Say what?

Our letters-to-the-editor: Reactions to what you've read here at Offenburger.com & elsewhere, and a place to tell us what else is on your mind.

Joe Connolly, Council Bluffs, Iowa, October 3, 2008 — Our bicycling buddy Joe Connolly, of Council Bluffs, is an executive at Mutual of Omaha, which is located on the west edge of downtown Omaha. He has very occasionally ridden his bicycle to work in the past, using the very dangerous Interstate Highway 480 bridge into downtown Omaha to cross the Missouri River. However, with the September 28 grand opening of the new Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge between the two cities, it's a whole new era of bicycle commuting and walking for Connolly and others in the Bluffs and Omaha, as he writes in the e-mail below.

Hi, Chuck. I rode my bike home from work around 6 p.m. last night (October 2). There were over 200 people on the ''BK,'' which a lot of people are now calling the Bob Kerrey Bridge. Plus there were more people than you could imagine the on the two miles of the Iowa Riverfront Trail north of the bridge. There were bikers, walkers, rollerbladers, skateboards, families with strollers - it was unbelievable. I ran into a group of moms who laced up their walking shoes and were taking a brisk walk to/from/over the bridge while their sons were at football practice at a field a mile from the bridge, and they said they plan to do this every week for exercise. Even more amazing was my ride to work this morning (October 3). I crossed the bridge around 7 a.m. and beside a beautiful sunrise (sorry, no camera), there were at least two dozen walkers and riders on the bridge and its approaches. You and I have talked about the impact the bridge would have, but I never expected the volume of users that I've seen the past few days.

Susan Young, Storm Lake, Iowa, October 2, 2008 — We finally made it to the Iowa Hall of Pride. Wonderful! Every bit as good as Chuck has proclaimed! We ended up spending two and a half hours!

In their message above, our friends Susan and Dwight Young, of Storm Lake, refer to the Iowa Hall of Pride, in Des Moines, one of the Partners & Patrons of Offenburger.com. You can read more about it in the advertisement accessible in the listing of our Partners & Patrons on the left side of the home page.

Ben Teusch, Provo, Utah, August 26, 2008 — The writer is a native of Jefferson who has just started his first year of college at Brigham Young University. He is writing here about Chuck Offenburger's ''Out in Greene County, Iowa'' column of August 25, 2008, which looked at the presidential race as it headed into the two parties' conventions.

I sure would love to talk politics with you. Your views seem to cut slightly from what could be called the Republican base, and yet the abortion policies of a candidate are of the utmost importance to you, even more than the economy, defense, schooling, or a host of other issues. I hate to infer your whole platform from a single article, but suffice it to say it'd be great to hash out ideas sometime.

Or maybe we preferred to stay friends, and that's why we didn't!

I would just like to share some brief thoughts I have. One is that, while I am strongly pro-life, the argument you quoted from Joe Biden is just about exactly how I feel about it. In this society, I can't honestly think of a better way to handle the issue; outlawing abortion would just cause them to happen secretly, like smoking marijuana.

Energy subsidies? While I love Iowa and love money, using government money to try to nab some Iowa votes is ridiculous. Alternative energy is great, but it's obviously not economically viable, or they wouldn't NEED government subsidies. I actually rather like how frank John McCain is about this.

But don't think I love McCain. I was strongly against him for some time, and am only now beginning to accept that I will vote for him because, if absolutely nothing else, the complete absurdity of voting for Barack Obama. Obama's energy policies would set our economy quite a bit back, and his foreign policy is a joke. I realize I may sound as though I'm just regurgitating what I've heard on the radio or TV, but I hope you'd expect more from me than that. You mentioned his Supreme Court nominations would set us back; so would raising taxes and redeploying troops to Afghanistan.

I don't mean to have laid out my opinion in full or even particularly well; just some talking points that, if the occasion arises, I'm sure I'd be interested in talking over with you.

Good luck on the decision. Also, BYU is great. I'm having a blast in every way.

Ronn King, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, August 28, 2008 — The writer, a friend of Chuck Offenburger from their mutual hometown of Shenandoah, Iowa, is reacting to the August 25, 2008, ''Out in Greene County, Iowa'' column looking at the presidential race as it headed into the parties' conventions.

The main points of your timely column about this coming presidential election could have been written by me. Chuck, I've been struggling and wrestling with all these same issues. Like you, I'm impressed with Barack Obama. He reminds me of the John F. Kennedy campaign in 1960 and comes across similar to JFK in many ways. On the other hand, John McCain is pretty lackluster, although he impressed me favorably on a recent Jay Leno TV show. I'm a nominal Republican. I''m also a lifelong practicing Presbyterian, like Joe Biden's wife Jill, who is pro choice, but I'm 100 percent pro-life. I've also been quite cognizant of the long-term effects on Roe v. Wade if Obama is elected.

