Readers Write: Authoritarianism, Planned Parenthood, Harris’ economic plans, Minneapolis shooting

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

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I hope I’m not the only one who takes issue with Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer’s description of those he perceives to be the culprits in our current political discourse (”Authoritarianism can’t happen here. Or can it?” Strib Voices, Aug. 20). I particularly take issue with the following statement: ”A huge percentage of white, evangelical Christians, many aligned with white supremacist groups, embrace authoritarianism and work to bring an autocrat to power” (emphasis added). That is a patently false statement. Fortunately for the writer, he understands that such statements from radically left-leaning academics are likely to go unchallenged. I am one member of that minority, so despised by the left, and have never even known anyone who belongs to a white supremacist group, nor have I heard it preached from the pulpit.

Nelson-Pallmeyer, your tribalism is showing. The desire for white supremacy and autocracy are not the primary motivators of opposition to the current regime. We simply desire truth and justice from our government, and we aren’t getting it.

Ray Mellema, Lakeville

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Many opinion pieces in print, podcasts, TV or online are delivered by opinion professionals. I don’t ingest a lot of them because the headlines are intended to scare, and they rarely offer substantive solutions or root causes. I do absorb information from people who should provide professional expertise on a particular subject — scientists, teachers, professors, historians, doctors, construction workers, farmers, etc. Case in point: the story “Authoritarianism can’t happen here. Or can it?”

I read it because it was written by an academic even though the title was “scary.” I don’t argue with the content but would have loved to hear causes and solutions — not just who the boogeymen are and why they want to be authoritarians, but why people are so easily taken in by the authoritarians and how to change that pitiful need. The writer points to historical efforts to prop up authoritarians. A more in-depth view of how sinister these efforts can be can be found in the book “Overthrow,” but I digress.

Why do people gravitate toward authoritarianism? Fear and greed. The authoritarian on the altar will lead you to eternal life with the master authoritarian, the god du jour. You know, the omnipotent one who needs to be worshiped and keeps everyone guessing as to which god du jour is the true one. The person in the White House will save you from librarians and books because words kill, not guns. The CEO will lead you to riches.

On an evolutionary scale, we are barely out of the trees and easily manipulated. Solutions lie in the understanding that fear is a tool used by powerful people to control others and in helping people understand that we succeed together and that common good with empathy is actually self-serving.

Gregory Oasheim, Minneapolis

Wait a minute! In a letter to the editor on Aug. 20 a reader claimed Planned Parenthood’s move to offer free abortions and vasectomies at the Democratic National Convention is a stark reminder of how Democrats have embraced extreme positions (”Yikes, that’s a bit flippant,” Readers Write). Fact check: Planned Parenthood said it would send two mobile health clinics to provide such services relatively close to the site but not at the site itself. In addition, Planned Parenthood isn’t associated with the Democratic Party or its 2024 convention. That letter writer made a gross error by using the very tiny preposition “at” instead of “near.” Words matter.

Betty Bartos, Maple Grove

The promise of economic giveaways always peaks during an election cycle. Both parties are guilty of the same practice. They come under all different names — incentives, credits, forgiveness, etc. I believe at its core, the purpose is nearly always the same, to solicit (buy) votes for their candidate. The left promotes an expanded government and a progressive agenda while the right promotes limited government and traditional values. It has been this way in America since the Federalist and anti-Federalist parties of colonial times.

One of the latest proposals from the Democrats involves providing up to $25,000 in down-payment assistance for first-time homebuyers. Homeownership is one key to building generational wealth because it allows families to leverage property value for financial growth, and it can be passed down to future generations. But as we learned in the housing crisis of 2008, not everyone should own a home. Plain and simple.

There is so much more to owning a home than the simple math of making a down payment and paying the mortgage. There are the rising costs of property taxes and insurance. Then there is the actual maintenance of the home. I know so many people who allow their homes to fall into disrepair because they do not know how to maintain them. Neglecting these repairs can lead to costly issues, decreasing the home’s value and livability, making homeownership a continuous responsibility beyond the initial financial commitment.

I am an advocate for Habitat for Humanity’s business model that requires the future owner to contribute sweat equity by investing a number of hours in the construction of their home. This practice fosters a sense of ownership, responsibility and pride. It also empowers buyers with skills and knowledge about home maintenance, making the overall experience more sustainable and meaningful. Let’s tie that down-payment assistance into sweat equity and you have a win-win scenario.

Tim Rubash, Apple Valley

Talk about burying the lead! The Strib coverage of the adolescents shot while joyriding in a stolen car (”Shooting of 4 kids in stolen car raises alarm,” Aug. 20) falls in line with other local media coverage. We learn the ages, identities and records of the children. There’s information about the prevalence of auto theft, the county attorney’s diversion program and the impact on the person whose car was stolen, where it was from, where it was stolen, etc. There is one line — one line — about the truly horrific aspect of this incident: “a dark-colored sedan began following and firing at them with a fully automatic weapon. Police recovered about 30 shell casings from the scene.”

The rise in juvenile crime and the very young ages of the children involved here is quite alarming, but even more alarming is the fact that we have people driving around the city with and discharging these guns for no apparent reason and little or no concern for the consequences. Police have made no arrests and all seem more concerned with stolen automobiles than weapons of war on our streets.

Mark Gortze, Plymouth

I thoroughly enjoyed David McGrath’s recent commentary “Minnesota wonder” (Aug. 16). My wife and I have stayed at Bluefin Bay several times in the past. His commentary reminded me of some of my own experiences there. One time, on a particularly cold night in early November, after a long day of hiking, I remember unwinding in the outdoor hot tub and experiencing one of the first snowfalls of the year. It was quite magical, hearing the waves thrashing against the shore, luxuriating in the bubbling hot tub and feeling the gentle snowflakes lighting on my face like angel kisses.

On another occasion, we were there on Nov. 10, the anniversary date of the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. I drove down to Split Rock Lighthouse, where there is a yearly commemoration. It felt very sacred. The gathered crowd was quiet, almost church-like, as organizers read a brief summary about the sinking of the ore boat. They then read the 29 names of the men who perished with the boat, pausing and ringing the ship’s bell after reciting each name. Somehow that reverent ceremony really touched me, and I can still remember that feeling vividly today.

We are so fortunate to have such incredible, raw beauty within a few hours’ drive from the metro.

Ollie Stocker, Bloomington