Readers Write (Feb. 28): Federal deficit, sex offenders, farmland values and taxes, politics and religion

Paul Gutterman ("Boomers, millennials need wake-up call on deficit," Feb. 21), blames baby boomers for the increasing government deficit and suggests that the only options the younger generation has are to pay higher taxes to maintain the same level of benefits or pay the same taxes and reduce benefits. He does not talk about one of the primary reasons for the increasing deficit, specifically, reduced tax payments by corporations. In 1952, corporate tax payments accounted for 33 percent of all tax revenue. Today, that's less than 9 percent. The author also suggests that many younger voters are flocking to Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, "whose policies would actually exacerbate their plight." However, Sen. Sanders clearly identifies the main problem responsible for our increasing deficit. He has campaigned on making Wall Street and corporations pay their fair share. Closing corporate tax loopholes and taxing speculation on Wall Street will go a long way to solving the problem. The current Republican-controlled Congress has blocked any effort to do this. The solution is approaching in November.

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I was born in 1935. When I look in Gutterman's mirror, I see something quite different. I see brave Americans who, when America heard the bugle call, went off to foreign lands far from home to fight and die. Some were drafted. World War II, Korea, Vietnam. I served in one of them. Where would America be if they had not answered the call? The mood of that era is reflected in a song. "Kiss me goodbye and write me while I'm gone. Goodbye, my sweetheart; hello, Vietnam."

In my youth, we had no welfare, no food stamps, no food shelves, no MinnesotaCare, no Affordable Care Act. Families in need had to rely on the generosity of others.

We didn't drive cars to school. If we lived in town, we bicycled or walked. Took the bus if we lived in rural areas.

No, Mr. Gutterman, I think those under 50 had better look in your mirror.

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Gen Xers came of age during the inflation-fueled 1970s of the post-Vietman years, watched as the deficits exploded during the 1980s and saw the tech boom go bust in the 1990s. We were the first generation to be told outright that our standard of living would never match up to that of our parents. And yet our presence in this generational discussion has been ignored, as if we don't even exist — never mind that we will begin reaching retirement age in barely a decade.

If you want to talk about "generational theft," start by noting that Gen Xers were the original victims of that theft. Then perhaps we can have a more thorough and honest review of this topic.

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Gutterman's argument on federal spending is one that millennials have heard plenty of times before. As one of said millennials I have to say to him: I am wide-awake. I along with my fellow millennials are well-informed on the state of this nation. The state of the nation that your generation caused, mind you. Millennials have been called lazy, spoiled and uninformed, but we are none of those. We are trying to survive in the crumbling economy that the deregulation of banks and Wall Street, allowed by your generation, caused. Now it might sound outrageous to you, but we do not mind taxes. Why? Because we see the benefits that higher and fair taxes have led to in European countries. Because we have grown up to think of more than ourselves but also others. Because we are not scared of words like socialism and humanism. We want this country to thrive in ways that it never has before. All people being treated as equals and given equal opportunity. Now it is time for the older generations to wake and smell the roses, or, better yet, "feel the Bern."

I'm guessing I was not the only reader alarmed by Richard Williams' acknowledgment that "you can never be sure you're not going to reoffend" ("State's sex offenders see a door swing open," Feb. 21). While I appreciate his desire to show that he's changed, and also the significant "gray areas" between a citizen's rights and an offender's propensity toward criminal acts, this man's understanding of the enormously strong bonds of a sex perversion should not be ignored. Is it possible that the fact of 20 women being raped by him, some at knife point, is treated more tolerantly in an age of casual sex, along with the fact that Williams didn't kill anyone? Who can determine that this man who has been confined for decades will under "conditional release" not attack another, or worse? For many of us, rape would be a near-death experience that would leave its mark for the rest of our lives. I believe the risks are too high, and unless the offender is physically unable to do further lifelong harm, he should not be released to any venue where there is a chance he could slip away.

This is only one example of the economic damage being done to the economy from higher and higher taxes. Rising taxes impact many sectors of the economy. Taxation policy in this country needs to be heavily scrutinized. Therefore, with the upcoming election, we must elect candidates who will work for tax reform and an overall fairer system of taxation.

Several of the candidates seeking election to lead our country as president are working hard to get support from "evangelicals." We need to get our heads around what that means.

Some Christian churches have become very active in using politics to promote (evangelize) their religious views as to what our nation should believe and what actions it should take. An effective strategy, perhaps, but is this good for America? Good for Christianity?

Evangelicals are providing lots of campaign volunteers and giving lots of money to individuals seeking to run America's government. They are probably thinking such generosity will provide a return on investment. Is separation of church and state being thrown out the window?

Evangelicals don't represent all American Christians. They are clearly the most actively passionate and vocal, but many Christians believe it best to avoid becoming so enmeshed in high-profile politics. There's a lot of nastiness going on in this campaign year. Presidential candidates are fighting over which one is more Christian in order to get the "evangelical vote."