Never seeing Mount Rushmore the same; How plants fit into pipeline discussions: Your letters
Your letters to the editor for Aug. 13, 2023:
CO2 is plant food. It is the lifeline of all plant growth.
Ethanol was a value-added industry that was constructed mainly through the cooperative action of farmer producers and rural residents. It was individuals coming together as a group to improve the welfare of all. Today ethanol plants are stepping away from that model of economic development to now associating themselves with out of state and even out of country billionaire investors. Ethanol has allowed their industry to be socially and financially hijacked in order to serve the greedy wants of investors that seek to gain financial fortune through the courtesy of federal tax credits that you, I, and everyone will provide. Revenue coming from precious federal dollars that add to our national debt is the only commodity flowing through CO2 pipelines.
Ethanol plants in partnership with CO2 pipeline companies should not be pirating onto the land of fellow farmers and landowners. The right of landowners to private ownership, safe occupation, and peaceful use of their land should never be superseded by greedy companies. Victimizing the countryside should not be the economic model that ethanol plants and politicians promote. No landowner should ever face being held hostage by the greedy maneuvering of get rich quick corporations. Nor should landowners be witness to the silence of non-action that certain government officials at county and the state level take. What is encouraging is the many officials and office holders who are speaking out and taking action.
As for the sequestration of carbon, there is a much better and more unifying way to be found. CO2 is plant food. It is the lifeline of all plant growth. Growing plants in community with the soil work together to store carbon. The true carbon sink is the living soil itself. We don’t need CO2 pipeline companies, nor wasteful use of federal dollars, nor the community division that is created by pipeline projects. In 2022, the Regional Conservation Partnership Program was launched. This united effort by ACE, SD Corn, SDSU, and Dakota Ethanol is seeking to study and implement farming practices that store more carbon while using less during farming. South Dakota Soil Health Coalition is a producer organization that promotes and educates farming practices that utilize farming practices that creates more and better soil health thus, yes, carbon sequestration. Federal agencies like NRCS are located in every county to assist farmers with better farming outcomes.
We as a farming community are better off when we act as a community. When we work in unison with our neighbors. When we become better stewards of the land. To have our good nature captured and held hostage by companies like Summit and Navigator is not who we are. Promoting the safety and welfare of our citizens and our resources is who we are. As a lifelong farmer myself, I will always choose cooperation with my fellow farmers and landowners. So should all of us.
−Charlie Johnson, Madison
More: Not your father's GOP; SD should not be a 'Free to help yourself' state: Your letters
How to control the U.S. and Mexican border
It seems that every day, we hear about the need to secure our southern border. Well, first Congress needs to get their act together and pass a new immigration policy rather than going to the border to have their pictures taken. Now be aware, when you look around at the Shingler's, landscapers, road workers and dairies, these might be the people we are talking about. First, you make an exception to the civil war law that says that the military cannot be used for policing activities. Then send our military to the southern border and putting them in charge of securing the border. Second, all immigrants with green cards must register with the state and this must be verified by the employer. Third, anyone who hires a immigrant that does not have a legitimate green card and a S.Dak green card shall pay a $1000 fine and spend 5 days in jail. Each violation should automatically lead to a doubling of the fine and jail time. Fourth, our governor should send our DCI, County sheriff's department , local police force and national guard to check the employers office and work sites to verify that they have all the immigrant paper work on file. Fifth, we should work with Mexico to build a wall at their southern border as it is not nearly as long to be jointly staffed. Sixth, Hold a summit in Mexico City with the central American countries on how to reduce criminal activity as well as providing incentives for businesses to open manufacturing plants. It can be done, it just takes some effort. Less talk and more action.
−Jerry and Ann LeClear, Sioux Falls
'A decade of hate' series is 'unbecoming'
Shaming. On the front page of the Sunday Sioux Falls Argus of July 9th, in BOLD letters was printed A DECADE OF HATE. That message is very unbecoming of a community of LOVE and RESPECT of all. This is absolutely unnecessary to attempt to desecrate our community. Your message is a disgrace to all citizens.
−Rick Althoff, Sioux Falls
Who decides what hate is in South Dakota?
Is there no end to outrageous headlines like: "A Decade of Hate?” The articles by Morgan Matzen come off as irresponsible journalism. Hate? Who decides this? Why should we be told that South Dakota is not a safe place in which to live?
