TO THE EDITOR:

I saw today, the day that Putin invaded Ukraine, that the price of gasoline here in Big Lake jumped from $3.39 to $3.54.   Note that a year ago the price was $2.26/gal. (On November 12, 2020 it was $1.91 and on January 20, 2021, when Biden took over the White House, the price was $2.26/gal.)  A couple observations.  Be ready for the Biden administration to blame the entire (and future) increase in gas prices on the war in Ukraine, yet the $1.13 increase from when Biden took office was due to his policies prior to this war. Also, why was there such a large price hike on the day that the war started?  I thought the price was based upon the cost to replenish the tanks at the local gas station.  It’s going to take weeks for a drop in supply to physically make its way to the pumps here.  Seems like the fuel industry is taking this opportunity to gouge the public.  Just a couple observations. (FYI: My cost numbers in the letter above are from my gas receipts.)

 Bret R. Collier

Big Lake, MN

TO THE EDITOR:

Citizenship is part of one’s identity—one’s political DNA—attained at birth or through naturalization.America’s Creed, written by William Tyler Page in 1917 and accepted by the House of Representatives in 1918 still applies for US citizens—native-born and naturalized.  He wrote that ours is a “Government of the People, by the People, for the People” with Government deriving its powers from the People, that our republic is established on “freedom, equality, and justice” won by patriots who sacrificed their all.  The People’s duty is to love the nation, defend its Constitution, obey its laws, respect its flag, and to defend it from all enemies. (paraphrase). As our country now focuses on the borders between Russia and its neighbors, many politicians ignore our open and unprotected border with Mexico.  Illegal entrants arrive with expectations to the rights of US citizens without the responsibilities of citizenship, as outlined by Page.  In 1955, J. M Swing, Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization, defined the Meaning of American Citizenship.  The naturalized citizens are neither a part of the country of origin nor hyphenated-Americans.  Rather, they become an integral part of the free government of this land—citizens of the United States of America.

Dr. Phyllis VanBuren, 

Clearwater