Opinion editor's note: Star Tribune Opinion publishes letters from readers online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

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Thank you to Jeremy Norton for the excellent commentary on death and dying, "To live more fully, let's make peace with death" (Opinion Exchange, Sept. 9). I am of the cohort that is passing away, and I wholeheartedly agree with his recommendations. Death is undefeated. Talk with your family. Prepare them for the inevitable. Don't let yourself have a bad death because of your reluctance to face reality. Heroic measures to stave off the inevitable are sad and costly. Make peace with yourself and your loved ones. And loved ones, have "the talk" as soon as possible. We know we are failing, and sometimes we don't want you to be sad. But it is important to share. A peaceful transition is what we all crave.

Sandy Aubitz, Bloomington

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Thank you to Jeremy Norton, a Minneapolis firefighter/EMT, for illustrating chronic-disease and end-of-life scenarios. Recently our family encountered a health scenario that slipped by during advanced directive planning with our loved one. Did we think about and discuss advanced age and surgery during good health? Did we discuss with our family the possible negative outcomes even though we were expecting a good recovery? The end of life is very complex, and it will be very helpful to include our trusted primary medical provider. I plan on helping my loved one by attending an appointment to continue the conversation.

One more thing: Please ensure that the path is cleared for first responders in the home.

Deidre Campbell, Andover

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Thank you, Jeremy Norton, for the great commentary, "To live more fully, let's make peace with death." Talking about what we want when we are dying, before we are dying, really does help both the family and the person who is dying. Talking helps remove the fear and puts in its place a sense of control and peace. As Norton has seen, with no planning comes confusion, fear, anger and more suffering for the dying person. He asks that we break the silence around dying and talk about what we want to happen before the pain and fear and confusion take over — and he is so right. Take the sting out of it by taking control beforehand and talking about what you want and need when you are dying, and help bring a good death to yourself and for those you love.

Patti Lazarus, St. Paul

The writer is an end-of-life doula.

I read with interest Saturday's headline article about teacher shortages in Minneapolis and marvel that this is just now becoming a news story ("Mpls. schools start year understaffed," Sept. 9). Does no one recall the teacher strike that essentially yielded zero gains in rights or benefits for teachers or students? Does no one realize that although we have newcomers (non-English speakers) entering our classes every day, there is little to no support or training for teaching these students? Does no one realize that most disciplinary issues are now the responsibility of the classroom teacher, leaving disruptive students in class, reducing the time and energy dedicated to actually teaching? Is it any surprise that required special education paperwork and obligations are not possible to complete in a normal workweek?

We are being asked to do so much more with fewer and fewer resources, so is it any wonder that talented educators are fleeing the district and profession? Ask any teacher why they remain teaching in Minneapolis and they'll likely tell you it's due to the wonderful students they work with each day. But guess what? Hundreds have found that other districts also have wonderful kids — and those districts offer the respect, support and compensation that professional, talented educators deserve.

As a 35-year veteran teacher in Minneapolis, I've stayed because I love my school, my students and my colleagues. However, I've watched many extremely talented teachers leave because they've found that other districts offer them the opportunity to actually practice the profession that they love while supporting a healthy life balance.

Melinda Bennett, Minneapolis

The writer is a science teacher at Minneapolis South High.

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I am nervous to see the law enforcement concerns about the new Minnesota law that is an attempt to restrict the use of force against students in schools. The state attorney general has provided an opinion that officers will still be able to use reasonable force if the need arises. So, if some in law enforcement are saying they need the flexibility to use unreasonable force against children in schools, I think we have a problem, but it's not the new law. I would argue we are better off excluding people from our schools who desire the authority to use unreasonable force against our children.

John Dybvig, Stillwater

Regarding the Sept. 8 front-page story headlined "Post-Dobbs, abortions have increased in most states": This article documents that there were more abortions in the U.S. during the first six months of 2023 when compared with the year 2020. No comparison is given to any other year — just to 2020. Hmm, what else happened in 2020? Oh, yes, a worldwide pandemic during which multiple studies documented decreased sexual activity and reduced medical visits — which both could lead to a decrease in demand for abortions. Any study (about any topic, not just abortion) that draws conclusions by comparing current activity levels with 2020 needs to account for the pandemic's effects, yet the article the Star Tribune republished from the New York Times makes no mention of this.

The Star Tribune has an obligation to ensure that numerical information is given proper context. Please be more careful when publishing articles that cite questionable or misleading statistics, especially when you choose to give them prominent placement on the front page.

Richard Sutherland, St. Paul

When I saw the North Star flag developed by William Becker and Lee Herold that illustrated the Sept. 9 "Readers Write" column, I thought, Wow, I love that design! I love its simplicity and clean lines. I love how its star and wavy lines seem appropriate for our North Star state and how the whole creates a vivid, striking impression, a major goal for our redesigned flag. I love it except ...

Except what a missed opportunity for a truly great design to replace our present state flag — that artfully muddled mass of images with their unfortunate suggestion of who belongs where in the scheme of things.

Rather than Polaris towering over the watery world of Minnesota — a lovely image but one that to my eye suggests power and dominance rather than gentle appreciation of the natural world — what about a constellation of stars? What about the Big Dipper pointing the way north as liquid might flow from its lip? For a state boasting one of the largest International Dark Sky Sanctuaries on our planet (the 1.1-million-acre Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness), what could be more appropriate and instantly recognizable than Ursa Major casting its splendor from a dark, starry sky over the land of 10,000 lakes?

Stephen Wilbers, Minneapolis

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The new Minnesota state flag: It's tempting to fill it with specific representations of the state's history and diverse communities. To phrase that differently, it's tempting to make the new flag as messy as the old one. And 50 years from now, more objections will be raised because someone reinterprets one or more elements of the flag.

How's this: a four-color flag. One color each for agriculture, arts, education and business. These things are the foundation of Minnesota's greatness. Every demographic can claim contributions in each field.

And one more thing: Nothing says the flag has to be a rectangle.

Rolf Bolstad, Minneapolis