the new industry. These gains in energy and agricultural prices were driven by these policies which responded to changing market demands that in turn created new solutions.
Today we have a similar but different explosion in demand. It is the demand for low carbon sources of energy. Regardless of one’s view of carbon pollution, the global consensus is that we need to reduce the release of carbon into the atmosphere.
This opportunity is comparable to that of the gestation and growth of the ethanol industry. Ethanol addressed a need for a climate-smart and renewable fuel source.
The global demand for low carbon fuels is estimated in the tens of billion gallons. Low carbon fuel demand can and needs to be gestated by a strong commitment to 45Z, CCS, low CI scoring and the resulting monetization of these carbon sequestering tools and processes. This can and should be addressed in the same thoughtful and aggressive manner as was the development and build out of the ethanol industry.
Will tax credits and subsidies be required? Yes, but I quickly refer you to the elimination of production ethanol tax credits. The resulting D6 RIN value does not affect or cost the U.S. budget or taxpayer. Yes, those who buy them for pollution control purposes may pass some of the cost on to consumers. That occurs at every level of service impacting the consumer. (Have you ever checked your auto service invoice when you have an oil change? There is always an environmental disposal charge.)
In summary, the agriculturally based ethanol industry, driven by creative policies, solved energy supply problems using environmentally sustainable and cost-effective technologies.
Based on my direct involvement in the development of Renewable Fuel policies and the build out of the ethanol industry from 2001-2008, I believe the same transition away from government support will occur as CCS and low carbon fuels technologies mature. The global demand for low carbon products, along with new uses for sequestered high-quality carbon products, will simultaneously increase supplies, cheapen prices, and dramatically reduce, if not eliminate any form of government subsidy. Over the medium-term development costs to the U.S. taxpayer will be minimal.
What is the net taxpayer impact of a serious commitment to 45Z, Carbon Capture and Storage, and E-15? It will be no more costly, and likely much less, to the U.S. budget than is the scope of intangible drilling costs and depletion allowances allowed at the well-head. The various tax credits or expenses allowed per gallon of fossil fuels from processing to distribution may result in another $.10-$.40 per gallon of benefits to the producer, processors and distributors.
Finally, I would point out that in Iowa approximately 30-35,000 jobs are tied to the ethanol supply chain. These jobs have an average salary of $50-60,000. Approximately 4,000 of these jobs reflect direct employment at Iowa ethanol plants. These jobs have average salaries of $65-85,000. This is the equivalent of 300-350 jobs per Iowa county. Most counties in Iowa are rural.
Developing the CCS infrastructure has the potential to add $1.50-$3 gross value to every bushel of corn produced in the state. Obviously, this won’t all aggregate to the farm because it requires additional and highly sophisticated skill jobs that ultimately reside in every county of the state.
The possibility of extracting hydrogen from Iowa subsurface reserves, and processing it with captured carbon, portends the possibility of manufacturing a more abundant and cheaper urea fertilizer.
In conclusion, research into new sustainable and environmentally responsible uses for carbon is expanding exponentially. I support a strong, responsible, and quick commitment to finalizing Senate File 2067.
Thomas C. Dorr, Marcus farmer; former Consultant & Undersecretary, USDA Rural Development 2001-2008; former President/CEO, U.S. Grains Council 2009-2012.
In the current political climate, “nationalization” is often treated as an all-or-nothing proposition, but we are applying it to the wrong sectors of American life. We have our priorities backward: we should be keeping our elections local and our energy profits public.
The push to nationalize election oversight is a solution in search of a problem that would only create a single point of failure. Our current decentralized system — run by local officials and neighbors — is our greatest safeguard against mass hacking or systemic fraud. Local control ensures that voting reflects the needs of the community, not the dictates of a federal bureaucracy. Keeping elections local isn’t about partisan politics; it’s about security through distribution.
Conversely, the case for nationalizing the oil and gas industry is becoming an economic and environmental necessity. Currently, these companies rake in record-breaking profits while socializing their costs through environmental damage and taxpayer-funded subsidies. By bringing these resources under a public mandate, we could stabilize prices for families and direct revenues toward the renewable energy transition rather than private dividends.
Resources found in our soil should benefit the people who live on it, not just the executives who trade it. It is time to stop treating our democracy like a commodity and start treating our energy like a public utility.
Brad Trom, Blooming Prairie, Minn.
In April of 1945, the first concentration camp liberated by U.S. forces was located in Ohrdruf, Germany. One week later, Generals Dwight D Eisenhower, George Patton and Omar Bradley toured the grounds, witnessing the emaciated survivors of the forced labor camp, that was hastily abandoned by retreating Nazi guards.
After learning civilians from the nearby town of Gotha staffed the facility, General Eisenhower (elected U.S. President in 1953), ordered the entire population into the camp; not only to see the bodies stacked like cordwood, but to bury the dead.
Military photographers documented the horrors and journalists were encouraged to write the stories of prisoners who had seen and suffered inhumane treatment. Congressional delegations were invited to come so they could testify to the truth of what they saw. General Eisenhower knew people living outside of Germany would find it hard to believe the carnage without accompanying documentation.
Today we are experiencing a totally opposite response to the crisis our president and his sycophants created. Citizens on the streets of Minneapolis are bearing witness to the truth by taking videos in real time, showing the world they are under attack by government funded, masked and armed, terrorists! Contact your U.S. Senators and Representative in D.C. Tell them to BAN ICE and DHS by defunding both.