This gender dysphoria has gone on far enough. The ACLU and the activists need to be brought to task for irresponsible garbage language feeding the young, who aren’t pleased to be in their own skin or feeding the parents with messages of guilt if they don’t allow their children to change genders. Legislators should be filled with this on their agendas? Are you serious? This dysphoria is a product of insecurities among the young and among some of the adults to the point of depression, of thoughts of suicide, taking regrettable actions.
Let the legislators deal with the business of South Dakota which constitutionally are assigned to them! Moral and ethical situations need to be addressed elsewhere and do not belong on the law books. That goes for abortion rights, too. Rights? Are you serious? Furthermore, it is unconscionable to ascribe power to pediatricians to accommodate requests from children or parents regarding gender change. This is tantamount to asking the doctors to be coaches, to assist these “little darlings,” thereby causing the doctors to commit malpractice, ignoring the Hippocratic oath’s words “to do no harm.”
The readers might be reminded of the Biblical lesson after the fall into sin, when God pronounced the results of turning against God. Simply and soberly put, God said there would be separation from Him, others, creation, hard work, travail at birth, wars, poverty, malice, injustice, ill health and ultimately physical death. The realities of health issues; i.e., anomalies at birth, six fingers and toes, conjoined twins, incomplete body parts, spastics, etc. It goes with brokenness.
So what is the problem? Self, pure and simple. In this age of technical advantages, the young can go online, “spill their guts,” cry out for help, tell how they are in pain, don’t like how they look, “nobody loves me.” Where are the parents, the extended family, school advisors and/or teachers? Why do people think they have to fix things, take away our “owies?”
Another thought: So you think you aren’t liked? Aren’t good enough in your own skin or sex? (and there are only two sexes, you ‘lettered ones.” Male and female). Got it!
Have you even considered that there are others afflicted with being prisoners in their own frames? I mean those with muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, ALS, spastics, those afflicted with seizures and other debilitating forms of illnesses? Do they ask for rights? Do they ask for public doles to take care of them? Stop swimming in the “slough of despond!”
My question to the afflicted, what have you done or are you doing for the sake of others?” That’s what Jesus tells us to do; i.e. “live for the sake of the neighbor” all under the Great Commandment to love Him above all things. I’m not talking about a neighbor who is just like you. Are you attending worship services, sitting in the pews of any Christian church where you are always welcome? I would never deny anyone the privilege of hearing God’s word spoken to the ears and hearts of any to hear God’s message of love, mercy and forgiveness and hope in Him.
Please don’t fall for the messages of mainline churches which preach social justice (the the ELCA, of which I am a dissenting member). Look up "The Sparkle Creed," a blasphemous rewriting of the Apostles Creed which was recently reported out of an Edina, MN Lutheran church. You can’t make this up; it’s gone viral. Christ doesn’t need me to defend Him. His word stands alone and above all.
To the Argus, stop the exploitation of confusion which the collective you create. Tell it straight. To the ACLU and activists I say vehemently, “buzz off!"
− Janet Lyso, Sioux Falls
Editor's note: As stated in the six-part series that involved a months-long investigation with dozens of interviews and hours of research, the use of the word "hate" was defined by those who were sharing the impact of their lived experiences of such legislation with the public. These articles examined what’s happened in our state during the last decade, through legislative action brought forth by South Dakota’s own elected officials and how that action has affected a marginalized part of our community that does indeed exist here .
Those are decisions that are newsworthy and cannot be ignored. We stand by our reporting.
The GOP cannot bring themselves back to democracy alone
It has become painfully obvious to anyone who maintains a level of fidelity toward morals that the GOP has a problem they can't solve on their own. Thanks to the likes of FOX NEWS with it's completely unbalanced output of alternative facts, people who know better are listening to lies while not caring for ethics or even simple truth. Unfortunately, FOX allows them to feel that "dislike of opponents" is the only creed needed in our modern political world. Although Fox alone is not the main problem, it is the establishment some turn to for guidance after losing faith in our not so perfect institutions (which are sometimes far from it). The church world is generally not much help finding a spiritual standard either since conservative politics has co-opted the principles and ideals of (our sought after) Christianity. Believe it or not, this hapless fact permeates our religionist doctrines . Donald Trump with his election lies is the choice of these folks because he tells them that the democratic opposition is bad (they are not, they're just the opposition). Evidently for some, negativity is received better than useful guidance. When people of supposed faith and people of no faith see things alike, it speaks volumes about both sides" integrity.
