Honoring veterans

Thank you for printing the photo of the Quilts of Valor Recipients at the Lewiston Elks Lodge No. 896 on the June 19 lmtribune.com page.

Since 2021 I have been honored to serve as chairperson of the Elks Lodge No. 896 Service for Veterans and Flag of the USA committees and had the privilege each year of coordinating this annual Flag Day event. More than 23 Elks Lodge members worked together to make this a successful event.

In addition to providing the space and leadership to coordinate the event, nine Idaho State Veterans Home residents and staff, and 10 Quilts of Valor recipients received free meals organized and prepared by Elks members and enjoyed music provided by Larry Dahlberg.

Alice Whitman Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution members conducted the flag retirement and served as greeters and Lewis-Clark Quilts of Valor members coordinated the quilts of valor part of the program. The Elks Lodge No. 896 Flag and Veterans committees chairperson served as overall coordinator for the event that honors our country’s flag and our veterans. Together we created a strong community event.

My sincere thanks to members of these three organizations who made this outstanding event possible. You are all appreciated more than you can ever know.

Judi Wutzke

Clarkston

That reality check

It seems that at age 65 I had envisioned I would be retired from many years of working for employers and self-employment. I would sleep in until 7 or 8 a.m. then arise to reading the Lewiston Tribune and enjoying a cup of coffee.

I still do enjoy the reading today, but with two exceptions: it’s more like 5 or 6 a.m. and I’m nine years older. It seems it may be awhile longer before I adjust to the luxury of sleeping in.

There are benefits to being up early, though. On sunny days I get to see the dawn seeping into the valley, casting moving shadows across the lawn, creating tiny sparkles of light from the drew drops. The sound of sparrows chirping away in the large climbing rose bush feasting on its rose buds. There are the robins splashing away in the bird baths like villagers in ancient times getting refreshed before a new day of labor begins. On rainy mornings it seems they must continue that ritual searching for food and bath.

I see individuals, both young and old, walking along the sidewalks, some enjoying fresh air before the heat comes, others getting to the bus stop for either school or trips to possibly shop or appointments.

Then there’s a reality check that crashes: an individual carrying what seems every item they possess — tent, blankets, clothing. Where did they come from? Where are they going? How will they survive?

I’ve seen this before. The only difference was war.

Mike Petrusky

Clarkston

Dependence Day

On July 4, we Americans recount stories about the colonists becoming independent of England after the Revolutionary War. Fond memories indeed.

But little more than memories, considering the continual erosion of our liberties. As our liberties are diminished by the political class — the henchmen of big money — July 4 might more accurately be called Dependence Day.

Central bankers, world governments, Wall Street, U.S. corporations and their lobbyists chortle about the seemingly endless gullibility of us, the people.

Central bankers create fake money by typing on keyboards. If any member of the public prints money it is recognized as a crime — theft — with serious penalties. O.J. Simpson could get away with murder but John Q. Public, if shown to be a counterfeiter, cannot escape jail. Counterfeiting is theft; money creation by the Federal Reserve is government-approved theft that manifests as inflation. As the money supply expands, whether by “legal” Federal Reserve theft or illegal counterfeiting, each dollar is worth less.

Consequently, after 111 years of inflation, today’s dollar is worth 3 cents.

In 2021 we traded liberty for stimulus checks. Shortly we will “own nothing and be happy,” writes the World Economics Forum’s Klaus Schwab in “The Great Reset.” Schwab might be happy but the few surviving deplorables surely will not.

The relation of political skulduggery to independence is inverse; welcome to dependence.

Believing politicians makes us suckers.

Bridger Barnett

Clarkston

Idolatry of Trump

Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu won’t let anything stop their abhorrent killing of innocent civilians. Putin justifies massacring Ukrainians by gross disinformation. Netanyahu justifies annihilating Palestinians by Hamas’s horrific Oct. 7 attack which, of course, deserved strong response.

Any chance of stopping the two will probably have to happen internally. Internal resistance to Adolf Hitler’s atrocities was exemplified by world-renowned German Christian Dietrich Bonhoeffer who felt God’s calling to help assassinate Hitler. Author of the Evangelical Christian classic, “The Cost of Discipleship,” Bonhoeffer paid the ultimate cost — executed by Hitler.

Many Americans are understandably upset at President Joe Biden’s lukewarm, tardy criticism of Netanyahu. However, those threatening to not vote for Biden should reevaluate.

Among Biden’s accomplishments: funding the IRS to audit rich tax cheats, expanding benefits for toxic-exposed veterans, protecting reproductive rights, increasing middle-class wages to exceed inflation, creating the most jobs ever, rallying world support for Ukraine, taming the COVID-19 pandemic, appointing the first-ever public defender/Black woman as a Supreme Court justice, expanding health insurance and rebuilding our long-neglected infrastructure.

Donald Trump wants to be dictator, is a convicted felon, opposes Ukraine aid, admires Putin and Netanyahu, will appoint only political lapdogs, and exercise harsh retribution against past and present opposition. If you believe him, his scapegoats would surely be immigrants and likely persons of color.

And the zeal of Trump’s voter base is frightening. Many white Americans who self-identify as “evangelical Christians” have abandoned Christ for idolatry of Trump, violating the second of the biblical Ten Commandments.

Norm Luther

Spokane