McCain also seems aloof and distant at times. But I don't agree that he's too old to serve effectively. I believe the age myth was dispelled convincingly by Ronald Reagan. Like you, I'm going to be swayed by the vice-presidential choices. I believe Joe Biden is a good man, but how can he be personally pro-life, and politically pro-choice, as his answer to you seems to indicate? If McCain chooses Mitt Romney or Kay Bailey Hutchinson, that might seal it for me. Otherwise, I'm still entertaining the idea of voting for Barack Obama. As the King of Persia said in ''The King & I,'' musical by Rodgers & Hammerstain, ''Is a puzzlement!''

Another topic, I lived for years in Jefferson City, Missouri, and I loved your story and photos of your KATY Trail bike ride. What a fanastic experience you four had, riding the trail and staying in those B&Bs! I love biking, too, and do so regularly, but probably not ready for RAGBRAI. On that super-hot day, I bet you rode through that tunnel very slowly, and perhaps even stopped a few minutes! Your ride back to Sedalia on Amtrak was fun, I'm sure. That train across Missouri is nicknamed ''The Mule,'' I believe.

Two weeks ago, my wife Rita and I and a good friend from Rapid City took Amtrak from Omaha to Chicago on the ''California Zephyr'' for a three-day vacation -- boat ride on Lake Michigan, tickets to ''Jersey Boys'' at the old ''Schubert,'' Redline Subway & ''El'' ride past Wrigley Field, top of the Sears Tower, all those touristy things.

We've taken the same train west through Colorado, and the scenery along the Colorado River is gorgeous beyond belief. Going Amtrak is kind of like combining being on a cruise ship, with camping out! The food on trains with a full service diner is pretty elegant, but the bathrooms leave much to be desired, unless you're willing to pay for a deluxe sleeping compartment. Legroom in coaches is great, and the ''Zephyr'' has a sight-seeing club lounge car with a snack bar café down on the lower level. As long as you have a mindset knowing your train is going to run late, it's the social way to travel.

Mary Ingvoldstad, Iowa City, August 26, 2008 — The writer is responding to Chuck Offenburger's ''Out in Greene County, Iowa'' column of August 25, 2008, looking at the presidential race as it headed into the two parties' conventions.

I understand your dilemma as you look at the presidential candidates this year. I have some thoughts that may or may not help you with your undecided status.

I agree that John McCain is too old. I also think he’s a shoot-from-the-hip kind of leader who would invade countries without blinking. He believes in military might, not in diplomacy; he’s another Republican who feels our status in the world is measured solely by our ability to overpower others.

As far as the abortion debate: Again, I understand your feelings but also feel this discussion is a false one. Being pro-life or pro-choice is not the point. Overturning Roe v. Wade is not the point. Abortion will be around as long as women get pregnant. Changing the laws will not solve the problem. It will only put us back to the days when the poor women turned to the back alleys, and the rich found the means to secure the abortions they wanted.

However, focusing on how to prevent unwanted pregnancies just might decrease the numbers. You have two men in Barack Obama and Joe Biden who are men of faith. Their personal views are not supportive of abortion, but they do believe that the government should not be making this personal decision. I remember well a few years ago where a woman who was pregnant was in a serious car accident. Her doctor informed her husband that he would either have to abort the baby and save the mother, or he could easily lose them both. As he was agonizing over this horrible decision, there were protestors yelling outside of the hospital, calling him a baby-killer, etc., and screaming about the right of the fetus to live. I was appalled.

Anyway, my point is that we need to increase availability and information about birth control and work hard to decrease the number of unwanted pregnancies. That is the only way to really get at the abortion issue.

The thing that gets me about the Republicans -- no offense -- is this great “respect” for life before birth, but not much respect for it after birth. Bombing the smithereens out of people seems to be O.K., and people in poverty are regarded basically as folks who just haven’t worked hard enough.

You have a man in Obama who may not be experienced in government work, but he’s certainly experienced in his understanding of the diversity of people and in seeing the United States from a different perspective. That does not make him “un-American” as his opponents have tried to paint him. He is a thoughtful, brilliant man who understands the role the United States needs to take in the world. We need to be less bombastic and more humble. We need to be role-models rather than bullies.

