Netlets for Tuesday, Nov. 27

The recent stem-cell breakthrough must not lessen efforts to allow research on embryonic stem cells.

Embryonic cells are like the front door of a house. You can still get into the house without using the door, but you have to put up a ladder, try to find a second-story window you can pry open, then lug the groceries downstairs. The recent success means we have found a window we think we can jimmy. But it will take a long time to carry the groceries to the kitchen, even if they will fit through the window.

In the first place, today's breakthrough would not even have been possible without previous research on embryonic cells. Second, to make the new technique succeed, we still need embryonic cells for comparison and guidance. Third, embryonic cells promise practical applications sooner than any other technique. Fourth, embryonic cells may well point the way to other breakthroughs such as this one.

Embryonic stem cells are still the front door to stem-cell research. We should not let this door remain locked.

MIKE ANGLIN, APPLE VALLEY

The money and the athletes

It seems like every time a big-name sports player leaves it's never about the money.

If it's so important to keep people like Torii Hunter around, maybe we can put the price of beer and hot dogs at the Dome up to $10 each.

Or maybe we should put out some penny jars, anything to keep the best players. Hunter was offered $15 million a year for three years!

Let's see. If you make $50,000 a year, it will only take you 300 years to earn $15 million. What's wrong with this picture?

STEVE FOX, HASTINGS, MINN.

A cruelty-free holiday

I wonder if I am the only one who was disturbed by the Star Tribune's Nov. 22 headline "A really, really, really big turkey."

The turkey was nearing the end of its "useful life?" Obviously that means useful to humans, as I am sure the turkey would disagree.

I am thankful that I had a cruelty-free holiday and did not have turkey. I am thankful that I have the empathy and the ability to see beyond my family and realize the exploitation of millions of animals every day. And I am sure the turkey I did not kill is thankful for having his life.

AMY HILBURGER, OAKDALE

Witness the flaws in Wigley's arguments

In response to Michael Wigley's Nov. 21 Counterpoint, "Witness the conscience of a liberal": Wigley wants to blames slow reform of public education (and other big public systems) on liberals simply because a known liberal has pointed out that such reform is slow. Then he, with considerable more accuracy, mentions legislative and bureaucratic "hand-wringing, analyzing and politicking."

Approximately half of those legislators (he failed to mention our chief executive in St. Paul) are conservatives, therefore the blame logically has little to do with liberal or conservative stances.

Wigley also states: "Government money isn't free. The cost to society is all the things that would have been purchased and built and all the charitable organizations that would have benefited had the tax money remained in private hands." This assumes that money that might have been collected as taxes all would have gone toward purchases and donations that serve the public good. My observation is that a great deal of "private money" is actually spent on unnecessarily large vehicles, homes, televisions, etc. While consumer spending arguably helps a small number of industries, it does not advance the public good the way smaller school class sizes or publicly supported early childhood education and day care would.

If we had leadership in Washington, D.C., or St. Paul that really cared about the common good there would be no need to "fool taxpayers." Why does Wigley need to resort to emotionally charged wording, saying state leaders pick our pockets? Could it be he needs to do this because facts and logic don't help his cause?

LARRY KAATZ, MINNEAPOLIS

Deep into taxpayers' pockets

Recent estimates show that each American family of four will pay more than $20,000 for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This shows clearly that, contrary to Michael Wigley's Nov. 21 rant, conservative hands reach at least as deep into taxpayers' pockets as liberals do. The only difference is that a much greater portion of what conservatives pull out is spent on death and destruction.

PAUL OMAN, BROOKLYN CENTER