Needs to apologize
I don't, we don't, as readers appreciate a political rant (When will ag get tough with President Trump? September issue, Page 12) from your magazine. I think it was despicable of your editors to let this go to print. Bashing our president in an article with opinions that are not factually correct is unprofessional and a great way to lose subscribers/readers and advertising clients.

I know I'm not the only person thinking this about Lon Tonneson's article. There have been other farmers in the area that agreed he crossed the line by bringing politics into what I thought was a politically neutral magazine. A lot of us had respect for Lon, and he has written some fantastic articles. However, this latest rant took myself and a lot of my farm friends for a loop. He needs to apologize and keep his politics to himself. 

Hannah Jakob,
via email

Democrats offer nothing

Just what have the Democrats proposed to make me vote for them? Nothing. I will not vote Democrat with their anti-gun, anti-energy, federalized health, socialistic platform, and late-term killing of Gods' most precious. Their priorities seem to focus on gay marriage, unlimited immigration, unbounded regulation and a weakened military. Sorry, Trump gets my support, and Republicans after him.  

Name withheld by request

Backs Trump on China
After reading "When will ag get tough with President Trump?" — I couldn't disagree more! I am like all other producers that depend on income from the major crops grown in the Upper Midwest [in being] concerned about tariffs as much as anyone. However, the issues that are at stake with China are huge and have major implications in the near future.

It is my understanding that there are three major issues regarding trade negotiations with China — ag, materials and intellectual property. The first two have been largely agreed upon, according to news reports, but the sticking point is the third one: intellectual property. If the United States continues to go down the easy path to make things look good, we will have major threats to the sovereignty of our nation.

China has made a habit of helping themselves to missile launch technology (thanks to Bill Clinton), numerous technology thefts from Silicon Valley, as well as all of our manufacturing technology that we have given to them in favor of cheap manufacturing and greed.

Along with this, there are over 300,000 Chinese students studying in American universities. Guess what they are enrolled in? If your guess is engineering, computer science and technology, you done well. Does any of this make sense? Not to me! The problems that have been created are a result of both Republican and Democratic administrations.

President Trump is the first one in many years to see the threats to our nation and get this resolved before it is too late. I personally don't want to be growing what a Chinese communist tells me to in 15 to 20 years.

I would recommend you purchase a book written by Mikael Pillsbury called, "The 100-year Marathon: China's Secret Strategy to Replace America as the Global Superpower." Mikael has worked in the Carter administration, Reagan administration, both Bushes’, as well as Obama’s. It is easy to go to the coffee shop and gripe and moan, but let's enter some facts and see the big picture before jumping to conclusions. Yes, it may be tough for a bit, but we have the best negotiator possible engaged.

On your second point of how we should vote Democrat this time, first, this leads us down the path as above, but also adds an additional list of goodies: WOTUS, more ridiculous rules regarding farming practices such as dictating what can and cannot be tiled by people who don't have a clue, more unnecessary emission standards that add incredible cost for diesel engines, more mandates on our trucks that are used to deliver product, cattle or grain, and possibly a return to regulating farm dust — just to name a few. I am sure that this is only the beginning. I don't have enough of a warped mind to speculate on what the current Democratic Party would come up with, but going to the latest horror movie would most certainly give us better insight.

I strongly urge you to pick up Mikael Pillsbury's book, it will most certainly give you another view of what we are truly facing. I like facts, not emotional nonsense from the coffee shop wizards! 

Jerry Mork,
Pierpont, S.D.

Trump’s got guts
When I read your article ("When will ag get tough with President Trump?") the other day, besides getting mad as hell, I thought [you] must have drank the corrupted water at a Farmers Union camp.

I am not a dyed-in-the-wool Republican. I am a Christian conservative, and the Republican platform comes closest to what I believe. But there are many pantywaists in our party that are warmed-over Democrats.

So, Lon, lets ferret out what’s important. To you it would seem a farmer’s bottom line is it. To me that’s small thinking. I’m 74 years old and have been farming my whole life. Do you think that a party that’s just fine with killing 60 million babies since 1973 gives a damn about farmers’ income? Lon, you gotta be brighter than that.

Lon, you must believe the ag associations are all in for the farmers. I am very suspect where their loyalties lie. So, I wouldn’t get excited [about] what they think.

I trust very little of what some people (surely liberals) say. Forty years ago, the National Farmers Organization said we import as much as we export. If that was true, what’s the big hullabaloo about exports are [our] salvation? I realize there have been big changes since 1980, but put an article together showing how much wheat, feed grain, beef, lamb, pork, corn, etc. we import compared to how much we export. I expect there’s a lot of middlemen — grain companies, shipping industry — that have a huge vested interest in pushing their export crusade, and nothing or very little with a farmer/livestock man's profit.

You yowl about Trump’s tariffs. Do you think these countries that have been taking advantage of the U.S. for decades are going to play nice without twisting their tails? And sure, there is risk and potential hurt from twisting their tails, but I believe it will come out better at the end.

You might say ya, but what about those that go under in the process? Look at the overspending — grain systems, machine sheds, machinery, new houses — and a lot of these guys are 50 years old or so. Then they cry, "Government save us (taxpayer save us)."

If you hate Trump, come out and say so. Don’t corrupt your paper by your rant. Trump has done more good for America than any president since Reagan. And he’s got more guts than the whole lot of them (we supported Cruz).

Lon, we went through the ’80s and ’90s, high interest, low prices and drought. Only by the grace of God did we make it.

I wish you and your paper good times, and God bless America and make our country great again

Gary Nelson,
Sentinel Butte, N.D.

Trump’s bringing America back
Your column makes we think you were indoctrinated in the youth camps of Farmers Union. How short-sighted! If we were in a military war, I wouldn’t want you as the general. Turn tail and run at the first volley.

You must not be listening to ag leaders who have said the tariff war will turn around completely in time. Should we continue to let the world steal from America with outrageous tariffs, so they continue to buy our products?

President Trump has brought America back a long way already from the sad days of the Obama administration. Obama said our best days were over and to get used to it. Is that leadership?

You make a pretty good fit with the other liberal news media. Do you approve of murdering babies also? That’s what you get with the Democrats’ agenda, along with higher taxes, disrespect for police and the rule of law, illegal immigration for more Democratic votes, and the list goes on and on.

Shame on you, Lon Tonneson.

God bless our president’s efforts on behalf of all American’s people and God bless America.

Gayle Nelson,
Sentinel Butte, N.D.