Did you know that there is no correlation between successful presidents and “experience” (in the traditional sense)? It has everything to do with wisdom, judgment, leadership skills and values. Success has little to do with how many years one has been a senator or a governor. (Abraham Lincoln is the obvious example!) Obama is also a smart guy who will seek the advice of others. If you want an example of his executive ability, take a good look at how he has run his campaign. His community-organizing experience is not lost on his ability to put together an amazing ground game. He beat Hillary Clinton by out-maneuvering her. Who would have guessed that a first-term African-American senator could defeat the massive Clinton political machine that had been in development for more than 20 years? Obama is no slouch.

O.K., I’ll quit now. I don’t know if I’ve helped swing you to the Obama side, but I had to try. In all seriousness, I think Obama is one of those rare people who come along once in a generation, perhaps once in a lifetime. I’m not “star-struck,” either. I don’t think he’s perfect. But I think he is brilliant, and thoughtful, and talented. And we need him right now.

Rev. Wes Smith, Longview, Washington, August 26, 2008 — The writer is a Shenandoah High School classmate of Chuck Offenburger.

I share many of your concerns about this presidential race (as it headed into the conventions). My Republican and pro-life commitments won't allow me the option of voting for Barack Obama, but I wish, like crazy, that our candidate John McCain was younger. A few months ago he was a guest on Jay Leno's show and at a particular point, he answered a question that was not asked! I'm waiting to see who his runningmate will be. It's legitimate to think that his choice will be the most important issue due to his age. Personally, I'm hoping that his choice for the vice-president slot will be female and black. That narrows the choice significantly!

Speaking of ''canning,'' which I see your wife Carla has been doing, I had my first canning experience last evening. A lady from our church came over and instructed me. We canned six pints of pickled beats and five quarts of pickled beans. My wife, who has no, I repeat, ''NO'' interest in canning, was on the computer looking for Children's Church material while we were hard at work in the kitchen. Something's wrong with this picture!

And, you mentioned the nice weather back in Iowa. We had our family reunion down at Moravia in mid-August and the temperature was in the upper 70s and lower 80s for the entire time we were there. Awesome! The Smith men did two afternoons of pond fishing. Caught lots of bass, crappie and blue gills. I was skipping through the radio stations at one point and came across KMA. Brought back lots of good memories!

Karen Chesshire Ray, Daytona Beach, Florida, August 26, 2008 — The writer is a Shenandoah High School classmate of Chuck Offenburger, now living in Florida.

Greetings from Paradise (Daytona Beach)!

Just read your column (on the presidential race, as it headed into the conventions). Mel and I are supporters of Barack Obama. I like Joe Biden's explanation of his views on abortion as a Catholic. I would hope that you would not let this one issue determine who you vote for.

Government should not tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her body, and if she chooses abortion, she should not have to go to a back alley to get one. I do not believe in partial birth abortion and I believe there should be controls. After having a grandson born at 28 weeks, weighing 2 lbs. 13 oz., and now being a typical and smart third grader, I would never support abortion rights late in a pregnancy.

I also enjoyed Carla's article about five days of relaxation (after RAGBRAI). That's what retirement is all about. Relaxing in Paradise!

Gary Schmidt, Ankeny, Iowa, August 26, 2008 — The writer is a Democratic Party activist who keeps us updated about how things are on his side of the political fence.

Thanks for sending us new articles for your Internet site. I read with interest the article about your view of the Presidential race, pre-conventions. I know this is gonna be a close race and there will probably be a lot of ''ticket splitting.'' For me this will be an easy vote because I will darken only one oval at the top of the ballot. A lot of this race will be good local candidates and organization by the political parties and candidates. I just know working with the Democrats is that they will be organized as ever before. We have an excellent slate of local candidates with resources. Senator Tom Harkin has always been a good vote getter and good for the top of our ticket.

Of course I will be voting for Barack Obama. If he runs his presidential campaign as well as he did his Iowa Caucuses campaign, he will win. I know he did an excellent job and had good people working for him. I was a Hillary Clinton precinct captain. The Obama people did a stellar job of trying to get me convinced to come their way and they almost got me. I have always been a Clinton loyalist and felt my loyalty with the Clintons should be intact and to go Hillary.

I sincerely believe that Barack will do better in foreign policy than John McCain will. I respect McCain for what he went through as a POW, but that doesn't necessariily mean that he has qualities to be the president. I personally think our nation would do well with a person of color at our helm. Other countries just don't trust us any more because we are predominantly a white nation and have always had white leaders at the top. A lot of our economic problems are due to the weak dollar. Other nations think we are ''war mongers'' and have no regard for other counties. The issue of experience is not as strong with me anymore as it once used to be. I think we have probably had a lot of leaders and presidents who have done well without a whole lot of experience. Nowadays it takes a lot of ''people skills'' to be a leader. I think Barack Obama has those skills.

