Trump administration is revising history
Studying history is important because it allows us to understand our past, which allows us to understand our present. History can provide us with insight into our cultures of origin and cultures with which we might be less familiar, increasing cross-cultural awareness and understanding. So why is the Trump administration revising history?
President Donald Trump is attempting to purge the government, and much of society, of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. From the scrubbing of images of Harriet Tubman and Jackie Robinson to information about the Tuskegee Airmen and attacks on the National Museum on African American History and Culture, Trump is trying to affect an erasure of Black history and Black symbols. Why is he so desperate to have a public that doesn’t know its actual history? What is it that the Trump administration wants to hide from the American people?
Our newest national holiday, Juneteenth, is coming up this month. Take advantage of this educational opportunity. At least three cities have canceled their Juneteenth celebrations this year citing the current political climate. True American history should be preferred over any Trump generated mythology.
We can’t understand the history of this nation without the story of Black Americans. A government dedicated to White supremacy can temporarily chill and suppress, but can’t deny, the foundational and continuing contributions of Black people. It is a clear warning to people of color to stop overestimating the White majority and trusting them with the impartial education of our children. That responsibility must rest with us.
William Windsor, Fort Madison
Ganske ignores the ineptitude of the current president
I am puzzled as to why the Register opts to give so much space to the opinion of Dr. Greg Ganske.
He is not a gerontologist, an oncologist, or a neurologist. He is a plastic surgeon! He spent some time in Congress, which doesn’t necessarily make him an expert on anything.
It is laughable that he accuses President Joe Biden of hubris. As I recall, Biden didn’t make outrageous claims about a “stolen election.” He didn’t promise that if elected he would end wars on day one and lower the grocery prices also on that day.
Ganske questions whether Biden did any reading or homework on issues. Aides to President Donald Trump report that he doesn’t even read daily briefings.
Ganske goes on to speculate about other presidents. He talks about whether Franklin Roosevelt’s melanoma probably metastasized to his brain, and about John F. Kennedy Jr.’s Addison’s Disease and possible drug reactions.
Ganske offers without proof questions about whether Biden received stimulants or testosterone.
Then he has the audacity to posit that Biden, thinking he could beat Trump, was comparable to Adam and Eve thinking they could be as wise as God.
He writes all this in the face of the biggest braggart to ever inhabit the White House whose own mental health is hardly beyond question.
What hubris!
Markoline Johnson, Des Moines
To whom does the American flag belong?
There is frustration spreading across our communities from those feeling abandoned, lied to, and exploited. Some are burning the American flag in acts of defiance, statements against the system that betrayed them.
But I ask them to reconsider.
The flag isn’t Elon Musk’s. It isn’t Donald Trump’s. It isn’t the property of billionaires, corrupt politicians, or the bureaucrats. It is ours. It belongs to the workers, farmers, teachers, veterans, and families who built this country with sweat and blood. It was raised in revolution, by abolitionists, by union members, and those marching for civil rights. It’s a symbol for the people, not the elite.
To my friends on the left: yes, the flag has flown over centuries of oppression and conquest. You’re not wrong to demand that we confront America’s sins. However, burning the flag doesn’t destroy the systems exploiting us, it surrenders our identity to those twisting its meaning. Don’t let them be the only ones to call themselves patriots.
To my conservative friends: criticism of America isn’t betrayal. Patriotism means holding our government to its promises. If our leaders sell us out, we owe them no loyalty.
To those calling for destruction: What will you build in its place? We do not need “revolution,” but “revelation.” We agree on more than you think, let that be the foundation for community, not contempt.
So, fight. Protest. Organize. Demand better. Do not surrender our symbols or future. The flag is not theirs. It never was.
Micah Willarthy, Sioux City
When will you all realize democracy is slipping away?
What is the tipping point that will wake up the voters in this country to what President Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans are doing to destroy our democracy? Is it when Trump actually comes out and declares himself our dictator and takes over our daily lives? He is getting closer to that point every time he opens his mouth and with every executive order he signs. Project 2025 is clearly his operating plan for our country.
He ignores the Supreme Court and our Republicans in Congress who seem scared to death to question what he is doing as he grabs more and more of their power. He attacks anyone who dares to question any of his lies and actions.
Will the tipping point be reached when he eliminates or drastically cuts Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid? Will it be when he destroys the world economy so he can give huge tax cuts to his super-rich friends and average Americans see prices rise to new highs?
Will it be when he eliminates public education and the free press? Will it be when he shuts down libraires and dictates what we can read and see and hear on TV and radio? Will it be when he tells us which church we can attend and how we choose to worship or not worship? Will it be when he tells us who we can be as a human being?
Will it be when the military and his Homeland Security marches down the main streets of our country and arrests anyone who dares speak up against him, citizen or not? Will it be when he sells public lands to put more money in his and giant corporate pockets? When he eliminates the Federal Emergency Management Agency and catastrophe support?
All of these things currently are or will be happening in this country, but only if we let them happen. We have to let our legislators at both federal and state levels know that we are tired of the direction Trump is taking us and we will no longer tolerate their inaction. We have to make them more afraid of us as voters than they are of Trump!
Duane Mortensen, Ankeny
U.S. foreign aid is the smart thing to do, not just the right thing
I grew up in a small town, and I’ve always believed in the value of hard work, helping neighbors, and doing what’s right – even when no one’s watching. I especially believe in helping children, whether they’re down the road or across the ocean.
But helping kids worldwide isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing, too. The U.S. foreign aid budget helps feed hungry families abroad by buying crops grown right here at home. Every time we send emergency food or support farming programs overseas, we’re creating a ripple effect that benefits our farmers, our rural economies and our agricultural exports.
Now, Congress is considering a rescissions package that would cancel more than $8 billion in critical foreign aid, including food assistance and support for farm families trying to feed themselves. Cutting this aid won’t make us safer or richer. In fact, it will make the world more unstable, diseases harder to contain, and markets for U.S. goods harder to reach.
We should be building a safer, healthier world for our own kids, and that starts with showing up for children everywhere. I urge Sen. Chuck Grassley to reject the proposed foreign aid rescissions. Let’s choose leadership, not retreat.
Tiffany Welch, Clive
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: US foreign aid is the smart thing and the right thing to do | Letters
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