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Replace statues of bigots with honors to civil rights heroes

Civil rights demonstrators this summer have engaged in a new round of tearing down statues of people they see as champions of bigotry. Why not replace them with statues of the heroes and heroines of the civil rights movement? Late last year, people in Montgomery, Alabama erected a statue of civil rights legend Rosa Parks. A few weeks ago, officials in Cincinnati unveiled plans for a bronze statue of Marian Spencer, another heroine of the cause. Removal of statues such as those honoring men who fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War is seen by some as refusing to pay homage ...

Words from Thomas Jefferson a perfect fit

To the editor: This recent celebration of America’s birthday occurred while the ability for local units of government to make decisions as they see fit, being mostly removed from those officials and objective discussions about COVID-19, being harder to find than hen’s teeth, Thomas Jefferson’s words seem to be a perfect fit for our situation. “When all government, domestic and foreign, in little as in great things, shall be drawn to Washington as the center of all power, it will render powerless the checks provided of one government on another, and will become as venal and ...

Lawsuit based on maximizing profit

This past session the Minnesota Legislature passed the Alec Smith Insulin Affordability Act, a law that provides emergency insulin supplies to diabetics who can’t afford the catastrophically high price charged by the big pharmaceutical companies that make it. The law went into effect on Wednesday. Also on Wednesday, a lawsuit was filed by the group Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), to overturn the law. The PhRMA group claims the law is unconstitutional because it requires them to give their product to Minnesotans for free, without compensation from the ...

On allegations that Russia offered bounties for killing American troops in Afghanistan:

It is going to be something to behold, on Jan. 21, 2021, when President Biden takes revenge on Russia for paying the Taliban to kill Americans in Afghanistan. He’ll task the CIA with killing the Russian agents behind the bounties, send lethal aid to Ukraine to defend itself against Russian aggression, work with allies to oust Russia and Cuba from Venezuela, withdraw from the arms deals Russia is violating, and ratchet up sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Germany. Of course Mr. Biden will do none of that, which ought to put into context the latest Washington uproar ...

Honor the civil rights heroes

Civil rights demonstrators this summer have engaged in a new round of tearing down statues of people they see as champions of bigotry. Why not replace them with statues of the heroes and heroines of the civil rights movement? Late last year, people in Montgomery, Alabama erected a statue of civil rights legend Rosa Parks. A few weeks ago, officials in Cincinnati unveiled plans for a bronze statue of Marian Spencer, another heroine of the cause. Removal of statues such as those honoring men who fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War is seen by some as refusing to pay homage ...

Have a safe Fourth

Fireworks are part of the Fourth of July. They are more available than ever in most areas. And this year, for obvious reasons, even some people who did not buy and set off their own pyrotechnics in the past may be tempted to use them to blow off some steam. Just so no one blows off a couple of fingers or puts out an eye. Virtually all types of fireworks can be purchased and used by consumers, even if they have to cut a corner or two of the law. Because so many communities have canceled Independence Day pyrotechnics shows this year, it will be tempting for many people to stage their ...