Readers Write: Carter laid to rest, book banning, Inauguration Day

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

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Former Vice President Walter Mondale proudly claimed of the Carter administration that they kept the peace, followed the law and told the truth. No impeachments, indictments or convictions. No election denials, lies or misinformation to strike fear. The American electorate needs to comprehend that Russia, China and Iran spend billions of dollars on social media and other communication platforms to undermine democracy. Yet, on Dec. 23, 2024, the congressional bipartisan spending bill deal failed to fund a State Department unit targeting foreign propaganda (the Global Engagement Center, which had a $61 million budget). Elon Musk likely influenced the defunding.

States can and must step up to defend our democratic institutions from misinformation campaigns. Minnesota is now mandating a graduation requirement for citizenship and government, and I highly recommend to educators and the general electorate a timely book by diplomat and author Richard N. Haass. In his book ”The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens,” Haass argues that obligations such as being informed, remaining civil and rejecting violence belong on the same footing as rights to guide good citizenship in our era of division and rancor. After beginning her gift copy of the book, my sister said, “This should be required reading.” I hope so. I’d like to see it incorporated into our curriculum and read widely.

Julie Holmen, Minneapolis

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Jimmy Carter’s life and example must live on. Working on youth employment as a young staff person in his domestic policy office, I was inspired to make public service my career. I saw and knew him as the strongest advocate of Campus Compact, which supports and engages colleges and universities to address complex social issues. Active involvement in the community prepares students for the future.

What I remember most is his farewell address in January 1981 when he told the American people that, “in a few days I will lay down my official responsibilities in this office, to take up once more the only title in our democracy superior to that of president, the title of citizen.”

May his spirit continue to inspire current and future leaders.

Jim Scheibel, St. Paul

The writer is former mayor of St. Paul.

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The November election and our recent loss of two renowned and community-focused leaders clearly connected to their roots — former President Carter and former Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic — reinforces my concern about the importance of a centrist focus and the younger generation’s active interest in taking up the charge to lead.

Succession planning is a common strategy to mentor and teach. I believe each one of us in the over-60 age group, whether an elected official or not, needs to encourage the younger generations to be thinking about how they can serve their communities. And help them, through engaged discussion, to figure out a middle road and what is important to them. The good of the many versus the good of the few.

Leadership mentoring, succession planning and support must be our focus with this group of folks who have benefited from resources and opportunities not available 50 years ago. The benefit is in building strong relationships, increased confidence across value and belief systems and the different generations understanding and appreciating each other — the greater good. But I’m not sure this can happen without a willingness and everyone stepping up to the plate. Unfortunately, I don’t know or have all the answers. I hope someone out there can add more to this conversation.

Susan Carolan, Hanover

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From laying to rest a former president who never lied to the American people to soon inaugurating a new president who does nothing but lie tells you how far this country has fallen. We are no better than any other country with a corrupt leader. The U.S. will now have a convicted felon with a record of sexual abuse at its helm. Rest in peace, Jimmy Carter. I am glad you won’t have to experience this. Please give us strength to survive the next four years.

Lisa Parrish-Greenberg, Plymouth

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The Friday headline “ ‘A good and faithful servant of God and of the people’ ” is quite fitting, and maybe understated for former President Carter, but could never even be hinted at for 47.

Jim Erickson, Belle Plaine

Rochester Public Schools has removed a book from its shelves because of “public nudity” (“Rochester schools remove LGBTQ-themed book over public nudity concerns,” StarTribune.com, Jan. 8). The illustration was considered suitable to run alongside the article, where anyone could see it and judge for themselves, and I was left baffled that we’ve come to this. Are we now catering to people with dirty minds who see obscenity in everything? Will children be required to change for gym in the dark, with their eyes closed?

I suppose Rochester’s children can now look forward to learning “The Emperor is Only Wearing a Pair of Shorts.” Lacks the panache of the original.

Theresa Strike, Columbia Heights

The winter solstice, which took place on Dec. 21 with only eight hours and 46 minutes of daylight, normally signifies emergence from the darkest time of our year. But it’s not like more daylight comes quickly: By Jan. 20, Inauguration Day, we’ll have only about 34 more minutes of daylight. This change accelerates as we move toward the summer solstice on June 20 with 15 hours and 37 minutes of daylight.

To me, this year’s journey to longer, brighter days is very different. As I read front-page stories like those about how our president-elect wants to retake the Panama Canal and force Denmark to sell us Greenland, not to mention rambling about making Canada our 51st state (“Trump hints at expanding U.S. by force,” Jan. 8), there is suddenly a very dark cloud obscuring the sunlight. The more I read of his rambling declarations including renaming the Gulf of Mexico and lying that he’s inheriting a terrible economy from outgoing President Joe Biden, I grimace at the thought of how he won the 2024 election.

I submit that an important factor in his election is too many voters getting their information from social media, unfounded conspiracy theories and biased right-wing media. These are people who are too busy to read articles by professional journalists or carefully edited and fact-checked newspapers. Books, of course, remain the gold standard for in-depth understanding of how people like Donald Trump become who they are, but reading takes time, and time is a scarce commodity in today’s internet-focused world.

We can always hope that soon-to-be President Trump may, himself, see the light. That he may put the interests of our country ahead of his own selfish and sometimes destructive needs. Sadly, I think it’s more likely our days ahead under the Trump administration will be more chaotic, divisive and darker than what we usually expect at the start of a New Year.

William Steinbicker, Minnetonka

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I find the letters complaining about Trump in the Readers Write section of the Minnesota Star Tribune hilarious and the writers themselves afflicted with Trump Derangement Syndrome. I have charted the articles and letters regarding Trump in the Star Tribune. Since 2015, 88% of those articles and 94% of the letters have been negative and attacked Trump. His accomplishments have never been printed in this paper. (For the 10th time, I will note that he was nominated by three different international organizations for the Nobel Peace Prize). The left refuses to let go of its elitist ideology. Conservatives want the country our founding fathers envisioned, not a bloated, bureaucratic nation.

Bob Tumilson, Apple Valley