FRANKEN AND PLAYBOY
Free to be offended
I must respond to the May 31 letter writer who lamented the death of the First Amendment.
There is a huge difference between the government telling us "You can't say that" and an individual responding "I don't like what you said." The first is government censorship and is prohibited by the First Amendment. The second is the exercise of my First Amendment rights. The First Amendment works both ways.
Yes, Al Franken had every right to write his satirical piece for Playboy magazine. However, we also have the right to tell him that we find his writings offensive and question whether he has the judgment and values that we want in our elected representatives.
Rep. Betty McCollum is not the threat to the First Amendment. The letter writer is the real threat when he suggests that you best not open your mouth to voice any disagreement.
DAN ULMER, PRIOR LAKE
MCCLELLAN'S BOOK
Not buying it
I'm reading kudos for former Bush Press Secretary Scott McClellan, who, depending on your opinion, has come clean about what really happened in the White House or has shown a lack of loyalty for coming clean about what really happened in the White House.
Either way, I'm not reading anything that persuades me that any press secretary's words are worth the paper they are written on.
JACK R. ZACHOW, PLYMOUTH