Readers Write: Acceptance in greater Minnesota, Christmas lefse, health care reform, state spending

Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes letters from readers online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

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Karen Tolkkinen’s Dec. 11 article, “When greater Minnesota isn’t welcoming,” resonated with me. I’m a transgender business consultant who has spent time in greater and northern Minnesota on various occasions. I’m here to tell you that transphobic bigotry is alive and well outside the metro area. (There are also plenty of bigots in the Twin Cities, to be sure, but they seem to proliferate the further one goes outside the bubble of the metro area.) This state and this nation have a long, long way to go before our society finally learns that trans people pose no danger to anyone. (And we don’t attack or molest people in public restrooms, no matter what trans opponents may try to tell you. You’re thinking of pedophiles and other perverts, not transgender people.)

We don’t ask anything other than to be left alone and to live our lives in peace. That’s it. Is that too much to ask, Minnesota? (That was a rhetorical question. Of course it’s too much to ask. We are now living in the era of Donald Trump and other vulgarians who thrive on bigotry and cruelty. Trans people are low-hanging fruit these days, and bullies just love to punch down at the most vulnerable in our society.) In any case, my thanks to Tolkkinen for calling attention to the blatant bigotry — whether it’s transphobia, racism, misogyny, homophobia or any other form it may take — that exists in our fair state. As we prepare to enter a dark, dystopian time in the nation’s history, I encourage everyone to think about how we can be better, not bigots.

Vanessa Sheridan, Apple Valley

The truth is, one piece of lefse will keep me happy for the rest of the year. This year I couldn’t go to the Sons of Norway Bazaar near my home in Virginia, so I ordered Mrs. Olson’s Potato Lefse online. When it arrived, I realized I’d made a mistake. The package contained four packs with six sheets each.

I put out a message on our retirement community’s listserv. I wrote “Lefse” in the subject line and announced, “I’ve received some lefse, but more than I need, and am happy to give away two packs. Please call me if interested.” I was confident that one or two Norwegians would respond.

The first reply came from a history buff: “I’ve never heard of it, but I’m a curious person, so I googled it. It sounds delicious.” When he showed up at my door he explained, “I want to know what this is.” I saw him leave with his pack and a happy smile. Another person asked for the second pack and said when she arrived at my door, “We’re not Norwegian! We’re German. But Mrs. Nelson up the street always made it and we always had it at Christmas time.” She, too, left happily with her portion.

Someone else emailed me, “What is it?”

I responded, “Lefse is made of potatoes, flour and butter, rolled out very thin into a large circle, baked on a hot griddle, sliced into triangles, spread with butter, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, rolled up and eaten. It’s a Norwegian thing.”

My family always had it at Christmas time, made by our farm relatives living in the middle of Minnesota. My younger brother called it “Napkin Bread.”

More emails came in. “Your message gave me joy. The word hasn’t been in my vocabulary for 70 years and now because of you I’ve recalled a scene at my family kitchen table. That’s all I want to say. Thank you!” Another person sent one sentence: “Mrs. Paulson down the road always shared lefse with us.” This morning a gym acquaintance from Korea told me he’d learned so much when reading about the “Norwegian pastry,” but knows he’ll have to wait until next year to taste it. No Norwegians had responded.

I’m waiting to open my packs until my family gathers at Christmas. I want to share lefse with the youngest generation whom, I predict, will remark, “Interesting” before they fill their plates with something else. I’ll enjoy my piece and perhaps venture another. I’ll buy it next year, too. It’s not Christmas unless there’s lefse.

Janet Parsons Mackey, Springfield, Va.

In response to Evan Ramstad’s Dec. 11 column regarding “civil debate,” he noted Andrew Witty, UnitedHealth Group CEO has advised employees, “I encourage you to tune out that critical noise that we’re hearing right now. It does not reflect reality. It is simply a sign of an era in which we live” (”A civil debate — in public — is a must”). That’s it in a nutshell. Insurance company CEOs who in turn advise everyday workers to just “tune out that critical noise.” Turn a deaf ear and hopefully the peasants will just go away and leave them alone to amass billions of dollars in profit. They tell themselves and their employees that UnitedHealthcare is needed. Ignore the outcry of real people who are denied legitimate claims and accrue massive medical bills. Instead the companies focus on hiring protection services for their little kings and actively “tune out” the voices of those hurting physically and financially, some even dying. The shame of it is staggering. But, of course, they will never see or ponder their cruelty.

Jeanette Gadeberg, Edina

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Roshini Rajkumar, who wrote about crisis management for CEOs who might be targeted like Brian Thompson, notes that “Unfortunately, humanity flushes out of people’s systems when they face their own grievances about life events” (”Unthinkable but not unforeseeable,” Strib Voices, Dec. 10). This is very true. Ironically, the same could be said about CEOs who also abandon their humanity when they, like Thompson, put profits before people. Just saying.

Rondi Atkin, Minneapolis

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The young man who allegedly killed the UnitedHealthcare CEO destroyed his life for nothing. Perhaps he was too young or naive to realize that everyone in corporate America is replaceable. The CEO he killed had his duties reassigned the next day. In fact, when JFK was assassinated, he was immediately replaced too. Killing someone only hurts the victim’s family. If this shooter wanted to change the system, he should have worked on changing public interest or public policy.

Corby Pelto, Minneapolis

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Where was all the talk about the problems with health insurance coverage and the U.S. health care system during the recent presidential campaign? Why was so little attention given to health care?

Lynn Kidder, Mankato

President-elect Trump’s appointment of a select commission to review government spending and recommend possible cuts has me encouraged about the potential of this activity. It, too, has gotten me thinking about our state and its financial future. Just a few days ago it was announced that Minnesota should expect a budget deficit of $5.1 billion in a couple of years. Having advance knowledge of possible financial disaster should encourage state leaders to look for ways to soften this number now. It’s obvious that business as usual will not be the answer. So how about Gov. Tim Walz forming our own financial commission? Finding and eliminating waste today and projected for tomorrow in state spending could significantly impact the forecast $5.1 billion financial blow. It’s worth a try.

Richard Burton, Ramsey

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In response to the Dec. 13 article “Walz wants to remain a force in state, national politics,” I am struck by his out-of-touch answers to why he was not elected! How about he just think about the fact that he just threw away a multibillion-dollar surplus and now Minnesota is facing a $5.1 billion deficit only two years later? Although there is a large list of additional reasons he was not elected, I think he should just ponder that one fact! The people are tired of the government spending all of our money!

Mary Everett, Edina