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

•••

I was reading Friday's paper and came across Alison Spencer's delightful article in the "Taste" section, detailing her second foray into culinary excellence through her brother Teddy's eyes ("From burgers to pizza"). Just wonderful. I can relate. Last year I read Spencer's story about her brother, who has Down syndrome, and burgers. That was priceless.

I had a sister with Down syndrome, Holly, who was a delight. She, like Teddy, knew what she liked and what she didn't like. Our mother was a tremendous home cook, a trained dietitian who worked for the U.S. Army during the Second World War. Mother tried new things all the time, as do I. Once in a while she would hit the spices a little too hard for Holly's liking. One evening Mother was making dinner and Holly informed her when the paprika container came out, "Mother, don't put that 'pack-a-rocka' on mine ... that's too peppy for me." The family had a good giggle. But Holly always knew what she liked and didn't like. She worked at an Olive Garden in Fargo for many years, lived by herself in an apartment and caught a special bus every morning at 6 a.m. to go to Olive Garden to roll silverware. She was diligent and loved Olive Garden. Whenever I would visit Fargo I would invite Holly to dinner. "Where would you like to go?" The answer was always the same: "Olive Garden!" She loved the salad and the breadsticks! Could I convince her to go elsewhere? A nice steakhouse? Nope. It was Olive Garden because that was her comfort zone. As I read Spencer's story about burgers last year and on Friday about pizza, I had a smile on my face during the entire time. People like my sister are most often so much smarter that we give them credit for.

I loved my sister Holly just as Alison obviously loves Teddy. Thank you for running her wonderful, heartfelt accounts about dining with Teddy. We can all learn something if we care to listen and read about such experiences.

Richard Sanders, Prescott, Wis.

•••

I enjoyed Alison Spencer's article "From burgers to pizza."

It is amazing how simply sharing a pizza can become such a profound act of grace, a lesson for all of us who get caught up in the frenzy of life.

Thanks for sharing, Alison, Teddy and the Star Tribune.

John Apitz, Mendota Heights

CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS

Difference is in what they did next

President Joe Biden is being compared to former President Donald Trump because classified documents were found among his records ("Biden, Trump both mishandled papers," editorial, Jan. 17). The media is trying to paint him in the same light as Trump so as not to look biased. The most glaring difference between the two is the fact that Biden followed the protocol for dealing with this issue. He turned the documents over to the National Archives and the Justice Department was informed. The National Archives were reportedly not even aware these documents were missing. It seems to me that these items could have been burned and no one would have been the wiser.

I have taught my children that real honesty and integrity is doing the right thing not just when everyone can see you, but when there is no one watching you. Biden did just that. Let's focus on the bigger issue, which is keeping track of our secure documents and having a procedure for packing up the papers of our former officials so this won't happen again.

Carol Keymer, Plymouth

MISINFORMATION

A lot less fun to read a transcript

In Monday's editorial "Stop silencing public input," the Star Tribune suggests that government agencies should "counter misinformation with facts." That's a laudable goal, but in this era of ill-informed, angry loudmouths grandstanding before the cameras in order to post on their social media feeds, it is also quaint and dangerously ineffective. Maybe if people had to read transcripts of the conspiratorial bloviating and enraged finger-pointing instead of watching internet videos, there would be less of it.

Bill Karns, Minneapolis

UKRAINE

Russia is stealing Ukraine's soul

It is breaking my heart to have read that Russia is methodically emptying museums in Ukraine. Paintings, sculpture and artifacts of this stature are not mere objects, but encapsulate genius, heritage and the very soul of the country. These are world treasures. Make no mistake, this is war on civilization, intending to bomb a people back to the Stone Age. Let us give full support to brave Ukraine, before more unspeakable crimes occur — there, or in the next country.

Betty Ann Addison, Fridley

•••

In his opinion piece on the war in Ukraine, "Now for the good news ..." (Jan. 13), Hal Brands dismisses reality to state "this war has illustrated what a world without American power would look like." How can he deny that this is precisely what a world with American power does look like?

Proxy wars are nothing new to the American ruling class seeking global hegemony. And they care little for the people caught in the middle of their hellish proxy wars. It is preferable that foreigners die to "weaken" America's adversaries, because public opinion tends to turn against their wars when Americans come home in caskets.

Recall former National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski who boasted that, contrary to the official narrative, the United States began funding the mujahedeen six months before the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. He calculated he could draw the Soviets into a quagmire, "giving the USSR its Vietnam War."

Asked about the suffering of the Afghan people and the rise of international terrorism as a result of the war, Brzezinski replied that he had no regrets and that "collapse of the Soviet empire" was more important than "some stirred-up [Muslims]".

The Russian invasion of Ukraine was an act of aggression. But the proxy war was not "unprovoked." In fact, by marching NATO right up to Russia's doorstep, arming Ukraine to the teeth and dismissing Russia's legitimate security concerns, it was deliberately provoked.

The advice Brands peddles has already wrecked Ukraine. And to debilitate China, he's ready wreck Taiwan next.

Mike Madden, St. Paul

•••

Most of the reasons given for why we should support Ukraine and the Ukrainian people are pretty intellectual: They are fighting for democracy against dictatorship; they are fighting to preserve their homeland and its beautiful, ancient culture. There is a much simpler, more obvious reason: Human beings cannot live together if the governing principle is that if you want someone's property, you can kill them and take it.

That principle does not work in day-care centers. It doesn't work in neighborhoods, not in the workplace, not within families. It is the principle upon which gangs claim the right to kill anyone who encroaches on their "turf." We don't let the day-care bully take another child's lunch. We don't allow a co-worker to simply take over our workspace. Families break up when one person tries to hog all of the food. We criminalize gangs.

The argument that "it's not our war" doesn't work. I don't excuse a bully from taking another child's lunch if the bully isn't taking my child's lunch at the moment. The fact that my home is not yet in any gang's territory doesn't allow me to ignore a gang that wants your house.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's principle is that he wants to rule Ukraine, so it's OK for his armies to kill Ukrainians until he rules their country. That principle would not only destroy democracy and then civilization, it would destroy humankind.

Gary L. Brisbin, Minneapolis