Letters to the Editor — Feb. 3, 2021 Edition
To the Editor:
Glory
Walking to the Mississippi River
on a cold grey day,
I want to write
about the beauty here
but am haunted by the images on TV,
and my heart aches for a nation reeling.
I cannot ignore
the cloud over our people,
the terrible suffering.
Our beloved country broken,
riddled with troubles.
How can we survive?
I return to the Mississippi,
its dangerous current
and ice, thin and lethal in places;
how it cuts through the heartland
and swallows homes in the spring.
It is then I remember
the random acts of kindness
lighting our path,
the elevation of our good days,
the beauty in our evolution so far.
Remembering also how
color stuns the grey
and awakens the sky
as the sun sets over the bluffs;
the river charged with visionary light.
And I know we will be all right
because the loss of all this glory
is unthinkable.
Anne Bagley
Trempealeau
To the Editor:
Since Mr. Andy Engen asked the source of my news and information I thought I’d let him know. I rarely watch Hannity’s show on Fox News but do view the first 20 minutes of the Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham programs — which I understand are not per se news, but opinion. Those, like I believe Mr. Engen, religiously view programming they consider news while figuring the narratives must be accurate as the U.S. has slander and libel laws; are fooling themselves. Speech on the floor of Congress is protected; a senator or representative can literally say anything and the content cannot be litigated. The same for the main stream media, provided litigation protection unless proven the story was deliberately altered to cause harm to the individual or company — much as the media attacking Nicolas Sandmann, a minor in Washington D.C. for the annual “Right to Life” march a couple of years ago; CNN already negotiated a financial settlement, other lawsuits being negotiated for payment.
Most of my news and information comes from the “Al Gore invented internet.” I get nothing from the social media platforms of Twitter, Facebook, etc as I believe these are methods to receive news and information from citizens with bias; so all I’ll learn is what I want to hear, no opposing points of view.
I focus on internet sites providing facts to back up the narrative; facts I can crosswalk to make a determination of: fact, opinion or satire. In my opinion too many news consumers today do not either have the time or the comprehensive abilities to make these determinations or are not curious enough to research reported news. Sorry, I’m confident that comment is considered offensive to some readers.
I weave facts into every Trempealeau Times submission; facts easily checked for accuracy. The Times allows 500 words for submission and most of my submissions are right at 500. I quit submitting to the La Crosse Tribune as the paper accepts 250 words and edited some content.
I note most of the Times Letters to the Editor of a political theme include no facts; usually simply the CNN, MSNBC, New York Times, Washington Post, NBC, ABC and CBS News narratives that Trump is a bully (never a factual example), liar (please give some examples of politicians who never stretched the truth) and racist (never mentioned before he ran for president).
I understand the lack of facts from Democratic leaning letter submitters as facts are generally not the friend of liberals.
I am personally offended by the most aggressive current liberal narrative coming from the Nation’s Capital – labeling Trump supporters as “domestic terrorists.” I served 30+ years in the U.S. Army with five war zone deployments. To be considered a domestic terrorist based on the actions at the U.S. Capitol while ignoring the numerous riots across the country during the last six months of 2020 is degrading.
I end with; Al Gore didn’t really invent the internet, simply claimed he did and it’s on video.
John Cantlon,
Ettrick
To the Editor:
I would like to reply to Mr. Engen’s letter, if I may.
Mr. Engen, it is good to see your joy now that Mr. Biden lives in the White House. Enjoy it while you can.
History shows that tyranny always begins with excitement and hope. But the next 50 years are filled with depression and want. Remember that as you stand in line, holding your new Stars and Sickle flag, while waiting for the government electric bus to take you to the county fairgrounds for the mandatory attendance of the “Support Our Leaders Rally”.
I won’t be there. No. My many friends and I will be at the gulag. We will be making Stars and Sickle flags between re-education classes and deprograming sessions.
Be sure to wave your flag high and shout loud and long, lest you are judged to be impure and end up at the flag factory with me.
Oh, one more thing. Brush up on your Mandarin. Mr. Biden’s friends don’t speak English.
Albert Joyce,
Trempealeau
