Let’s talk about devastating deals and ideas

Outrageous proposals and endorsements by presidential wannabes continue to widen the umbrella of one party and baffle the brains of the other. Consider open/no borders, sanctuary cities, universal health care, and the 'green new deal.” Such policies would overwhelm our already overtaxed health care, educational and law enforcement systems and cost trillions besides.

To implement a no/low carbon law would have catastrophic consequences of paralyzing the production, agricultural and transportation industries, which then would generate lawlessness, starvation and disease. Yet Disneyland, wide-eyed idealists want to soak citizens to save the planet.

Now social justice warriors propose reparations for descendants of slaves and others ill-treated. Yes, we and all countries have been guilty of injustices toward blacks and minorities. But what other nation fought a civil war, made drastic progress, and became a mega-magnet for foreigners? How about reparations for us who have Native American blood, whose ancestors suffered ethnic disgrace or who fought or died during war? Or with ancestral DNA searches, why not trace the black Africans who sold their own? How many generations to get past the 'racist” blame game?

I submit reparations are nothing more than retribution, revenge and Marxist redistribution of wealth to appease past grievances for political gain by a party in power. For those wishing to compensate ancestral injustice, why not do one's own DNA search, discover family guilt and then voluntarily create scholarships or individual sponsorships for descendant victims?

May God spare us from reparations and similar policies, which would destroy our republic.

Tim Bickel

Cedar Rapids