Thank you for your time.
Gail Weitz, Dubuque
As an Iowan born and raised, I have spent the last 20 years working in our state’s libraries and witnessing how they serve as the heartbeat of our towns. Every day, libraries help Iowans find jobs, start businesses, and teach their children to read. More than 70% of Iowans hold a library card because these institutions deliver real, practical value.
Iowa has built a world-class library system. We have more libraries per capita than any other state. House File 2270 threatens the common-sense Iowa values that made us a national leader in literacy, efficiency, and local control.
The danger of singling out libraries
If the state intends to prohibit public institutions from relying on standards and best practices developed outside of government, we must ask why libraries are being uniquely targeted.
These forms of external expertise and industry standards remain essential for high quality education, public safety, and emergency services. Stripping libraries of the same tools is inconsistent and unnecessary.
Honoring an Iowa-born legacy
In 1938, the Library Bill of Rights was drafted in Des Moines by library director Forrest Spaulding. It was created to ensure that Iowa libraries remained neutral, locally governed centers of community life. For nearly 90 years, Iowans have championed the idea that free societies read freely. This Iowa-born standard later became a national model.
Fiscal responsibility
Iowa’s libraries deliver a return of five to nine dollars for every public dollar invested. That efficiency exists because libraries rely on proven professional benchmarks rather than duplicating work at the local level.
Forcing the state or local governments to reinvent best practices that are already available at no cost to taxpayers is inefficient and wasteful. It runs counter to Iowa’s long-standing commitment to responsible stewardship of public funds.
Conclusion
At a time when literacy rates are declining nationwide, and 67% of Iowa’s fourth-graders are below proficient in reading, our state should be strengthening the institutions that 1.8 million residents rely on every year. We should not dismantle a system built in Des Moines that has served our communities for nearly a century.
I urge you to protect local control, fiscal responsibility, and Iowa’s legacy of literacy.
Please vote NO on HF 2270.
Sam Helmick, American Library Association, President; Iowa Library Association, Past President; Iowa Governor's Commission on Libraries, Chair
SLTP editors, writers & staff, “Nailed it” isn’t a phrase I like. (Violent imagery.)
But Art Cullen nailed it in “Who could not see…” Violence is not imagery (or imaginary) in Minneapolis or anywhere on this planet.
I’ve been thinking about the word immigrant and migrant. An immigrant is a person first. A migrant is a person first.
Cullen, in his editorial, recalls Donald Trump saying out loud, as he does, with an audience present: “I don’t know if you call them [immigrants] people. In some cases they’re not people, in my opinion, but I’m not allowed to say that….”
You said it though didn’t you, President Trump. (“Allowed” is used for effect. Look at me, doing and saying what I’m not allowed to do or say.)
“They’re not people” cuts this reader’s heart. A gut punch. Viscerally punching down.
I have lived a white girl’s life of privilege. Sheltered by books and dogs, 1960s and 70s rock and roll, an only child who was left alone to think, the effects of which led me to risky behavior; a 17-year-old, partying with college students; meeting and falling in love with a man from Nicaragua and a man from Poland. I married; divorced, twice, and raised a son and daughter as a single mom, relying on Medicaid, college loans and food stamps. I lost a best friend to drugs and then suicide. I re-entered (civilized?) society through college courses, a bachelor’s degree, later a master’s degree, learning more about social constructions, world strife, never ending, much of it sourced from power unchecked and corrupt.
Still, each of us is a person first. Always.
Gretchen Reeh-Robinson, Mount Vernon
What we have learned about the super wealthy, like all those many associated with the Jeffrey Epstein files, is that most lie like a rug.
Among those named in the files are Elon Musk, Lord Mandelson (UK ambassador to the U.S.), Prince Andrew, Richard Branson, Bill Clinton, Steven Tisch (New York Giants co-owner), Larry Summers (former Secretary of the Treasury), Bill Gates, Howard Lutnik (Trump’s Commerce Secretary), Sergey Brin (Google co-founder), and many others.
The worst of them are used to buying or sharing all kinds of illicit things, like young girls, and then covering it all up.
That is what billionaire Donald Trump did to win the 2016 election. He paid off a porn star to cover up his adultery and then told the public he never slept with her. He then lied about who really was trying to steal the 2020 election.
He continues to lie about why he is trying to rid the country of immigrants. It is not because they are criminals, but rather because he is a racist and brown-skinned folks are gaining in the population and may surpass whites before long.
Kimball Shinkoskey, Woods Cross, Utah
Most people aren’t aware animal agriculture is one of the leading causes of climate change. To help counteract this, forward-thinking politicians should support state and federal funding of cultivated-meat research. For readers who are unfamiliar, the new protein is grown from livestock cells, without killing. Scientists believe cultivated meat will eventually require a fraction of the greenhouse-gas emissions that slaughtered options do.
The basic science of making cultivated meat is already known. However, important technological hurdles remain, which are preventing the new protein from being mass produced at a competitive price. These can be overcome with significant public investment in further study. For the sake of the environment, let’s build facilities like the Tufts University Center for Cellular Agriculture at schools across the country.
Jon Hochschartner, Granby, Conn.
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