SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
Lewis trots out same tired anti-rights case
You couldn't ask for a better contrast than the commentaries about the proposed state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage by Nicole Burg and Jason Lewis in the May 15 Opinion Exchange section.
The former engages in a very personal and clearly painful account of the heavy cost that the victimization and vilification of the gay minority in this state and country took, and continues to take, on the author's two gay siblings. The latter blithely dodges anything human in the issue, except to sarcastically refer to judges who can't "control their legislative appetites." And to clarify for Lewis, the "cultural elite" are not those bullied to the point of suicide in our schools for being gay or those seeking to defend them. They are successful radio hosts and columnists like you slinging reckless attacks at people like Burg's siblings.
ANDREW BLOOMBERG, MINNEAPOLIS
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Lewis's diatribe against gay marriage is nothing but a bunch of homophobic gobbledygook masked in a lengthy mess of meaningless jargon. Stop already with your senseless ambition to discriminate against those who simply want to love another person. No amount of articulation justifies denying the basic right of letting an individual love another.
The marriage amendment that should be passed is one that sanctions and allows benefits to anyone, no matter whom they decide to make a commitment to.
STEVE SITKOFF, MINNEAPOLIS
A matter of priorities
Cut today's comforts to deal with money woes
Hamline Law School Prof. Marie A. Failinger states in her commentary that the second thing a family would do to balance its budget, after trying to increase income, is to cut out future luxuries ("If the state were a family managing a budget ...," May 15). Maybe in her family, but in our family the first thing we did was cut an existing luxury. In this economy, that's easier than finding a part-time job.
Cutting something you don't yet have isn't cutting, and cutting the percentage of increase isn't cutting.
I absolutely wouldn't expect one family member to pay more for a room than another just because they make more. That is a way to drive a wedge between family members. I would encourage the member who makes less to work on his or her skills in order to make more.
GWEN KIENHOLZ, BRAINERD, MINN.
VIKINGS STADIUM
Let's build pride by creating a better future
When my friends and acquaintances have bragged about Minnesota, it is most often about: 1) education; 2) health care; 3) parks and recreation; and 4) compassion for those less fortunate. With rare exceptions (1987 and 1991), our professional franchises (Twins, Timberwolves, Vikings, Wild) are not what we normally brag about. Yet Minnesotans are asked to put aside our petty concerns about education, health care and the poor to underwrite another stadium.
Warren Buffet struck a chord for me when he said he would be willing, indeed eager, to pay more taxes. So would I, if they went to something that truly benefited our future and the future of our children and our children's children.
MARTY HAUGEN, EAGAN
HARMON'S HELP
Killebrew's gesture made up for boys' error
Rocky Colavito was my hero, and if you lived anywhere near Cleveland back in the late 1950s, he was your hero, too. He had an arm like a cannon and a bat like a howitzer, and if that wasn't enough, he had movie-star good looks. I mention this only because I had an autographed baseball from "The Rock" that I kept on display for all to see. That included my two boys, who took it upon themselves to "borrow" it for a pickup game. When they returned it, the autograph was barely visible. Fast-forward several decades, and Harmon Killebrew was doing some PR work for the company where one of the "culprits" was employed. They were talking baseball, and that story eventually came up. The next day, Harmon walked in and handed my son an autographed baseball with this quip: "It's not Rocky's, but maybe it will get you guys off the hook with your dad." Needless to say, it is proudly on display in my office, and yes, Harmon, they are definitely off the hook.
BOB HUGE, EDINA
