Letters to the editor on September 6:
In mid-August, Minnehaha County Auditor Bob Litz proposed placing polling stations in local libraries. It seemed like a wonderful idea. A way for the electorate to ensure that their votes have been delivered on time and in form, given the developing pandemic in our state, and to ease the burden on the postal service. Instances can be monitored through surveillance cameras. Especially since some officials seek to question the reliability of mail-in voting.
However, the mayor objected. TenHaken said he agreed with the concept in theory, but that it was too far past because of the main security points of how the ballots would be secured and collected.
TenHaken added that his workplace was following a similar case in Iowa, where the workplace secretary of state told county auditors that delivery boxes may not be installed, more than 30 county auditors have used the formula in the past, some for years.
I am very disappointed with the mayor’s reaction and would like to know why I was too late in mid-August and too early on August 26. Deposit boxes are a means of voting that would be safe and used in many other places in the D hate to think that this is an effort to help depress the vote and cast doubt on the reliability of mail voting.
The integrity of these upcoming elections is such a fear that deposit boxes are an affordable way to advertise a safe vote. The purpose of our local leaders deserves to be to ensure our ultimate fundamental civil right: to ensure that our votes are counted. .
Joan McMillin, Sioux Falls
Donald Trump recently called our war heroes “losers and fools. “As the leader of a circle of golden star relatives, I will have to confess that I may no longer feel contempt for this filthy, filthy little man. would replace that. That doesn’t surprise me.
My message to Senators Rounds, Thune and Governor Noem is: Where is your outrage?Why are you silent and locked up, are you afraid of your own political career?
Mr. Rounds and Thune, or spoke at my son’s army funeral on February 17, 2006. They saw how I taught my little daughters the right way to greet the coffin of their brothers who passed in front of them in a funeral procession of the army. Is this a fact that only you in a position of strength know?Are they fools and losers?
After all, the only weapons of mass destruction in Iraq existed in Bush’s mind. Maybe they were fools and losers who passed out every day with hobbies on their backs so it didn’t exist?My outrage is not why Trump. No expect less. My indignation is for you to shut up.
Someone once said that evil happens when intelligent men keep quiet. Why don’t you answer? Because of his silence, he thinks he agrees with Trump.
William Herried, Sioux Falls
Governor Noem gave a speech at the Republican National Convention highlighting the values of freedom, opportunity and equality. I agree that we will have to fight for those virtues, especially in South Dakota. Our search begins when we assumed the oppressive state laws, which Noem could not do in his first two years as governor.
The captivity of drug abuse and incarceration in federal prisons are the antithesis of freedom, however, we remain the only state where ingesting a controlled substance is an automatic crime. Imprisoning others with addictions only aggravates the problem.
Voting rights are a hallmark of a flexible society, yet South Dakotans who show up to vote are denied if they are not registered to vote 15 days in advance. The action initiated procedure is under attack and the legislature has rejected the opportunity to allow the electorate to become the 39th state to expand Medicaid.
Noem’s attempts to strip the tribes of their checkpoints show a transparent difference of perspective. Noem’s concept of freedom values the ability of non-natives to enter the reservation without regard to tribal law than the ability of a sovereign country to ensure the security of its territory. persons.
Our state invests in needs-based scholarships at anemic levels. More academics in South Dakota have debts than almost any other state. We have an early learning advisory board. The bill to create a council died, in part, due to the cost projection of approximately $20,000, or the amount spent on about a minute of fireworks in California at Mount Rushmore.
South Dakota does not have legislation against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, which makes citizens vulnerable to discrimination in housing and public housing. A state where a worker can be fired for being gay and embracing equality.
We will have to try to live up to our motto of state, “Under God, other people rule. More importantly, my religion reminds me, as it is written in 1 Corinthians 9:19, “For I am loose of all men, I have become a slave of all. “Freedom does not deserve to be measured by our ability to harm others without legal consequences, but by the ability to love and care for others.
The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. , whom Noem quoted in his speech, wrote in his letter as a captive of Birmingham Prison: “We know by a painful delight that freedom is never given voluntarily through the oppressor; will have to be demanded through the oppressed.
Noem is not in this year’s election, but the 105 state legislators are on the ballot. I’ll vote for the Democrats. I challenge you to register for me and a true quest for freedom, opportunity and equality for all south Dakotaers.
Thomas Elness, Sioux Falls
It’s frustrating that many of my peers, also known as Generation Y, don’t perceive the importance of voting. To avoid confrontations or discussions, his answer is “oh, I’m not in politics. “I sense the need to make life less difficult through avoiding discussions, but does it help us?With election season just around the corner, I think it’s vital to know that your voice matters. It’s painful to hear millennials say ‘I don’t care if I vote’ or ‘possibly wouldn’t make a difference. ‘
I think it’s time for you to worry, especially women. Have we forgotten how many women protest so that their voice is heard? The suffragettes who fought for our right to vote, that we are now a privilege. They broke the “tradition” because they believed that both women and men deserve to have reviews on political issues. That we are wise enough to vote, that we deserve to have the right to vote.
