Category: Opinion

~a column by Colleen O’Brien Joyce Kilmer wrote the poem “Trees” in 1913. It’s a lyrical poem, often quoted (mostly only the first two lines: “I think that I shall never see/A poem as lovely as a tree”) and considered a good memorizing challenge for grade schoolers. I believe in its premise however rhymey and sing-songey it sounds.

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~a column by Colleen O’Brien When the current President of the U.S. was elected in November of 2016, sales of the 1949 novel Nineteen-Eighty-Four by George Orwell skyrocketed by 20 percent according to the Washington Post. It was in the top ten on Amazon’s book list, according to Amazon.

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~a column by Colleen O’Brien If women are legislated out of any personal choice when it comes to what to do with their fertilized eggs, isn’t the equivalent next step to legislate men out of spilling their seed? If contraception becomes illegal, will that include condoms? And if so, who gets punished? The user? The used? The seller?

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~a column by Colleen O’Brien The free press part of the first amendment to the Constitution is there so that the government won’t be able to control the news and that the press itself will ferret out the wrongs done by government (and business) for the rest of us. This presupposes a press that is not itself full of evil…

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~a column by Colleen O’Brien “’May you live in interesting times,’” said Sir Austen Chamberlain (brother of Neville) in 1938, quoting what he explained was a Chinese curse, handy for use on people you don’t like. We do live in interesting times. And it is a curse. Give me boring times any day. More time to read a book, go…

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To the editor, Congratulations to Thomas Laehn and Jack Williams for excellent work bringing Justin Emmick to justice. He was doing the same crimes here in Ohio with no repercussions. I employed him and had no idea of his extensive background. Again, great work. Jim Schumacher, Canton, OH

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~a column by Colleen O’Brien Each year, 9 million tons of plastic waste end up in the oceans of Earth. Mammals, fish, birds die by ingesting it or the prey that winds up with it in their stomachs. We humans have it in our systems too because we eat the fish of the seas. A year ago in May, National…

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~by Senator Jerry Behn April 29, 2019 During the 15th week of the legislative session we continued our work towards adjournment for the year. We spent much of our time waiting for bills to come to us from the other chamber, waiting on amendments, and debating some of the last proposals we will discuss this year. Because this is the…

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~a column by Colleen O’Brien How many times have I thought of trading in my gasoline operated vehicle for an EV. Or a BEV. An EV is an electric vehicle; so is a Bev – battery electric vehicle.

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DES MOINES – Gov. Kim Reynolds, L released the following statement after the conclusion of 2019’s legislative session on Friday: “Earlier this year in my Condition of the State Address, I said now is the time to deliver on the promises we made to Iowans looking for a way up. Through collaboration and compromise, those Iowans will be better off…

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~by Denise O’ Brien Van Republican Steve King, Iowa’s Fourth District Congressman, drew about 30 people, including several leading Greene County Democrats, two police officers and a handful of local news reporters, to an April 25 town hall meeting at the Jefferson Community Golf Course.

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~a column by Colleen O’Brien April is National Poetry Month in the U.S. and Canada. Some think poetry is dumb; or even worse, pointless. Some think it necessary for survival. It is said to be the first kind of story-telling, a way of talking that humans came upon to tell another person important life lessons in rhyme and rhythm so…

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