A wave of protests is roiling Moscow. Millions of people, young and old, have been crowding the streets in Hong Kong. In Britain, members of the Conservative Party took to open revolt over Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s move to sideline Parliament on Brexit. If democracy is dysfunctional and on the ropes worldwide, as many voices currently insist, you’d have a hard time making … [Read more...]

One of the gifts of “growing older” is that there is time to reflect on the past.  We have many friends throughout our lives.  Some are with us for many years, others for a shorter time, or just passing through, but they make a lasting impression.  They settle quietly into our hearts and continue to influence us throughout our lives. When I was 24 I lived in a four-plex  in … [Read more...]

Okay, chuckleheads. I’m only going to explain this once. Responding to an article that asks why you’re angry in the title by posting angry comments on the paper’s webpage exactly proves my point. I was giving you an out in the last article; I specifically pushed buttons so that you could say “oh, he’s just trying to make me angry, so responding to it would only make me look the … [Read more...]

Back in January 2009, over 10 years ago, when my wife and I moved our family to this beautiful area, it was undoubtedly a buyer’s real estate market. The Financial Crisis had left behind a trail of foreclosed properties in all of the cities we were considering establishing roots, such as Fountain, Harmony, Lanesboro, or Preston. After a five month search, we decided to … [Read more...]

On the occasion of the next Democratic debate, candidates will likely lay out their vision for healthcare. (This is actually a misnomer, since the discussion has nothing to do with actual “care” and refers to “Insurance.”) Most candidates will support a single payer system that puts government in control. Is this a good idea? Let’s take a factual look.  •Medicare for All is … [Read more...]

Andrew E. Cilek Executive Director Minnesota Voters Alliance Roseville, MN The September 3 Fillmore County Journal commentary by Susan Ritter of the League of Women Voters is full of misleading information on voter fraud. Ms. Ritter falsely asserts that Representative Duane Quam requested “individuals’ Social Security Numbers” (SSNs) from the Secretary of State … [Read more...]

I am not an economist, but shouldn’t the deficit be going down if we have a “strong economy”?  In 2016, candidate Trump talked big about eliminating the debt (all $19 trillion at the time) “over a period of eight years.” After taking office, however, he doesn’t seem all that concerned, even going so far as shrugging off the projected “hockey stick” spike in debt that his own … [Read more...]

Gwendolyn Haddad Spring Valley, MN This is a response to Greg Rendahl who wrote about conservative Christianity in crisis, published August 26, 2019.  Immigration: The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America helped legal immigrants settle in communities. Christians are called to help the foreigners who obey the laws of the country they settle in. One law of any country … [Read more...]

Sometimes, you wonder if the world is doomed to descend into autocracy. Certainly, that’s what the coverage of the past few years suggests. We read about the nations that are already there, like China and Russia, of course, and Saudi Arabia and Iran. Or about countries like Hungary, Turkey, and Poland that are nominally democratic but have been trending less so. What strikes … [Read more...]