As time has gone by and the GOP has married itself to something they would have rejected out of hand just a generation ago, they are caught in the web of deceit and aren't able to free themselves from it..."outside" help is needed to gain an objective view of their personal plight. It is fortunate that, for good reason, the democratic party, using the rule of law, is more than happy to be of assistance in solving this upside down dilemma that the GOP finds itself in. If the GOP could police itself, they would but they don't for the same reason an alcoholic or drug addict generally needs an intervention to "break the spell" and let their head clear. As hard as it is to swallow, the fact is that the GOP cannot bring themselves back to democracy alone. They cannot free themselves from the fascism that is controlling them without much needed assistance from the side of democratic sanity.
−Dave Freytag, Rapid City
More: A thank you to kind drivers; applause for Johnson's protection of farmers: Your letters
Climate change is nothing more than propaganda
I would like to thank Henry Travers for his entertaining, though divisive addition to the letters I read recently in the Argus. Henry talks about the "realities" of climate change but does not specify what those "realities" might be. Does Henry refer to the heat this summer? I'm over 70 and can only remember one growing season that didn't have a number of "hot" days. I don't believe this summer was any different than most in our great state.Was our current "moisture" situation what Henry was referring to? We have been drier than many farmers would prefer most growing seasons through my lifetime.Was it winters with unusually warm temperatures and no snow fall? We've all seen a few of them in our lives.So I guess my question for Henry would be, "What are these changes that you see?"From my vantage point, climate change is nothing more than a propaganda campaign by the left to bolster things like electric cars so his liberal friends can make a killing on their green investments.It is further a ploy to make a portion of the population fearful. If you can be convinced that the sky is falling, you can be coerced into almost anything, not to save yourself so much as to save your children and grandchildren.
Perhaps Henry and like minded people out there should spend more time concerned about things they can control. Our nation is crumbling around us. Private citizens and former elected officials are being attacked for standing up to the caldron of sewage our Washington elected officials and bureaucrats have become. Our constitutional rights, those rights brave Americans fought and died to preserve, are being trampled on daily by the justice department instructed by the current administration.Henry doesn't mention that if, in fact, what he purports has any validity whatsoever, we in this country have no control over the real contributory parties (China and India). They are using this issue to gain ground on the world stage and China has ignored what Henry promotes in order to surpass us economically.So Henry, give us some verifiable facts. I'll wait.
−Randy Amundson, Sioux Falls
Why I will never see Mount Rushmore the same way
I will never look at or think about Mt. Rushmore the same way after watching PBS' "Iconic America" on July 25.The program was about Georgia's Stone Mountain carving which celebrates confederate leaders. Some of the statistics about the carving are that it is 40' deep at points and a 6' tall person could fit inside the mouths of each horse. However, the information that was new to me and made me feel disgusted was that the carver was Gutzon Borglum, the same carver who created Mt. Rushmore. While Borglum was carving Stone Mountain he became active in the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) including rallies and committees.As we all know, or should know if the governor of your state hasn't decided to sanitize facts that aren't a pleasant part of our history, the confederacy's reason for fighting the north was to preserve their way of life and continue to be able to own slaves.There's an organization that is working to remove the Stone Mountain carving, but whether that will ever happen is in question.Similarly, Presidents Washington (123) and Jefferson (600+), two of the four presidents on Mt. Rushmore, were slaveholders and Jefferson fathered children by one of his slaves, Sally Hemings. He eventually sold his slaves to pay his bills.It isn't acceptable to stand behind the statements that this is just the way it was then and look at all the good they did for the country. There were plenty of good, productive residents who abhorred slavery and didn't own other human beings.It's time to make amends for kidnapping people from Africa and other countries, torturing and raping them, separating children from their parents and profiting from their unpaid forced labor. Enslaved people didn't benefit from their toil and sweat; however, this country owes an immense amount of debt to them for how they helped make this country what it is today.
− Sue Nipe, Sioux Falls
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This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Never seeing Mount Rushmore the same; How plants fit into pipeline discussions: Your letters
