Readers Write: Guns and the assassination attempt, homelessness, being LGBTQ-friendly

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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Francis Wilkinson points our attention to where it should be — on the semiautomatic killing machine that was available to Thomas Matthew Crooks (“Trump shooter’s motive is irrelevant. It’s about guns,” Opinion Exchange, July 16). Let’s reinstate the assault weapon ban to keep such weapons out of the hands of those disturbed enough to point them at a crowd of people. For such disturbed individuals (who often kill themselves or are killed by law enforcement in the process) any crowd will do: at a shopping mall, a concert, a school, a political rally.

Crooks, a registered Republican (though he may have donated $15 to ActBlue three years ago), attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump. We will never know what went on in his mind. But we know all too well the type of weapon he used. Assault weapons (like the AR-15 style gun he used) are commonly used in mass shootings. Even in a setting where law enforcement was prominent and on alert, the shooter was able to get off enough rounds to kill one individual, critically injure two more and graze Trump’s ear.

Let’s stop posing with assault weapons in Christmas cards (as seems popular among some Republican lawmakers) and instead ban their further sale in our country. Crooks was law-abiding and seemed to those around him to be of sound mind, until he suddenly and violently was not.

Lisa Wersal, Vadnais Heights

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A convincing commentary has to use facts and logic to convince others of the argument being made. If it simply expresses strong emotions, it may gain the support of people who feel the same, but it won’t convince anyone to change their mind. Francis Wilkinson’s commentary on gun control (“Trump shooter’s motive is irrelevant. It’s about guns”) won’t convince a single person to change his mind on the subject.

He says that an AR-15 “has no other purpose than to help a shooter kill more people, more quickly.” AR-15s are used for many things besides killing people. They are used for target practice, hunting and self-defense. According to a New York Times analysis, 173 people were killed using AR-15s in the 10 years from 2007-2017. In 2017 alone, nearly 1,600 people were killed with knives and other cutting instruments. Should we outlaw knives?

From 2007 to 2017, there were an average of 17 homicides per year using an AR-15. There were an average of over 13,000 homicides each year during that 10-year period. The vast majority are committed using handguns, not rifles.

There are currently around 19.8 million AR-15 rifles in the U.S. In any given year, almost none of them are used to murder anyone.

Wilkinson says that the Supreme Court is “gung-ho” for Americans “regardless of their personal demons, to be well-armed in our midst.” How ridiculous. The Supreme Court doesn’t decide gun rights cases because it wants dangerous people to own guns; it decides the cases based on justices’ understanding of the U.S. Constitution.

He says that the Supreme Court’s decisions “have been repeatedly exposed as nonsense.” When? By whom? He doesn’t give a single example. As I said, his commentary will convince no one.

James Brandt, New Brighton

Tonight I passed by all four of the encampments located near my house in the East Phillips neighborhood of Minneapolis. One of them is less than a block away. As expected, we are experiencing the chilling and devastating effects that these open drug havens have on our otherwise peaceful neighborhoods. Everything you may have heard about encampments is true: drugs, trafficking, sewage, theft, drug lords, vandalism, overdoses, death and murder. In fact, due to an encampment, I witnessed my first murder last summer behind my house. It is immoral and reckless that a city, county or state would allow such lawlessness.

People are sick and dying, and we as ordinary citizens feel powerless. Many of our elected representatives support these encampments under the bizarre banner of compassion. It is not compassionate to keep people who desperately need help in despair. How are we caring for others by enabling them to drain their precious lives? There are solutions, despite popular opinion. These include shelters, medically assisted treatment, intense social work, mental health care and addiction recovery institutions. However, we seem too afraid to upset important people. Remember, these righteous people don’t live here in East Phillips or Phillips neighborhoods where these death camps somehow continue to flourish. We have to hope for the good of all. Sanctioning people to an inhumane abyss is unacceptable.

To those who think I’m wrong, they have never heard my innocent daughter cry for the loss of her childhood. Encampments should not exist. Do better!

Dan Orban, Minneapolis

The writer was a Minneapolis City Council candidate for Ward 9.

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I am a retired St. Paul Public Schools teacher and longtime resident of Highland Park in St. Paul. I read with interest about a $100 million federal fund to subsidize affordable housing announced by Janet Yellen last month while in Minnesota (”Yellen unveils housing subsidy,” June 24). It’s not really clear from the article whether this fund is to be distributed only in Minnesota (didn’t seem to be the case) or nationally, but either way, it isn’t nearly enough.

Everyone, regardless of skin color, income or ZIP code, deserves a safe, stable, climate-friendly and affordable place to live. I know it was incredibly difficult for my students with unstable living situations to focus on their math lessons. Unfortunately, developers and for-profit housing providers prioritize profits over the needs of marginalized residents. They are not concerned with providing climate-friendly solutions and stable living situations for all of our residents. Housing and climate are two of the biggest challenges facing St. Paul. By investing in city-owned, deeply affordable, decarbonized housing developments, we can increase housing supplies in ways that incentivize accountability, local ownership, community wealth sharing/building and cultural relevance. Contact Mayor Melvin Carter and your St. Paul City Council member and let them know you support investment in city-owned affordable housing.

John Benda, St. Paul

As an usher at Orchestra Hall, I got a chance to see the Gala Choruses Festival 2024 up close last week (”LGBTQ choirs in Minneapolis for GALA Choruses Festival,” July 10). Seven thousand singers in 122 choral groups converged on Minneapolis for five days of performances, workshops and celebrations. There were masterful concerts, sung to huge crowds who cheered the performers to the rafters. What struck me just as much, though, were the many expressions of gratitude. The participants were so happy to be in a city where they were safe and welcome and free to be just who they are. Several of the songs they sung expressed joy at having that freedom. As the festival ended, I felt very proud of my city of Minneapolis for being the kind of place where arts are thriving, and where the queer community can proudly just be themselves.

Mark Brandt, Minneapolis