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Regarding the withdrawn proposal to remove a statue of William Penn in Philadelphia (Nation+World, Jan. 10):

One has to wonder whether the hustle to remove statues honoring leaders of the past with records of time-stained prejudices is motivated primarily for the making of room to honor leaders whose prejudices are currently more popular. What we all know, however, is that it's done to perform mere obeisance to the generations of American citizens who have been subjugated and brutalized by our nation's prejudices. There are better ways to achieve reparation.

Ruth Wood, River Falls, Wis.

Regarding D.J. Tice's Jan. 10 commentary "Dogmas of the stormy present confuse Civil War debate," in which Tice cites Abraham Lincoln's expressed willingness to allow slavery in the South if it would keep the union intact:

Lincoln is regarded, rightly so, as our greatest president. He was also, in that capacity, a shrewd politician as all must be. Why wouldn't his writings and speeches on slavery and states rights be, in large part, what politicians do: give themselves some wiggle room, send out feelers to gauge public opinion, leave the door open for negotiations, etc.? That he ultimately issued the Emancipation Proclamation should be the focus, not the politicking that preceded this hallmark event.

Joseph Tilli, Wayzata

Many of the challenges and opportunities highlighted in a Dec. 20 article ("Minneapolis schools bet millions on career education. Now they need students.") rang true to me from my own experiences leading Career Academies, an initiative of Greater Twin Cities United Way that supports career pathways in 47 Minnesota school districts. There is so much promise in the innovative work being done by communities across the state, from St. Paul to Windom to Itasca.

The districts I work with are building career pathways models with relatively modest budgets and walking alongside local businesses that are eager to build a skilled workforce. Sometimes, as the article highlights, this looks like a new school building — but more often, it looks like reimagining the purpose of school, building on existing resources, and connecting with the world outside the classroom to offer opportunities for industry certifications, work experiences and college credit.

From studying local Career Academies and similar models nationally, we know that career pathways increase student attendance, improve student earning potential and have a positive impact on high school and college graduation rates. Many leaders across our state are tackling this important work, and the lessons they've learned can collectively inform and inspire the next generation of career pathways programs. With deeper commitment from state agencies and businesses across the state, I am excited to see what the future of career pathways holds for young people in Minnesota — and grateful to see that our movement is growing.

Liz Williams, Minneapolis

Data, please

"Legislative fix needed on cops in schools" (editorial, Jan. 5) claimed that a "legislative fix" is needed concerning school resource officers (SRO), but no evidence was ever presented to support that claim.

As a high school student in a relatively peaceful area of Minnesota, I will never know what the relationship between SROs and students is like in areas where the "use of force" mentioned in the article is necessary. I personally feel much safer in my school due to the presence of our SRO, and I am able to trust my governing authorities much more due to the SRO's communal presence, because it is clear that there are good people playing big roles in the relationship between citizen and state.

It would be much appreciated if data could be provided that explains what effect an SRO has in a variety of different schools and if keeping students safe and supported can have a positive outcome. To go even further, maybe the "fix" needed for cops in schools should contain training on how to provide students with what they need to grow.

Lewis Johnson, Orono

Dear Minneapolis City Council members: I can completely empathize with your desire to express your thoughts and feelings about the many problems facing the world today. At the same time, I ask you please, please, please, while you are in council meetings, to use your time and energy to work on the many issues that directly affect our lives here in Minneapolis.

I would encourage those of you who would like to continue talking about global topics such as the current conflict in the Middle East to form a group or groups outside of council meetings where you could discuss these issues and create resolutions to express your thoughts. Thank you.

John Robertson, Minneapolis

Well, that cuts it! I'm 84 years old, and for years, the direction in which our world is going has led me to say that if I found the Fountain of Youth tomorrow, I wouldn't take a sip. After reading the article, "Nanoplastics found in bottled water," I have another reason.

Denny Daniels, Bloomington

Many thanks to the Star Tribune for the excellent coverage of the new Minnesota PWHL team, an exciting start! And thanks to the team as well — for gritty play, gracious press interviews, and thoughtfully acknowledging the many enthusiastic young girl hockey players in the stands and elsewhere.

As for not having a name yet, if Minnesotans can be trusted to name snowplows and a baby giraffe, how about giving the public a chance to weigh in?

Judith Monson, St. Paul

My wife and I just recently binge-watched the PBS series "All Creatures Great and Small." What a great experience it was! In a time of torturous U.S. politics, we both needed to recharge our batteries. We needed to watch people behave like real human beings.

It is possible to love God, your neighbor and your country! I believe when we even screw up one of these three elements it negatively affects all three. We need to embrace nonviolence, welcome compromise, believe that science is our friend and stop all this conspiracy nonsense. We have serious issues that need to be addressed by people like the ones in the show. Kudos to the producers of this "ode to human beings"! It made my wife and I feel like hope is not dead. As Andy Dufresne said in "The Shawshank Redemption," "Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and a good thing never dies."

David Skrypek, Bloomington