Then there is the issue of abortion. I personally don't think the Republicans have any intention of ending Roe v. Wade. They only use that issue as a wedge to get Roman Catholics and blue collar fundamentalists to leave the Democratic Party. They have been fairly successful at it. The GOP has the Democrats to keep Roe v. Wade intact. If it is ended, then they will have no reason to use to get Roman Catholics and blue collar fundamentalists to leave the Democratic Party. I personally don't like abortion either, as it should be for health reasons and rare, but I certainly don't want to deny a father and wife with a family the right to deny his wife to have an abortion to stay alive. It should be the woman's choice along with her family, physician and faith. A patient should not have to go thru a judge or panel of experts to say yes or no.

In the final analysis, Chuck, I hope you will cast your vote for Barack Obama.

Our candidate for state representative in Ankeny, Matt Pfaltzgraf, has been doing well. I have been helping him door knock, and we have a lot of the city covered. I have lost 30 pounds since the first of the year. A lot of it due to the door knocking. We have had good receptions. Currently we are ''out working'' out opponent. That is how the race is gonna be won.

Van Harden, Des Moines, August 8, 2008 — The writer is co-host with Bonnie Lucas of the morning show on WHO radio in Des Moines. They were the chief promoters last week of the spectacle which resuled in more than 11,000 people showing up at the Iowa State Fairgrounds before 8 a.m. on the fair's opening day, to set a world record for most people eating a corndog at the same time. That event became the subject of a poll question in ''THE CONTINUOUS IOWA CAUCUS'' on this Internet site.

Ya gotta love Iowa. Your poll question made me laugh. Bonnie and I always say we’re amazed how our listeners do so many things we suggest, when it was so hard to get our own kids to do so!

Carla Offenburger, Jefferson, Iowa, August 7, 2008 — Here is a report from the writer's first day back at work at the Greene County Medical Center in Jefferson, after three days of riding bikes in 100-degree heat on the KATY Trail in Missouri.

I have been at work for over two hours, and I have experienced no mosquito bites, sticks hitting ankles, sunburn, heat stroke or flat tires. Life is good!

Joe Connolly, Council Bluffs, Iowa, August 7, 2008 — A report from our friend in Council Bluffs about his bicycling commute to his job in central Omaha, three days after he and his wife Cindy had been riding bikes with the Offenburgers in 100-degree heat on the KATY Trail in Missouri.

Its not fair! I rode my bike to work today, August 7, and I was cold. That's right COLD! At 7:15 a.m., it was 59 degrees, and stupid me, I didn't wear socks or a jacket so I was cold. It was very different than the 85 degrees at 8:15 a.m. Monday.

Gary Schmidt, Ankeny, Iowa, June 21, 2008 — The writer is referring to Chuck Offenburger's ''Out in Greene County, Iowa'' of June 16, 2008, about how Jeffersn's spelling champion Rick Morain was finally beaten in the local spelling bee after 40 years of competition.

I enjoyed reading your article about the spelling bee at the Bell Tower Festival. As I see it, there were many winners at the spelling bee. First of all, the contest has been so lucky as to have Rick Morain participating in the contest for so many years. I am sure he was gracious when he did not win this year. The grand prize winner of course was Shawn Pavlik. It was great seeing a picture of him and his supportive family. The other winner is Saydel High School located in Polk County on the northern edge of Des Moines. They will not only be getting a new math teacher in Pavlik, but also a champion speller. Thanks for telling such a refreshing story after a couple of weeks of news about devastating flood waters.

Arnie Henden, Sun Lakes, Arizona, June 13, 2008 — The writer is a bicycling friend of the Offenburgers.

Want you to know that we are thinking and praying for you and all of your Iowa neighbors as you cope with the weather related tragedy that the state is experiencing. Hope you are staying dry.

Rev. Art Seaman, Kittanning, Pennsylvania, June 13, 2008 — The writer, an occasional contributor of Guest Columns on this site, is a recently retired Presbyterian pastor who earlier in his career served churches in Shelby and Perry, Iowa. He first comments on the weather that has been devastating Iowa recently, then goes on to comment on the June 6, 2008, Guest Column by Douglas T. Bates III.

Well every day I look at weather news from Iowa. I am heartsick. I know this is costing many and a tragedy. Praying for sun and sunny weather.

The Bates column was simply superb. I hope this gets printed in the religious press, magazines and elsewhere. Doug is such a perceptive observer of the religious scene, and really knows his Bible and faith. What a peach of guy he is.

Bob Mobley, Wichita Falls, Texas, April 14, 2008 — The writer, a high school classmate of Chuck Offenburger in Shenandoah, Iowa, is now principal at Wichita Falls High School in Texas. He is a loyal reader of this Internet site.

