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Letters to the Editor

Erica Schwartz delivering in the Legislature

To the editor: In one of the most remarkable moments of this session, Rep. Schwartz secured unanimous passage of her bill, House File 2169, on a 134-0 vote. In a closely divided House, that kind of bipartisan support is almost unheard of-especially for a freshman legislator. But the reason is quite simple: the bill does exactly what good policy should do, it protects people. House File 2169 closes a dangerous loophole in Minnesota law by ensuring that individuals who commit unintentional murder while under a protective order are held fully accountable, no matter where that order was ...

A tale of two school boards

To the editor: In the March 31 edition of the Minnesota Star Tribune, there was an article that the Bemidji school board voted to keep an elementary school open for at least another year despite facing a deficit of $3.5 million. What I found interesting is that hundreds of parents and educators gathered and addressed the school board when they were scheduled to take the final vote on the future of the elementary school. On March 2, the board voted unanimously to close the school. But four weeks later, the board voted to keep it open, for now. Did the $3.5 million deficit go away? The ...

‘No Kings Rallies’ hard to ignore

To the editor: The past weekend was an opportunity to pause and take stock of our current administration’s complete lack of understanding of how things work. Even after repeated lessons from the not so recent past, and the evidence placed squarely in front of them. The third “No Kings Rallies” held across the country were hard to ignore, even by the blind MAGA followers who could do little more than indulge in their favorite pastime of denial and name calling. I noticed that a few preferred to call them “unamerican” . Meanwhile, (Trump) retreated to his golf course and has ...

Why turn away fully funded opportunity for students?

To the editor: We are writing to express our deep disappointment in the district’s recent decision to refuse reinstating the gymnastics program, even after the gymnastics program offered to cover the full cost of the program. When a program steps forward with a solution that removes the financial burden from the district, it deserves thoughtful consideration rather than an immediate dismissal. School athletics are not just extracurricular activities; they provide students with discipline, teamwork, confidence, and a sense of belonging. For many athletes, gymnastics is not simply a ...

No penalty for gravel haulers

To the editor: Thomas Paine argued the government of our nation should have two purposes: protecting private property, and securing the free market. Apparently, Minnesotans never did get that colonial memo. Any government allowing private gravel carriers to damage other vehicles by failing to require loads be tarped, refusing to penalize irresponsible parties, and offering disingenuous excuses to victims of such preventable injuries… is deserving of absolute contempt. The embrace of anti-regulatory excess by Republicans has resulted in basic, simple standards of decency being ...

Headless Hydra politics

To the editor: The hydra is a tiny animal that does not appear to die. Cut it in pieces! Each part regenerates. In legend, Hercules fought a many headed monster hydra. As he cut off each head, two more emerged. Finally, Hercules cut off heads as his nephew burned the Hydra’s stumps to kill it. Like the hydra, evil never stops. Evil resurfaces again in places and ways that are hard to fight. Only through cooperation can it be overcome. Killing Iran’s Supreme leader did not end oppression and torture. The assassination scattered the seeds of anger and terror. Now these seeds ...