It's unfortunate Hennepin County Sheriff David Hutchinson is making it more difficult for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to do its job by limiting the use of detainer warrants to hold those who are in the country illegally, and by no longer alerting ICE when citizens of other nations here illegally will be released ("Henn. Co. changes ICE relationship," Sept. 7). Could there be a clearer message that unauthorized persons are welcome to illegally live and take jobs in our state?
More important, the Star Tribune, by blurring the distinction between legal immigrants who have honored our country/our laws and those who have broken the law, does not do its journalistic duty of giving facts/full disclosure to its readership. With the use of catch-all phrases such as "new residents from other countries," "immigrant community," "undocumented people" (not all are "undocumented" but have stolen or forged documents), readers are misled. Of my legal immigrant friends/acquaintances, none are afraid to report crime (one of the excuses given for not cooperating with ICE), and many resent illegal entrants not being removed.
One of the reasons our country is good is that the majority of citizens respect the rule of law. The law makes us all equal. It is not our civic duty to reward citizens of other nations (yes, everyone is a citizen of a country) for breaking the law; this is not in line with our values or democratic traditions. Does the Star Tribune want illegal behavior to be acceptable?
Linda Huhn, Minneapolis
MARVIN WINDOWS
A solution for small-town Minnesota
A big "thank you" to Marvin Windows for its efforts to keep and to grow its business in small-town Minnesota. So often we read comments from businesses that new employees do not have the skills the business needs, and my takeaway from that is that somehow our educational system has failed. Marvin saw a problem and has found a solution that will benefit not only the company but also the town of Warroad and, especially, seniors/juniors in the local high school ("Factory creates degree program for workers," Sept. 9).
Back in the day, students graduating from high school could step into a factory job that assured a middle-class lifestyle. Not so today, but Marvin's plan to open its mechatronics degree program to high school students suggests a way back to that possibility. It also reinforces to me my idea that we should rethink how our high schools are structured. With teenagers finishing in three years to begin college, some in athletic programs even, are there not some programs taught on the junior college level that could be fully incorporated into high schools that would offer students job-ready skills if a four-year or two-year degree isn't part of a student's career plan?
Just asking!
Mary Vik, St. Paul
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
The practical road untaken for college athletics
The decision by the University of Minnesota leadership to eliminate certain nonrevenue athletic teams without giving notice and a hearing to the supporters of those programs violates the principle of fair play — a basic lesson that we teach our children ("U of M leaders shed sports capriciously," Sept. 4).
The decision also fails to anticipate the rapid transformation of the financial model of major revenue college sports with increasing demands by the players to share in the hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue generated by their efforts.
We should recognize that football and basketball teams are already part of the sports entertainment industry. Those teams should be organized as separate corporations. The university would grant a license to those corporations to use the university name for those teams. The license fee would be a percentage of the revenues generated from ticket sales, broadcasting rights, advertising, etc. The license fee would be used to support the nonrevenue sports the university retains, such as gymnastics, track, tennis and swimming.
This would enable the players and their supporters to continue to enjoy the games. Of even greater significance, it would enable the university to focus on education, research and public service — the reasons for its existence.
Michael W. McNabb, Lakeville
DEER FARMS
Let's discuss this word 'elitist'
The Sept. 8 counterpoint "Deer farms are the remedy, not the disease" describes deer hunters and deer hunting organizations concerned about chronic wasting disease (CWD) as elitist.
I have hunted deer since the 1970s. Always on public land for the cost of a Minnesota deer license.
Shooting a domestic deer for thousands of dollars with the goal of mounting its head on a wall seems more elitist to me than fair chase on public land.
Second, the breakouts of CWD in this state don't seem to be a spontaneous act of nature. Rather, they are tied to the irresponsible acts of a deer farm.
The writer suggests that 100% of all deer farms are tested thoroughly for CWD. From what we have seen in the last few years, either the tests are faulty or certain operations are in fact not testing.
The solution is much tighter regulation over the industry. It's already compromised deer herds in several areas of Minnesota. We are talking about a multibillion-dollar deer hunting industry put at risk by a handful of deer farms.
Jim Piga, Mendota Heights
COVID-19 AND DOWNTOWNS
Never going back until …
After reading "Downtown St. Paul's rebound on hold" (Sept. 8) due mainly to the recent surge of COVID-19 cases, I'm surprised restaurants aren't requiring vaccinations for indoor dining. In a very short time we will no longer be comfortable on patios, and those of us who want to feel safe hesitate to dine indoors with the delta variant raging.
I have read of one downtown Minneapolis restaurant — Hark! Cafe — that requires vaccination proof to dine there indoors. When the weather is too cold for outdoor eating, I will make my reservations there.
I also plan to buy season tickets for the History Theatre in St. Paul because it requires proof of vaccination to attend its plays. I frequently meet friends to dine before a show, and we will patronize a St. Paul restaurant with a vaccination requirement protocol. We just need to know which ones will do so. And to know that the staff is also vaccinated. We who are immunocompromised and others who want to be among other vaccinated people when unmasked will come!
Kathleen Ziegler, Lino Lakes
•••
As a consumer, I was very happy to see the article about Lloyd's pharmacy on the front page of the Minnesota section Sept. 7 ("Lloyd's returns, with a push from community"). However, the picture just did me in. Here we are in the middle of the delta variant COVID surge, and this group of community health care providers are openly flaunting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines! I feel like I'm living in some parallel universe.
As a former ICU RN, I have many friends still working in our ICUs, and what I'm hearing from them is so deeply concerning — the suffering and deaths that they are exposed to on a daily basis is truly heartbreaking, both for the patients and the nurses themselves. Our health care system is at the very brink of collapse from staffing shortages, staff burnout and lack of available beds. And yet we as community members can't make the simple sacrifice of wearing a mask! Imagine what that feels like to the health care workers and supporting staff who continue to show up to work, knowing that they're breaking a little more each day. No one should be surprised when people can't obtain the health care they need in the future. We have created this.
Julie Zupfer Anderson, Sartell, Minn.
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