Election is a choice between common sense in Donald Trump and craziness in Kamala Harris
The only sensible vote is a vote for Trump
As an Independent voter, I've voted Republican and Democrat through the years depending on their agenda and policies unlike many voters who vote along party lines.
This election we do have a very distinct choice.
Do you want open borders allowing another 10 million and who knows how many "got-aways" coming into our country, or closed borders allowing migrants to cross at the ports of entry, just as our ancestors did?
Do you want to hear in the news about immigrants robbing, assaulting, raping and killing our young?
Do you want the Freedom Fund to bail out illegal immigrants and protestors to offend again and again?
Do you want high crime with defunding the police?
Do you want high energy prices, high inflation, high consumer prices, and high interest rates to make buying a home almost improbable?
On the world front, we had virtual tranquility throughout the world for four years under the Trump administration. Now, we are teetering on World War III.
This election is not about Trump vs. Harris or even Republican vs. Democrat. It's a choice between common sense vs. craziness. The choice is yours.
Roger Ranker, Urbandale
Maybe liberal politics is behind book-removal choices
You have mentioned, regarding the “book ban,” that such books as “1984,” “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “Roots” are among the books being banned and you suggest that they are being banned for sex. That opinion must be the result of your progressive tendencies.
As a constitutional conservative, I cannot see any reason that these books would be banned by a conservative or even a liberal Republican. However, I can see strong reasons for a Democrat progressive librarian to ban the books.
“1984” talks about the evils of a autocratic society, just the type of society that the progressives want. The other titles are set in the politically Democratic southern states, and I am sure that is a time and era that progressives want to eliminate from history.
Finally, there is also the possibillty that politically progressive librarian would ban the books for spite, so the willfully ignorant public would see the ban as a bad thing and you would report it as such.
Bottom line, these books should not have been banned, and if they were, it was done on purpose for a political reason, by a left-leaning librarian.
Brad Fregger, Fairfield
Books that run afoul of Iowa’s narrow ban are not ‘essential’
"Banning essential books in our schools is a burden for our educators,” according to Iowa State Education Association President Joshua Brown.
Iowa’s law prohibits only books that depict explicit sexual acts from secondary school libraries, not works which only mention, for example, rape, which is mentioned, but not described, in “To Kill A Mockingbird.”
Does Brown believe the following books are “essential,” and, if so, why?
“A Court of Silver Flames,” which has been reviewed as having "lots and lots of graphic, full out erotic sex … and zero plot."
“Push,” with explicit descriptions of incestuous child rape.
“Gender Queer,” with comic book or graphic novel depictions of oral sex on a dildo, a looking-down-at-the-toilet view of a menstruating woman’s blood-drenched legs, a view of a sanitary napkin with dried blood particles, and a reference to a visit to the studio for a sadist masochist website. The author of “Gender Queer” has admitted it is appropriate only for adults.
All of these books were, at one time, in my local school district’s libraries.
Please, President Brown, explain why these books are “essential.”
Donald W. Bohlken, Indianola
Democrats’ economic agenda is indisputably better than GOP’s
No one likes to see high inflation, but we’re being lied to about what’s happening to inflation and the American economy.
Donald Trump and other Republicans repeatedly blame the Biden administration for the rise in inflation. They don’t mention how much it has come down.
The increase was caused by strong consumer demand with a shortage of labor and supplies during the pandemic. The war in Ukraine also sent it higher. Still, it was lower than in many other countries. Many economists predicted that inflation would remain high and that we’d have the double whammy of a major recession. But rate of inflation has dropped to 3%. On July 31, the Federal Reserve kept the federal funds rate steady in the effort to reduce inflation.
Republicans also complain about deficit spending. The budget deficit was sizable under both Joe Biden and Donald Trump because of pandemic relief, but under Trump’s watch, it was the largest in history, at $3 trillion in 2020.
Recently, 16 Nobel-prize winning economists signed a letter saying that another Trump presidency would cause inflation to rise because he plans to impose hefty tariffs on Chinese products. They called the Democratic economic agenda “vastly superior” to Trump’s.
If you want a strong economy, vote for Democrats in November, at both the federal and state level. Please question the hype that you hear from all media and do your own research from nonpartisan think tanks.
Cynthia Cechota, Dubuque
Were emergency vehicles considered in Ingersoll redesign?
Ingersoll nightmare: With the redesigned Ingersoll Avenue, there are bike lanes, walking lanes, but no lanes for emergency equipment. I witnessed a fire truck and paramedic vehicle trying to move and it was total gridlock with just the two lanes of traffic. What is the priority here? The city brags about slowing the traffic by a couple mph. How about someone needing emergency services?
Dan Neldo, West Des Moines
There is nothing concerning about Tim Walz not being wealthy
While reading remarks about Gov. Tim Walz's net worth online, I wished that the remarks were the opposite of what I read. Instead, I would have preferred comments about what an honorable servant of our country and to young Americans he is.
I find the wealth politicians accumulate in office repulsive, no matter what party they represent. People who become wealthy from public office are not public servants, but rather opportunists.
Opportunistic public officials in recent years have demonstrated little shame about their newly acquired riches because the public expects very little morality of politicians.
Being personally wealthy is not necessarily an attribute for someone running for office, although it helps mount the challenge of accessing exposure and campaign funds initially. Most wealthy presidents over the years have been the benefactors of large inheritances. Few are self-made men. Having a lot of money demonstrates only that a person has a lot of money, not that they are suited for public service or a gifted leader.
In the case of Walz, we can expect a man willing lead by example, to put his duty to the country first and to stand against corruption.
Mary K Acton, West Des Moines
Greg Ganske is another enabler for Trump
Greg Ganske, in his Aug. 4 guest essay, gave good advice to Donald Trump about not attacking Kamala Harris personally but rather encouraged him to stick to the issues. However, the column left me wondering why Ganske is supporting Trump at all. With this public support, he showed that he doesn't see the former president as I do, as a narcissistic bully with authoritarian tendencies who cares only about money, power, and his own image and who is a threat to democracy. Unlike some other Republicans, like Mike Pence and Liz Cheney, it looks like Ganske is, sadly, just another of Trump's many enablers.
Steve Gude, Des Moines
Ganske’s attacks on women’s credentials were gratuitous
Greg Ganske is condescending, despite what he says in his Aug. 4 guest essay.
When talking about his campaign strategy when opposing Connie McBurney, why is being mean and condescending a turnoff only to female voters? Bringing it to the upcoming election, he then points out that Kamala Harris didn’t go to an Ivy League school or pass the bar exam on her first try. Seriously?
For a 59-year-old woman with all her accomplishments, that is irrelevant. I cheer for people who learn from a setback and then succeed. I’ve done it all during the Olympics. Ganske says Kamala Harris is out of touch and tries to pigeon-hole her into only representing California views. For me, it is Ganske who is out of touch and doesn’t represent my views.
Peggy Urtz, West Des Moines
Immigration explainer was top-notch
I thought Deborah Fink’s commentary (“Before immigration became an Issue, we exploited immigrants’ lands”) was an extremely well-written synopsis that shows that U.S. actions in the past have contributed greatly to the immigration crisis. I hope to hear more from Ms. Fink on this issue.
Anita Holub, Urbandale
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: In this election, pick Trump for common sense or Harris for craziness