What a wonderful story about prom night in Cooper in your April 14 column. We have a hard time getting students interested in attending prom. As a matter of fact prom at Wichita Falls High School was canceled this year due to a lack of student interest. Fewer than 30 students showed any interest, and that is out of a student body of 1500! Things have changed and it is too bad. Kids are by-passing the best years of their lives but not participating in high school events. They grow up too fast as it is.

Sarah Bates King, Fredericksburg, Virginia, March 25, 2008 — The writer is referring to Carla Offenburger's ''My View from the Porch'' column about our involvement with the visit to Jefferson this summer of the Des Moines Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI). This letter writer first saw Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, when she pedaled past it on RAGBRAI when she was a sophomore in high school. After finishing high school in Tennessee, she indeed came back to Iowa for college and graduated from Cornell.

Hey Carla, I loved reading your column on RAGBRAI, and quickly reflected on the fact that the ride certainly changed my course of history. I doubt I would have gone to Cornell College had I not been so comfortable with Iowa, thanks to the hospitality and fun I experienced on RAGBRAI! Thanks for helping me reflect on its blessings, and top of that list is my friendship with you and Chuck!

Allen J. Hall, Malvern, Iowa, February 21, 2008 — The writer and his wife have reserved their tickets to the 2008 Cooper Prom on April 12. Details about the prom can be found in the story on the left side of our home page.

Greetings from Malvern! My wife Joyce and I are really excited about attending the ''Almost Paradise'' prom at Cooper this year. We received our tickets last week and are going to look for a dress for her on Saturday. It has to be ''just right'' because she never got to go to a prom in high school -- Columbus, Neb., High School Class of '64. For myself, I'm torn between a tux or pinstripes (vintage,like me), with saddle shoes, of course. We are coming up Friday afternoon, April 11, the day before the prom, and are staying at Prairie View B & B just west of Panora. Do you need any volunteers to help decorate, clean, etc.? We would be glad to help in any way. Let us know. See you in April.

We told the Halls to come in their decorating clothes on that Friday, and we'll have them involved as our Committee for a Super Cooper finishes up all the special decorating touches!

Mark Potter, Minnetonka, Minnesota, February 21, 2008 — Carla Offenburger's ''My View from the Porch'' column of February 18, 2008, about the death of our old dog Ginger has prompted a number of responses from readers, several of which are published below here. In addition, we have received actual sympathy cards via the U.S. Mail. Nearly everyone, we have realized, knows the pain of losing a pet to death.

Now that's what I call ''writing from the heart.'' Dogs are given a special role in our lives and they rarely disappoint. Losing a loyal dog is really like losing a close friend. I have heard that dogs have a special sense, and they know when their lives are about to come to an end. Quite often a dog will go off on its own to die. I believe they just don't want their masters to see them leave. Kind of like an ''out of sight out of mind'' attitude. I believe Ginger is now being taken care of by your dad. I can only imagine what you are going through. You have great memories of a great dog and that can never be taken away from you. I hope another well-deserving loyal dog finds his way into your home. That dog is going to have some large shoes to fill.

Leslee Oziah, O'Fallon, Missouri, February 18, 2008 — The writer is a regular reader of this Internet site. I am so sorry to hear about your losing Ginger. I have been crying ever since I read your story. I am keeping you and Chuck in my prayers. I lost my precious cocker spaniel Velvet two years ago this coming March 15. She was 14 years old and was deaf and blind, but I loved her very much. I know you will miss Ginger for a long, long time. I miss Velvet every day. We didn't get another dog since Vern and I travel a lot, so it is easier not to have a pet. I hope that Ginger and Velvet are both waiting to greet us when we leave this earth, then we can be together again.

Arnie & Shelly Henden, Sun Lakes, Arizona, February 19, 2008 — The writer, a friend from bicycling, stayed at Simple Serenity Farm one night during RAGBRAI in 2006, and he wound up having Ginger taking refuge on and under his bed while a fierce thunderstorm raged outdoors. We are so sorry to hear about Ginger. I was privileged to get to know her oh but for a brief overnight. We share in your loss and hope the following brings some comfort to you and Chuck.

To share your comments, opinions and insights with us and with our readers, e-mail us at chuck@Offenburger.com or carla@Offenburger.com. Be sure to include your phone number, in case we need to verify the authenticity of your message. No unsigned messages will be posted here. Your reactions specifically to Carla Offenburger’s weekly updates in “Offenburgers’ Farm Journal” and to her book reviews in “What’s Carla Reading?” will continue to run right with those features. Thanks for all your thoughts!