Letters to the editor for Saturday, July 19

CHARTER SCHOOLS

Don't give up on districts

The increase in the number of charter schools and the opportunity for students to have alternative choices for education is a great development for parents and students.

However, let us not forget that 77 percent of all U.S. students are educated in school districts. We cannot let our school district schools fail. There is not a backup plan to educate our masses.

Public schools have challenges and can improve -- and they will.

HARRY DAVIS JR., MINNEAPOLIS

ELECTION '08

What is Barkley?

Dean Barkley recently announced he is running for the U.S. Senate as an Independence Party candidate, yet he touts being the "independent" candidate as if they are the one and the same.

They are not.

Last time I checked, the Independence Party is a political party with a platform of ideas and beliefs.

Barkley's convenient manipulation of words is a clear sign that he is really no different than any other politician.

ANDY CILEK, EDEN PRAIRIE

Regarding Sen. Norm Coleman's claim that he "brought hockey back" to Minnesota, it must be noted that Coleman proposed this more than 10 years ago, when he still was the Democratic mayor of St. Paul.

Credit must also be given to the Democratic-controlled City Council and to the DFL-controlled Legislature. Without them, the Xcel Center would not have been built and NHL hockey would not have come back to the State of Hockey. It was a total Democratic Party effort!

So what has Norm Coleman accomplished since then? He switched to the Republican Party, lost to Jesse Ventura in the 1998 governor's race, won a seat in the Senate thanks to the death of Paul Wellstone and has supported President Bush on the Iraq War. He also supported Bush's economic policies, which have caused a huge national debt and a recession.

But he does take out the garbage.

GARY THOMPSON, ST. PAUL

It appears Sen. Norm Coleman is lying that the Employee Free Choice Act will take away the secret ballot for unions. The bigger lie, however, is that Coleman cares about unions, other than to do away with them.

DOUG SEITZ, STILLWATER

I would like to congratulate Rep. Ron Erhardt on his decision to run as an independent after being stripped of his party's endorsement in favor of a young upstart who will toe the party line for the GOP.

As a DFLer, I support Erhardt in his bid. While I hope the caucus he meets with will be the DFL-majority, I believe whichever party Erhardt is caucusing with will have an asset and leader in him.

The people of his district and of this state deserve leadership that is willing to take off the party blinders once in a while and look at the whole picture of what is best for the state, even if it means standing up to antitax stalwarts in the name of our famous Minnesota quality of life.

KEVIN MOBERG, MINNEAPOLIS

READERS' COMMENTS

Hateful and racist

I was excited to see the July 13 column by Star Tribune editor Nancy Barnes ("Reader comments open way for freewheeling debate"). Many of these comments are hateful and racist, and I was hopeful that the feature was going away.

My excitement gave way to disappointment when I realized that online commenting is staying. If the Star Tribune is going to keep this feature, please give readers an option to hide all reader comments. That way I can read the news online without seeing the hateful words out of the corner of my eye.

JULIE JACKSON, ROSEVILLE

A waste of time

Please, please stick a fork in the Comments feature.

Why would I want to read a bunch of lame, inane random thoughts dashed off without regard for punctuation, capitalization or coherence? At least on Craigslist, in exchange for wading through such postings, I may come away with something of value.

ANNE HAMRE, ROSEVILLE

GETTING BOYS TO READ

Blame video games

So boys are not reading books ("Girls have reading down, but boys are losing interest," July 15)? I wouldn't, either, if I was a young boy growing up in today's culture of video/computer games and "Ultimate Fighting" available on television.

Why bother using your imagination when you can readily rely on graphic and violent games and video?

Yes, it would be wonderful if male role models tried to break this pattern and encouraged boys to read, but do not discount what female librarians, teachers and other women are attempting.

If we really want to change the literacy rating of boys, let us all unite in getting rid of offensive and violent video and computer games and, as parents, monitor our children's participation in such activities.

SHELLY MCVickeR, Maplewood

KERSTEN ON WAL-MART

Nice PR

I hope Wal-Mart appreciates Katherine Kersten. That was a stirring testimonial for the company ("Wal-Mart means low-priced goods and good jobs," July 14).

Having been on the opposite end of the Wal-Mart insurance program, I feel can speak to its unwillingness to spend money to better the quality of life of one of its employees. Its reluctance to pay for durable medical equipment that would have bettered that life and allowed that person to spend more time working provided an example of the "dehumanizing" that Wal-Mart continues to exhibit.

That there were 6,000 applicants for 325 jobs is a picture of our economy, not the savior of the nation, this "powerhouse for the poor."

ANITA SLATER, CHAMPLIN

VALLEYFAIR ATTACK

If roles were reversed

I am amazed that there has not been more coverage of the savage beating of a father who was trying to protect his daughter at Valleyfair. Is it because the attackers were African-American and the victim may be white? If this were the other way around -- white attackers of a black man -- we would have nonstop coverage on television and Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton would be here in a heartbeat.

Where is the outrage from the community? The fact the victim may be white and the attackers are African-American should not make this any less of a story.

JEREMY WEED, ELK RIVER