My friend came through the door smiling. “Well, is Donald Trump still president?” While my neighbor himself doesn’t waste time watching television he knows I am addicted to the pictures flickering on the screen. Recently President Trump offered the opinion that the Clintons played a part in Jeffrey Enstein’s death in his jail cell. Another announcement followed - the … [Read more...]
Keeping your head down?
To the Editor, Recently Donald Trump’s appointed Agriculture secretary, Sonny Perdue, joked about how farmers are whiners. It amazes me that the man in charge of agriculture in this administration is so callous given what he surely knows is happening in farm country. U.S. agriculture bankruptcy filings are at 10-year highs, U.S. farm income in 2019 will remain near lows not … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… When a school dies
Several months ago, we booked a family vacation via www.vrbo.com. We’ve had friends tell us about their great experiences, so we figured we’d give it a shot. We wanted to visit the Lake Okoboji area, but every place I looked at was $350 or more per night. On www.vrbo.com, I found this farmhouse on Silver Lake on the fringe of a little town known as Ayrshire, in Iowa. It … [Read more...]
Conservative Christianity in crisis
To the Editor, The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America became our first “sanctuary denomination” in order to help migrants. It’s time for Christians to stand against Trump and denounce all his works and all his ways. With some conservative Christian sects supporting Trump, one wonders if some of these churchgoers even try to follow Jesus. Not only did Jesus ask you to … [Read more...]
Why are you so angry?
Boy, it was a little fun triggering people last time! I even wound up being the top Google result for “chumps & grifters,” which is neat. #humblebrag But I’m not going to spend my time here picking apart responses I got to my last column, instead I want to look at the bigger picture and simply ask... why are you so angry? Are you angry because I haven’t spelled out … [Read more...]
Democracy won’t die if we don’t let it
Democracy’s premise is that ordinary citizens can make solid decisions on complex issues. But this basic principle and the structure of laws and practices erected over the centuries to safeguard it are being questioned as rarely before. It’s not just that political leaders in various western democracies seem to have little regard for the norms and procedures they inherited. … [Read more...]
We belong to one another
To the Editor, As an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and as a concerned citizen of the United States of America, in light of the recent shootings in El Paso, Tex., and Dayton, Ohio, I think it is important as civil, faith, and public communities learning and existing with one another that we remember that we belong to one another – that our … [Read more...]
Election integrity in America
Here in America we are fortunate to have a system that encourages free and fair elections; or that is what we aspire to. We go to great lengths to protect the integrity of our elections, and rightfully so. The people who serve in government should reflect the wishes of We The People. America worries constantly about interference from foreign entities, as recently evidenced … [Read more...]
Devil’s Advocate…Climate change mythconceptions Pt. 3
By Aaron Bishop Harmony, MN Mythconception #9: A Newsweek article in 1974 stated we would be “a frozen ice cube” by now. I believe the goal of this mythconception from an online commenter in the online Fillmore County Journal is an attempt to convey an air of wild guessing or pure speculation when it comes to the science of climate change. Never mind the fact that … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… Recognizing farm families
In this week’s edition of the Fillmore County Journal, you will notice an advertisement that we hope will become a long-term feature dedicated to recognizing our area farm families. Our local farm families have such an impact on our lives, and a good majority of the population has become disconnected from the farm. It’s not our fault. I didn’t grow up on a farm and I don’t … [Read more...]