So I urge everyone to be informed. Gather data from unbiased sources. I don’t care if he’s a Republican or a Democrat, I don’t care about the parties’ position on things, because the only thing worse than misinformed voting is not voting at all. So this year, it takes a moment to be informed of the parties and pass the vote.
Emma Qurashi, Brookings
So are you one of the majority of South Dakotaers who participate in a medical marijuana program in South Dakota, but are you concerned that Peter’s politicians are ignoring the electorate’s will and refuse to put a medical marijuana program into effect?Given the history of Pierre politicians necessarily repealing the SD anti-corruption law in 2017, this is a very moderate concern.
But this is what the electorate will have to do: vote “yes” on Amendment A and Measure 26. Why? In addition to supporting Measure 26, voting ‘yes’ to ‘A’ will force state legislators, through a state constitutional mandate, to enact mandatory legislation to identify medical marijuana, adult marijuana and commercial hemp programs. .
In other words, voting yes to “A” leaves them no room for manoeuvre to forget the electorate’s will over Measure 26. On the other hand, if the electorate approves Measure 26 without Amendment A, Peter’s politicians will almost certainly take a look to forget about the will of the electorate. Then please vote for Amendment A and Measure 26!
Nicholas Weiland, Sioux Falls
As a long-time resident and South Dakota voter, I see a lot of irony and emotions of sadness and deep sadness in our current governor’s movements, while accumulating wonderful economic and fitness hazards on the backs of a hardworking front. South Dakotans line, has advocated and promoted recent meetings of thousands of visitors and tourists from across the United States in our state, so that some business teams simply make significant monetary profits.
Once the calendar of occasions passed, he swam against the current against common sense and altruistic decisions of more than 70% of the leaders of our other states and decisively denied the indispensable benefits for many of these hardworking citizens and others. While other states have implemented the maximum for prolonged unemployment benefits and some have even paid more funds, dissident Governor Noem said she “her administration might not want it. “I would say that many of the 33,000 eligible citizens want it – they face concern, uncertainty and anxiety about their long term and that of their young and dependents. If, under unforeseen circumstances, the expected flow from the circle of relatives source of income to the governor herself was removed (unrealistic, however), her circle of relatives would revel in similar difficulties, deep concern and emotions of humility.
Ironic is also the fact that out of conceivable concern and anxiety from the governor, his administration, and his family, we spent over $ 400,000 to build a security fence and strengthen its security, while last year, she proudly led the rate to mark the legislation. Allow other people to bring concealed weapons without a license on the assets of all other businesses, apartments, and campuses throughout this beautiful state.
Does our governor care about your driving wishes or do you lose your welfare seat and the protection of others when searching your mirror?
Eivind Oland, Sioux Falls
Last November, South Dakota launched the “Meth, We On It” campaign.
Governor Kristi Noem said: “What we’re talking about is that each of us, no matter who we are, is in the case of methamphetamine. That we are our family, our friends, our communities of this epidemic to see.
Thirteen other people in the state died from a methamphetamine overdose in 2018. There were 73 overdose deaths overall in SD 2017, according to the CDC. Drug-related deaths were not among the top 10 most sensitive reasons for death in the state that year.
So today the most recent COVID issues are published and another terrible day for South Dakota. The most recent figures are 165 COVID deaths, 2,182 active instances and 12,517 instances in total. Historical highs, all of which will be surpassed compared to the next and next day.
My question is why has so much time, effort and cash (almost $ 2 million at least) been invested in this crusade from “Meth, We On It” to the governor’s hands-off technique regarding COVID? In writing, another 165 people died in the last five months of SDCOVID.
Why is methamphetamine thought to be a serious problem, but COVID is not?At this rate, COVID is believed to be the seventh leading cause of death in the state.
I would love for the governor to say instead: “Each of us, no matter who we are, is in the case of COVID. That we are our family, our friends, our communities of this epidemic that we see. “
Instead, he says he will push for schools to remain open this fall, but opposes any legal responsibility for young people to wear masks in classrooms.
It downplays clinical findings that the mask can slow the spread of the disease and allows another 250,000 people to gather in Sturgis and SURPRISE, South Dakota is now at its peak and developing every day.
Noem said: “We sacrifice the educational, physical, emotional, and social well-being of our children. The dangers of COVID are too small for us to make sure everyone stays home. “
Why were thirteen meth-related deaths in 2018 and 2,687 meth arrests in 2016 an “epidemic,” but 165 COVID deaths, 2,182 active instances and 12517 instances in total in five months were considered “minimal” through the same person?
Travis Kriens, Mitchell