Group barking up wrong tree with Boise State religion complaint | Opinion

Boise State coach

Sounds like the Freedom From Religion Foundation is barking up the wrong tree this time. Your article about how they claim that Boise State’s coach Danielson is practicing “unconstitutional religious coercion“ on his players is a huge understatement of the truth. FYI: This “foundation” is the nation’s largest free-thinking association, with more than 39,000 free thinkers: atheists, agnostics and skeptics of any pedigree (yep, that’s right out of their free-thinking website). Their lawsuits have removed the Ten Commandments and Jesus paintings from public schools, have stopped school prayer, removed nativity scenes and Christian crosses from public property. Boy, this sounds like an organization we should all donate to instead of donating to your local church, synagogue or mosque. Maybe take your atheists and agnostics to another state, but not here in Idaho. For your sake, there better not be life after death, because the keeper of the gate will be hitting the down button on your elevators. The FFRF should take their complaints to the Supreme Court, because isn’t the motto of the U.S. “In God we trust”?

Jack Oberti, McCall

DOGE cuts

DOGE is cutting services to both the middle class and especially the poor. Meanwhile SpaceX has nothing to do with real space exploration but merely pollutes the ozone layer that protects the earth. But that’s OK since the Trump administration denies climate change. This is Trump’s “logic” in that services to the poor and middle class is a waste while polluting the ozone is a good thing. Hypocritical Republicans “worry” about the deficit but they continue to run up the national debt by continuing the insane trillions of tax cuts for the super rich. The proverbial frog will not jump into boiling water but after being in lukewarm water the frog will slowly accept the slow rise in temperature, become trapped and ultimately be boiled in gradual heat. Just as the proverbial frog has been slowly boiled since 2016, can we as a nation survive four years of the bafoonish Trump Administration.

Sidney Asker, Boise

USAID cuts

My father was born and raised in Idaho and had a 40-year career as a professor of Agricultural Economics. I grew up watching him take trips to Thailand and Bangladesh with USAID. His efforts to support and educate farmers and food processors built understanding and goodwill. As a teenager I spent two years living with my family at a research station in northeast Thailand. We saw up close the positive impacts USAID has on rural communities.

I have been pondering peacemaking a lot in recent weeks. I have come to understand that peacemaking demands proximity. When I allow myself to be face-to-face with someone who has a different worldview —whether they are from another nation or just down my street — I have the opportunity to see that person more clearly. Peacemaking calls me to sit with someone who doesn’t share my viewpoint and be curious and open to their thoughts and needs.

For over 50 years, USAID has played an important role in shortening the distances between us and our global neighbors. Proximity is critical to our ability to promote peace. I call upon Senators Crapo and Risch to stand up and defend USAID and build a more peaceful world.

Tonnis Huskinson, Idaho Falls

Medicaid cuts

When Medicaid is cut, that means those using Medicare will see a $185 bill every month because Medicaid will no longer be paying for the Medicare premium. That’s $2,220 per year...an automatic tax increase. That’s $2,220 per year per person that won’t be spent in the economy, not to mention the burden on seniors already living on pinched incomes. In Idaho there are approximately 26,000 people on Medicaid and Medicare simultaneously. That $2,220 translates in Idaho to $57,720,000 that will not be spent inside our economy. I’m sure our two Congressional representatives have staffers who can do arithmetic, which leads me to believe they don’t care. And I’m just wondering, are they really representing us back here at home?

Lou-Ann Couch, Boise

American leadership

As a lifelong Idahoan, I am deeply troubled by the recent assaults on the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This agency, established by President John F. Kennedy, has been a pillar of American altruism and global leadership for over six decades. USAID operates on less than 1% of the federal budget, yet its impact is monumental. It not only provides humanitarian aid but also opens markets for Idaho’s farmers, bolstering our local economy. This capitulation not only jeopardizes our state’s agricultural interests but also tarnishes America’s reputation as a beacon of hope and freedom. Helping our neighbors, whether local or global, transcends partisan politics; it’s a testament to our shared humanity. As a former Peace Corps volunteer, I know how impactful support from the USA is to developing counties. Many Idahoans also spend time volunteering abroad through various programs and religious missions; this work is important. I urge Idaho’s representatives to stand firm against these unfounded attacks, uphold the legacy of USAID, and ensure that our nation’s values are not compromised by the whims of the affluent few.

Maria Puga, Boise

Separation of powers

In the USA there are three branches of government: 1. Legislative Branch writes law 2. Executive Branch approves or disapproves of the legislative outcomes 3. The Judicial Branch assures laws match the intent of our Constitution.

Guess what? We have a very robust Executive Branch consisting of Donald Trump and Elon Musk who are essentially writing, interpreting, and insisting on which laws are passed or rejected. We have a Supreme Court that is reluctant to chime in on laws or direction of our government, but will do so when necessary. Finally, we have the Legislative Branch which writes laws, reviews them, and revises them.

Our legislative branch (House of Representatives and Senate), when asked about a law or a change in law, their most common answer is “no comment.” They know that no matter what answer they give to a request, half of the voters will be happy, and half unhappy. As a result, those Representatives and Senators do nothing but hide and stay silent.

Is that what we citizens want of our leaders? A probable solution would be term limits, even if longer terms, as that would go a long way to improving our government activity and outcomes.

Charles B. Bonner, Eagle

This story was originally published February 28, 2025 at 4:00 AM.