Students tackle issues of trade and tariffs

Luverne High School students in David Rysdam’s government class recently wrapped up a segment on tariffs and their effects on local economies.
After reading local and regional news stories and surveying community members, students invited Rep. Joe Schomacker to the classroom to discuss the tariffs and the trade war with China.
Rysdam read and graded student papers before the Christmas break and said it appears the message hit home.
”Based off of the writings I received, I would say that the students as a group have a firm grasp on the situation and its effects locally as well as nationally, which is the goal,” Rysdam said.
He said students seemed to grasp the importance of global policy and its effect on local businesses.
“I feel that the students have a wonderful understanding of the argument, and the opinions they expressed are now backed by solid information,” Rysdam said.
“They learned that regardless of federal mandate, local governments and communities have a say in their future. Collective civil action can change the formula if directed correctly.”
He shared a few top responses with the Star Herald.
“The reason that we researched this, I believe, was to become more aware of the problems that aren’t just a problem nationally, but that are affecting our own local community,” wrote Brynn Thier.
“We, as students, need to become more aware of the problems that those in our community and nation are facing to be able to be an active and functioning citizen. Many people are very uneducated on current events, and I think that this project was a way to help get more people in the loop with at least one current event occuring in our nation.”
Solveig Tofteland wrote, “Although tariffs were once and still are necessary, they are placing continued strain on many industries and people within the United States.”
She mentioned falling prices of goods, job loss and farms and businesses going bankrupt, but said that she learned why tariffs are often necessary and beneficial.
“It has shown how crucial foreign policy is to every part of the country,” Tofteland wrote.
“I believe that tariffs are necessary and their effects, both negative and positive, have widespread impact.”
Xavier Carbonneau said it was satisfying to research and better understand a complex issue.
“The reason that this is important to us is that it is a complicated issue with both benefits and drawbacks that affect us at anywhere from a local to national level,” he wrote.
“Tariffs aren’t going away anytime soon, and as such, it’s vital that we understand what they are and how they influence us.”
Matt Sehr, as did other students, said he learned about the pros and cons of tariffs as a trade tool.
“They can either be looked at as an economic tactic for the government to get more money, or it can be used to destroy the common man’s economic value,” Sehr wrote.
“This is the main reason why we decided to look further into this issue. Tariffs have had a detrimental effect on this nation’s people and especially this nation's farmers. … Tariffs can affect a lot more than just what they are intended to affect. A tariff on soybeans could in part destroy whole communities and states for that matter if given enough time and resources. I hope that the United States federal government will soon change the tariff rate with China so that it is an equal trade both ways and going.”
For his part, Rysdam said the class exercise raised even more questions in his mind.
“Why do the small farm and small business face the greatest risk due to tariffs and lack of federal support?” he said.
“This is to say that if a federal mandate directly affects the livelihoods of communities and businesses, why does the federal government not do more or entitle the states to do more to see them through?”
He pondered the long-term ramifications of a continued trade war.
“I fear that if no solution is met over a period of time, many small farms and small businesses will have no choice but to sell out to larger industry,” Rysdam said.
“This would amount to a big win for corporate farms who have the resources to weather such a storm.”