Jim Swenson

Dubuque

Contributor at Telegraph Herald (Dubuque, Iowa)

Amazed every day at the hatred on Twitter. Has everyone forgotten about the Golden Rule?

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Articles

Swenson: Fond memories of a high school caper gone awry

3 weeks ago | telegraphherald.com | Jim Swenson

If I attend my 50th high school class reunion this summer, I wonder if any of my three close friends will admit to that insane midsummer night that Dan nearly pulled off a miraculous escape act. It’s pretty unbelievable, but as true as my 68-year-old mind will remember. The four of us were normal young men who boasted booming libidos. Unfortunately, being somewhat nerdy, none of us had girlfriends, and we tended to run out of productive things to do.
Swenson: Growing older comes with joys and challenges

2 months ago | telegraphherald.com | Jim Swenson

If I could live a long, relatively pain-free life full of quality with loved ones - but not so long that they would one day have to take care of me - I would be very satisfied. But don't we all pretty much want this? Swenson retired from the Telegraph Herald in 2022 after 37 years in community journalism.
Swenson: Spring break memories of beaches, buddies and beer

2 months ago | telegraphherald.com | Jim Swenson

My brother Jeff retired recently and relocated to Vero Beach, Florida. When he isn’t golfing or basking in the sand, he’ll answer my text messages. “No, there aren’t too many spring breakers around here,” he responded. “Most of the bars are old people’s bars.”That’ll keep the kids away. I made four spring break trips to Florida in my younger days. The fourth one was a year after I graduated, but I didn’t look any older than my senior year in college.
Swenson: Dubuque evolves as it becomes more diverse

Mar 4, 2025 | telegraphherald.com | Jim Swenson

Dubuque has a distinctly different presence today than it did when I arrived in 1985, and that reality hit home during a recent outing with my wife, Kris. The 1980 census reported that our city was 99.2% White. It was nearly impossible to experience meaningful interactions with minorities. Then in 1991, cross burnings and a Ku Klux Klan rally in Dubuque drew national attention. I don’t believe those idiots spoke for the majority of Dubuquers.
Swenson: Got a favorite president? Here's a top 10 list

Feb 22, 2025 | telegraphherald.com | Jim Swenson

Who is your favorite president? C-SPAN asked viewers (and listeners, such as myself) that question on President’s Day. During the time I listened while on a walk, most of the expected names were offered, with one surprise to me — Andrew Jackson — garnering multiple mentions. Of course, being obsessed with lists, I mulled over who my favorites were and immediately began working on a top 10 after catching my breath.
Swenson: If 2s are terrible, 1s are a wonder

Jan 28, 2025 | telegraphherald.com | Jim Swenson

I can’t help but wonder what goes through the mind of our energetic 1-year-old grandson Henry when he joins his precocious 5-year-old sister, Alice, on a visit to see their “Gaga,” Grandma and two cats who want nothing to do with children. Henry, who doesn’t talk a lot yet, is plopped into a place he only sees every third month or so ... “Hmmm, I kinda know this smell and those people and that toy chest and ... kitties!”“Don’t get too close to Leah, Henry.
Swenson: Events of past year diminish Biden's legacy

Jan 12, 2025 | telegraphherald.com | Jim Swenson

A day before President’s Day in February 2024, a survey of 154 experts was released that ranked Joe Biden as the 14th-best president in history. It’s amazing what has happened since then. Just imagine how far Biden might drop in future rankings. The experts in last year’s survey were current or recent members of the American Political Science Association’s presidential politics division and other published scholars — a group that leaned decidedly to the left.
Swenson: Friendship bloomed during time of grief

Dec 28, 2024 | telegraphherald.com | Jim Swenson

My longtime friend, Opal, was a woman of few words, but they almost always brought joy to my life. A typical complete email message to me, concerning a snowstorm, would be:Hi Jim,Did you order all this white stuff ? OpalYou have to forgive her brevity. She died this month at 102. We met during a grief group for people who had lost spouses, soon after my first wife, Jane, died in 2003 of breast cancer. I was assigned to a table with Opal and a couple of other people, most notably a man named Harlyn.
Swenson: Reflecting on decades-long career in journalism

Nov 21, 2024 | telegraphherald.com | Jim Swenson
Swenson: Takeaways for both parties post 2024 election

Nov 12, 2024 | telegraphherald.com | Jim Swenson

I wasn’t going to publicly comment on the results of the presidential election, but after we witnessed a Republican candidate win the popular vote for only the second time since 1988, I felt compelled to examine what happened from a centrist point of view. The Democratic Party is reeling right now, but the one person who could revive it is the last one you’d expect. Let me explain. I fully understand why millions of people voted for Kamala Harris (or against Donald Trump).