Chronicle Editorial

By: 
Chronicle Staff

A fresh start to fall
     The past two weeks have provided some great weather to usher in the fall season. Harvest is in full swing, dust is flying and we’re powering through another busy month.
     This time of the year is always a welcomed period for rural communities like ours. Fields are a flutter with activity and local elevators are running nonstop taking in crops. Though grain prices are lower than years past, we can all relish in the busy excitement that makes harvest time so special in Iowa.
     Many regions throughout the state are reporting a bumper crop. While a good harvest is always great, it doesn’t necessarily mean huge profits for farmers. This trend affects our rural economies and small towns in noticeable ways. If there’s less money being spent by farmers and other ag interests, our businesses can suffer.
     Though the outlook may be somewhat gloomy in the months ahead, there’s reason for optimism in rural Iowa. Many counties are continuing to rebound from the deadly bird flu virus that devastated the poultry industry this spring. Neighboring Wright County and other regions of the state were hit particularly hard and it no doubt impacted them in multiple ways. Jobs were lost, resources were strained and families were affected.
     Despite these setbacks, the local ag sector will move forward undaunted. A good harvest is a start to getting back on track. Though grain prices aren’t where farmers would like them to be, we can remain hopeful for better times ahead as rural Iowa copes with economic challenges. We’ve dealt with this before and we’ll certainly weather it again.
 
Gun reform, revisited
     This month’s tragedy in Oregon rekindled the neverending debate about America’s gun laws. Elected officials and presidential candidates have offered their views in the wake of the mass shooting, but their partisan ideas lack both merit and promise. It’s clear comprehensive reforms in mental health care, background checks and other areas are needed if the country wants to prevent future massacres.
     The gun debate has morphed into the elephant in the room over the past few years. Leftists want to crackdown on gun ownership and limit weapons, while rightwingers tend to shun these reforms in favor of the status quo. This has created polarized discourse infiltrated by lobbyists and other special interests on both sides. Such charged rhetoric and inflated hyperbole has led to a stalemate with little hopes for future progress.
     It’s clear reform won’t come easy. More often than not, it seems these extremists obtain guns legally prior to carrying out their murderous rampages. That has led many lawmakers to sit back and say nothing can be done to prevent future incidents; that they’ll happen regardless of new policies or other changes.
     That approach is wrong. Recent acts of violence and murder have necessitated reform. Whether that means strengthened background checks, improved mental health care offerings or changes to gun law, something needs to be done. Not everyone will be happy, but policymakers cannot stand by and do nothing in the face of such tragedies.
     The vast majority of gun owners are responsible citizens that never intend to inflict harm on others. The right to keep and bear arms is protected under the U.S. Constitution and should remain in place. However, a bipartisan effort is needed to change the tide of mass shootings occuring throughout the country. Citizens should not have to fear for their lives at school, in the movie theater or out in public. Our nation’s policymakers should reflect on the situation and address it instead of waiting for the next one.

Hampton Chronicle

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Hampton, IA 50441
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