It goes without saying that the death of Mollie Tibbetts is an unspeakable tragedy ("Immigrant charged in murder of Iowa student," Aug. 22). Her killer faces life in prison, and justifiably so. His actions are deplorable, and he should have the book thrown at him. That is beyond dispute.
But what is also sad about this case is the demonization taking place of illegal immigrants. There is not one study that shows illegal immigrants are any more likely to commit crimes than the general population. The suspect in Tibbetts' murder needed a job to stay in the country, of course. He was employed at Yarrabee Farms in Iowa, a company owned by the family of Craig Lang, who was a Republican candidate in the recent primary election for Iowa agriculture secretary. Also, the same day the Tibbetts suspect was charged, a white man who had lived all his life in the U.S. appeared in court in Colorado on charges of killing his wife and two daughters. You don't hear Republicans talking much about that crime.
The point is, crimes are committed by individuals, not races or ethnic groups. There are bad people all over the planet. As the character Atticus Finch said in "To Kill a Mockingbird": "This is a truth that applies to the entire human race, and to no particular race." There are also good people of all races. "To Kill a Mockingbird" was published in 1960. Let's not go back to 58 years ago. I thought we were beyond this — but maybe I was mistaken.
David Frederick, Coon Rapids
SEXUAL-ASSAULT PROSECUTIONS
Book helps to show what victims go through after the crime
My heart goes out to the young woman whose rape was not investigated thoroughly, and whose rapist went free ("Criticism of 'Denied Justice' series, and of a victim I know well, is shameful," counterpoint, Aug. 22) Being treated in this way can make a woman feel both unvalued and unsafe, victimizing her again.
President Barack Obama was quoted in a magazine article as valuing fiction for its ability to teach us empathy, and he was so right! I just read "Us Against You" by Fredrik Backman, whose novel teaches the reader much about how such a sexual crime can haunt a young woman, change her life, make her feel terrified and affect attitudes of everyone around her, especially if the rapist happens to be a sports hero or some other high-profile person the community has looked up to. People whom she used to count as friends may turn on her, scorn her, leave profane comments on her voice mail and mock her on social media. That story, well told, will indeed haunt me and make my support of rape victims more militant. Yes, an accused rapist still deserves his day in court, but before that, each complainant deserves to have her complaint taken as seriously and investigated as vigorously as any other crime punishable by 12 to 14 years for the first offense. That's a very long sentence, for a very serious crime.
Mary McLeod, St. Paul
COHEN AND MANAFORT
Complicity extends to a party that won't take a proper stand
Have we reached the tipping point ("Cohen pleads guilty, says Trump directed payoffs" and "Manafort guilty on 8 fraud charges," Aug. 22)? Have we seen enough to know for sure that something is terribly wrong, that people of good conscience say "enough"? Will the men who run President Donald Trump's party put an end to this parade of scandals and criminality?
Can we admit that we voters made a mistake? Will we ask that honest men and women in elected office put an end to this reality show? Do we need to watch this thing to the end of the season, finally able to switch the channel?
The long list of criminals surrounding the man and who have either been convicted in court or who have admitted their crimes (some committed on his behalf) grows longer each week, and we taxpayers wonder if it will stop. At a minimum, candidates running for office under the banner of Trump's party should say "enough." Enough with the lies; enough with the bribes paid to porn stars and prostitutes to keep quiet; enough with the shady dealings to avoid paying a fair share of taxes. Enough.
