Christian nationalism goes against foundational principles and is just un-American

Nationalism

Christian nationalists might love Christ, their God, and their version of the Bible, but they don’t love or respect the founding principles of our U.S. Constitution. Christian nationalism is un-American.

Nationalism is often confused with patriotism; they’re not the same. Nationalism supersedes loyalty and devotion to our republic. It signifies a sense of superiority, not exceptionalism. Therefore, nationalism is NOT founded upon unity, but rather an exclusive faction of a nation’s people. Nazism is an example of German nationalism.

Religion coupled with nationalist ideals represents “cultural superiority.” But furthering that by putting “Biblical Law” into state and national laws is full-blown religious domination. It is forcing — through the rule of law — one religious sect’s beliefs, thus nullifying the religious freedom granted to us all under the 1st Amendment. The Taliban is an example of a sect driven by religious nationalist ideals.

Voters elected numerous Christian nationalists to make and execute laws. Watching closely for legislative and executive actions that move Idaho further toward becoming a Christian nation-state — and taking action to stop it — is crucial. That is unless you have no respect for one of the foundational principles upon which this republic prospered — religious freedom.

Victoria M. Young, Caldwell

Climate

Jay Ambrose’s recent guest opinion warned us: “watch out for climate change extremists.” However, most of what he said only highlights the urgency for finding a climate solution. He admits “climate change is already killing plants and animals to a truly frightening degree, melting Arctic ice, affecting lakes and rivers in this country and making seas rise.” He doesn’t deny that warm seas are causing more catastrophic hurricanes or that prolonged droughts have drained Lake Powell and decimated the flow of mighty Mississippi. He might not even doubt that climate change has brought “smoke season” into our lives.

Instead, his remedy is to beef up our early warning and rescue services so we can save people as their homes are flooded or set aflame.

Justice Oliver Holmes once opined that “free speech would not protect a man falsely shouting ‘fire’ in a theatre and causing a panic.” But wouldn’t you want to know if the theatre you were in truly was on fire? The burning of coal, gas and oil is setting our world aflame. We don’t need to panic but we do need to act. The ones to “watch out for” are the climate deniers.

Don Kemper, Boise

Carbon neutral

A recent Idaho Statesman article showed how Boise can become carbon neutral. Here are more ideas.

Cooking indoors with gas or electricity all adds to greenhouse emissions, affects air quality and in the summer heat our homes, which increases need for air conditioning. One solution is to cook more outdoors. As an alternative to barbecues, use solar ovens. I have used one for years. They work well when the sun shines.

Electric bicycles, scooters and cars are energy efficient. Shared use of electric vehicles makes access more available, and affordable than private ownership. Boise can create electric vehicle cooperatives, either City operated, or by private companies, in conjunction with mixed use commercial and residential buildings. People might reserve and rent either an electric bike, a mini super efficient 2 door compact for shopping, a hybrid for travel and recreation, and even an electric pickup, camper van or hybrid RV for special needs.

Electric vehicle cooperatives might reduce the need for parking. Less parking spaces means less expense in construction of denser buildings, and incentives to not park a vehicle can be reduced, with incentives that reduce rent and make housing more affordable.

Make it happen Boise.

Brent B Mathieu, Boise

Thanks, Kuna

I want to thank the community for their support of Kuna Rural Fire District’s operations levy and bond in the Nov. 8 election.

Thanks to you, we will be able to hire up to six additional firefighters to help us reduce response times, increase unit reliability and improve community safety. The additional personnel will help us serve the fire district’s growing population base and demands for emergency services. The bond will allow us to build a second fire station south of the train tracks to add capacity and improve service reliability across the entire district.

We are proud to serve this community and grateful for your support. As always, we’ll keep you updated on our progress and report back to you as we implement these service improvements.

Fire Chief T.J. Lawrence, Kuna Rural Fire District

Save salmon

Can rail save salmon? In a detailed report, Solutionary Rail (SR) identifies upgrades needed for rail transportation to replace shipping grain by barge on the lower Snake River. According to SR, this modal shift would benefit the State of Washington, Pacific Northwest tribes, the environment, rural communities, wheat farmers and Snake River salmon.

Snake River barge transportation faces growing uncertainties:

Threatened and endangered Snake River salmon are on a path to extinction; Pacific Northwest fish scientists and federal agencies agree the best, and likely the only, way to recover these fish is to breach the four lower Snake River dams.

Water temperatures frequently exceed levels salmon need to survive; the only identified solution is the elimination of solar-heated slack-water reservoirs behind the dams.

Since 2000, freight volume on the lower Snake has steadily declined. All container-on-barge shipping has ceased. The number of loaded barges passing through Lower Granite dam has declined by 70%.

The dams and locks are aging, requiring more expensive repairs; the taxpayer subsidy now exceeds $40,000 per barge.

Continuing litigation is a constant threat to barging, adding still more uncertainty.

Can rail save salmon? You’ll find a comprehensive answer at SolutionaryRail.org/lsrbarge2rail or google “solutionary rail snake river.”

Linwood Laughy, Moscow

Tax cuts

During the campaign, Senate candidate David Roth noted that Sen. Mike Crapo had voted for tax cuts that added to the national debt. Senator Crapo said that those tax cuts did not contribute to larger deficits.

Here are the facts. One of the best ways to look at deficits is to look at the ratio of the annual deficit to the GDP. The average annual ratio for the 20 years prior to the inauguration of Ronald Reagan was 1.47%. During the Carter years, the average had been 2.33%. Beginning in 1981 the Reagan Administration began cutting taxes on the wealthy. During his years in office, the average ratio climbed to 4.05%. George H.W. Bush, then Clinton raised taxes. The average ratio during Clinton’s administration dropped to .73%! George W. Bush again cut taxes on the wealthy, and the ratio climbed back to 1.91%. Obama inherited a recession, but during Obama’s last four years, the deficit-to-GDP ratio was 2.77%. Republicans, including Mike Crapo, cut taxes in 2017, and the average ratio climbed to 3.93% during the first three years of the Trump administration before the 2020 recession.

Senator Crapo, tax cuts for the wealthy drive deficits and increase our national debt, period!

Darwin Roy, Mayfield