Opinion

GUEST COLUMN, Tod Bowman, Center for Rural Affairs

Effective advocacy requires understanding the legislative process and employing strategic communication. Constituents can impact legislation by providing their perspective on a bill and explaining the reasoning for their position.

As a former Iowa State Senator from Maquoketa, I served in the Iowa Senate from 2011 to 2019 and saw countless examples of advocacy in action.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR, Reita Isaacs, Liberal

Here I am again with my feet up and phone in hand hearing about the sixth major fire in what seems to be targeting one huge incapacitating area of California.

Let’s go back a few years to the incident that destroyed Maui, remembering the unusual pattern of destruction: Nothing covered with that strange color of blue was burned, especially Oprah’s and Don Johnson’s properties; the cars not protected had pools of metal that could not be melted by anything; 10 out of 11 school buses burned, the 11th unaccounted for (used to transport the 1000 missing children possibly), and we’ve never heard about them since.

GUEST COLUMN, Glenn Brunkow, Kansas Farm Bureau

We are in the middle of what I call meeting season for Kansas Farm Bureau (KFB). The legislative process for both the state and federal governments are started. We have already had KFB Annual Meeting, the Young Farmers and Ranchers Leaders Conference, and by the time most of you read this, the County President’s Conference and Day at the Statehouse will also be in the books.

MY PERSPECTIVE, Gary Damron

Last week in reviewing the childhood of Jesus, we looked at two themes: the freedom of simplicity revealed by the birth in Bethlehem and seemingly unremarkable boyhood; also, the challenge His parents faced in raising up such a child - human, but with divine implications.

We shared earlier how conditions were just right for the coming of the Messiah, with Hellenistic influences, Roman infrastructure and organization, and Jewish monotheistic heritage. God also chose faithful parents, Mary and Joseph, who would be responsible for nurturing Jesus, and a small town, Nazareth, where he would grow up. Let’s turn back to those simpler times and see other lessons learned.