Madness in the land
Is there madness in this land? Are the micro plastics and PFAS passing through the blood-brain barrier and causing an increased level of lunacy? Could this explain the current level of brutality?
Oh how I wish I knew. I find the thought of taking a life so abhorrent, that I can’t comprehend the mental state of those who do. Though I do believe that we must have the right to protect and defend loved ones and ourselves from threat. But that threat would have to be extreme to take a life. Yet among us are those who set this threat level so low as to be non-existent. The successive events of this current madness have overwhelmed me to the extent that all I have are hope and wishes.
But wishes I have.
I wish that our courts would protect society from proven predators. I wish that we would believe to our very depths, that though I may not like what you say, I will always support your right to say it.
Bob Emery, Mendota Heights
Some news
Let’s ask Gov. Tim Walz if the grim news of conservative speaker Charlie Kirk’s assassination may be along the sort of “news” that might have been inevitable in the near future. When, at a fundraising rally near the end of Labor Day weekend, he gleefully mused at the rampant left wing’s (politicians and media) wild speculation that because Trump was uncharacteristically out of sight for three days he may be deathly ill, or better yet, dead. The childish yet ghoulish glee with which he fanned and wrung his jazz hands at the prospect was disgusting. He seemed genuinely entertained by the possibility. He then went on to say that if not, there certainly would “eventually be some news”, while grinning, rolling his eyes and wagging his clownish eyebrows … ”Just sayin’”!
Peter K. Cudworth, St. Paul
Some things we can change
Thursday morning brought some serious tears on three levels.
Beginning with two tragic reminders, losing Charlie Kirk and another anniversary of 9/11.
If that wasn’t painful enough, Gov. Walz is running again.
Nothing can change the murder of Charlie Kirk or the horror of 9/11, however we can change the occupant of the governor’s office.
Jon Swenson, Eagan
Adopt an urban street
County roads and major highways are often sponsored by local businesses, major area employers, and nonprofit organizations as their custodial caretakers. Yet, why has the same concept not been applied to our neighborhoods beginning in our major cities? Why cannot neighbors organize together to form local caretaking trusts to keep their neighborhoods free of garbage and debris?
The cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis can designate and award select areas to participants with street signage in every neighborhood or statistical area recognizing each individual volunteer or organization as local custodial stewards of their streets and urban communities. This models an example of social proactivity during times of great polarity.
For decades, people sharing the same streets never truly learn or know anything about their neighbors. Should this be considered normal?
The coming together of urban neighborhoods after the Annunciation mass shooting refocuses the need for shared humanity that is both cooperative and proactive.
Omar Alansari-Kreger, St. Paul
‘Nuts and bolts’ pragmatism
The other night, my neighbor in the Macalester Groveland neighborhood hosted a “get to know the candidate” event for State Rep. Kaohly Her, relative to her candidacy for St. Paul mayor. Like many St. Paul residents, I had not even been aware that there will be a mayoral election this fall until recently. I frankly went to this event without knowing much about Rep. Her, even though she is my state representative.
The event was attended by approximately 50 people and lasted a couple of hours. After mingling for about an hour, she spoke to the full group and fielded a broad range of questions for another hour. During the “mingling” portion, I was able to speak directly with her for about 20 minutes. I was extremely impressed with Rep. Her. Her life story, alone, is quite inspirational. I had three primary takeaway impressions:
First, she has exceptional people skills and communicates easily with people of different backgrounds; she loves to engage. Second, she combines idealism and empathy with a strong base of pragmatism. And third, she is simply an extremely capable and hardworking individual who I’m guessing is successful in whatever she sets her mind to.
She seems to be someone who can communicate and work effectively with people she may not agree with while holding true to her core values. I believe she offers a greater degree of “nuts and bolts” pragmatism than is often found in local DFL candidates.
Peter Langworthy, St. Paul
Three shells
Minnesota has a gun law that could protect school children if it were amended slightly.
The law limits waterfowl hunters to using guns loaded with only three cartridges. Three.
