My Three-Part Reply to My Senator's "I'll Keep Your Views in Mind" Response
When Time is of the Essence, there is a world of difference between a Keeping Your View in Mind statement vs. Not Speaking Out
I shared a recent letter to my US Senator Joni Ernst on Ukraine. My friend asked whether the Senator’s “keeping my views in mind” words are the same as doing nothing. My friend’s question motivated me to experiment with this use of Substack. I accept that elected officials cannot be involved in every issue of every concern to every Iowan. I maintain that what is happening to Ukraine and our democracy demands more than keeping my views in mind.
I wanted to know what Sen. Ernst will do to prevent the threats to democracy in Ukraine and our country. I also wanted the Senator to answer my question about refugees—especially since I had written before about refugees.
Part 1 of 3 Parts.
My March 2025 letter to my federal delegation:
I am writing to urge you to vocally support Ukraine during this critical time. As someone whose grandparents fled Russia and Ukraine due to religious persecution, watching our President defend Russia is deeply painful to me personally.
I also ask you to speak out against the current policies affecting Ukrainian refugees. While we can debate the flaws in our immigration system, we cannot justify abandoning refugees who were previously welcomed to our country. This situation parallels how we address other broken systems - we don't punish farmers when the farm loan system fails, so why should refugees suffer for our immigration system's shortcomings?
Furthermore, I'm concerned about how our President and Vice President have treated Ukrainian leadership. Having worked in politics and government for decades, I have never witnessed this kind of treatment toward the leader of an allied nation.
Your voice on these matters would make a meaningful difference.
Part 2 of 3 Parts. Is Senator Ernst’s response.
Dear Mr. Rosenberg,
Thank you for taking the time to share your views on the president’s approach to the Russia-Ukraine War. It is important for me to hear from folks in Iowa on policy matters such as this.
On February 24, 2022, Russia initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. President Putin's violent and unprovoked military action was unacceptable, and his actions pose a risk to U.S. national security, which is why I have supported providing weapons and military equipment to Ukraine to win the war . After three years of conflict, the administration has engaged in significant diplomatic talks with leaders from both sides. Like all Iowans, I want to see an end to Putin’s unjust war that has cost far too many lives.
Please know that I will keep your views in mind as I continue working on these matters in the Senate. Feel free to contact my office with any further information, as I always enjoy hearing from Iowans.
Sincerely,
Joni K. Ernst
United States Senator
Part 3 of 3 Parts. My response to my Senator.
Dear Senator,
Thank you for your recent response and for acknowledging that Russia invaded Ukraine. This is an important truth that the country and the world must hear. I appreciate your commitment when you wrote that you would "keep my views in mind" as you continue working on these matters in the Senate.
I ask you to publicly reaffirm that Russia invaded Ukraine. Additionally, I seek your stance on the following:
Do you support President Trump's defense of Russia and his call to immediately stop military and intelligence support?
Do you believe Ukraine alone should publicly outline its concessions without similar expectations placed on Russia?
What is your position on Ukrainian refugees who face deportation despite their legal immigration status? (I asked this in my initial letter.)
I look forward to your response.
Ed. Note: Our society has deteriorated into such bizarre polarization that I now find myself expressing genuine gratitude when someone simply acknowledges objective reality. The mere act of stating verifiable facts has somehow become a radical position worthy of recognition—a troubling reflection of how thoroughly Trump’s form of tribalism has corrupted our collective relationship with truth.
Thanks, Chris for responding. If you’re up for it, send her another response. And if you’re up for it since she’s not holding town halls, please push Democratic leaders or opposition groups to hold public forms
Thank you, Josiah. Your points are well taken. I look at my recent volunteer efforts doing postcard writing sessions for Iowa special elections, the Wisconsin judicial race, and those three critical federal special elections.
I firmly believe that taking tangible action, however modest, is better than inaction every time. Tomorrow, I am participating in a Red, Wine and Blue effort --a simple but visible protest— a sign, at a busy intersection.
Emails and calls serve dual purposes: they help me deal with frustrations while showing others that I am engaged rather than merely complaining. That visible commitment matters tremendously.
I'm actively challenging local organizations to host town halls—Democratic parties, grassroots activists (and I know Red Oak has several impressive ones), and potential congressional and statewide candidates should all be convening public forums about these devastating federal cuts.
Additionally, we should pressure Democratic state legislators to propose concrete amendments allocating state funds to offset federal losses at veteran centers, senior facilities, cancer research programs, and refugee services.
I'm happy to share town hall organizing strategies with folks in the Red Oak area, though I suspect you don't need my guidance—your community possesses local wisdom and capability.