Why can’t we amend this existing state law to apply to all guns everywhere in the state? Second Amendment backers have already accepted this restriction for hunters in the field; how can they possibly object to its application to hunters on playgrounds?
Go for it.
Joe Delmont, Mendota Heights
Wait and see
Now that there will be no Chinese market for the soybeans raised here, will the farmers admit they voted for the wrong man? When our waters deteriorate for lack of EPA oversight, will Minnesotans who enjoy fishing, swimming and all water activities realize they put the wrong man in charge? And, after national military are sent to Chicago, Maryland, New Orleans and perhaps Minneapolis, will our law enforcement and military folks finally speak up? Guess we will have to wait and see.
Jerry Carroll, Roseville
A surging budget
Undeniably, St. Paul is navigating financial headwinds — slow growth, the downtown downturn, and the post-pandemic malaise negatively affecting other struggling cities nationwide. What seems to be overlooked, though, is that since 2018 St. Paul’s budget has surged from $563 million to the $887 million Mayor Carter is proposing for 2026.
John Vaughn, Stillwater
A business owner who believes in second chances
Earlier this summer, I had the pleasure of spending a morning working alongside Mike Hilborn and some of his amazing employees. Mike is the owner of Roof to Deck Services and a strong mayoral candidate for St. Paul. As part of his service to the community, Mike brings a crew once a month and voluntarily picks up trash and power-washes areas of downtown. I met Mike at 6:30 in the morning in the parking lot of Catholic Charities. I hesitated to get out of my car as the parking lot and surrounding grounds were filled with bodies on benches, on patches of grass or wrapped in sleeping bags. I wasn’t sure if they were dead or alive. Once I met Mike, I was comfortable knowing his mission. He mingled with the homeless and delivered a positive and uplifting greeting to folks coming in to work. Mike’s platform includes creating a solution to the homeless problem as well as addressing the growing crime and the out-of-control taxes. As a business owner who believes in second chances (Mike’s employees are prior convicts), he has the experience, knowledge and compassion to be the leader of
our Capitol City.
Jodi Laliberte, White Bear Lake
‘Happen not at all’
In the Pioneer Press Sept. 4 issue, “Vance Visit“, JD Vance was quick to say, “I have never had a day that will stay with me like this day did.” He added later, “I would just say, take the concerns of these parents seriously. I think all of us, Democrat, Republican and Independent, want these school shootings to happen less frequently. Hopefully there’s some steps that we can take to make that happen.”
1. I’m not sure this administration is taking the concerns of these and all parents seriously.
2. Let’s change “less frequently” to “happen not at all.”
3. Let’s change “hopefully” to “yes we can.”
Jane W. Murphy, St. Paul
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Bipartisan bill would have been better
The Senate bipartisan immigration and security bill, The Border Act of 2024, would have limited the number of immigrant encounters each day, raised the standards for those seeking asylum, created a faster claims procedure of 90 days, limited parole for migrants, expanded detention capacity, provided for the hiring of additional Border Patrol agents, asylum officers and immigration judges, plus added money to increase the wall building. It also increased the number of immigration visas or green cards, protected Afghan evacuees and protected documented dreamers.
This bipartisan plan may not have been perfect, but it would have been an agreement between the two parties’ positions. But, “only I can fix it” President Trump has exacerbated this critical issue. We have soldiers on the streets, ICE officers appearing in our communities arriving in unmarked cars, masked, displaying little or no identification. Unaccompanied child immigrants are swept up, detained and processed for deportation, due process has largely been ignored. Farm workers, day workers and students have been wrestled from the streets and workplaces. The promise to deport the worst of the worst MS-13 gang members has resulted in few such apprehensions, but instead there’s been widespread dark-of-night seizing of law-abiding immigrants. We are watching the mess unfold that Donald Trump has created.
People want border control, the deportation of criminals and due process. People do not want children or people who have lived here for decades deported despite being productive and acting honorably. Trump’s deportation policy is wrong, hateful and, not surprisingly, unpopular.
Pete Boelter, North Branch
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