Readers Write for Sunday, April 26

The Minneapolis branch of the NAACP strongly believes that it is important for citizens to trust police officers regardless of what race the officers may be. The four-part series, "The Informant," detailed some troubling behavior allegedly committed by Minneapolis police officers. Many people in the community will find these stories disturbing for a variety of reasons.

For us, they were disturbing for the novelistic way in which the stories were written; that not all of the officers accused of having an integrity deficit had their pictures published in the paper -- only pictures of African-American officers were published; that the series was written in a way that adds fuel to the racial fire that burns between the Minneapolis Police Department and certain segments of the population; and that the series may hinder future law enforcement investigations by discouraging individuals from cooperating with law enforcement for fear of being exposed in the newspaper.

The African-American officers mentioned in the series are decorated officers who have been role models to many people of color seeking careers in law enforcement. Minnesota currently has fewer than 200 African-American police officers out of more than 10,000 officers in the state. The manner in which innocent officers were depicted in the series will hamper efforts to diversify the Minneapolis Police Department.

BOOKER HODGES, MINNEAPOLIS;

PRESIDENT, MINNEAPOLIS NAACP

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In the recent series "The Informant," Minneapolis police officers were accused of being "dirty cops" and receiving bribes for information along with many other things. All I can say is, when I was in middle school, I was involved in the Minneapolis Police Athletic League (PAL) weightlifting program, and Minneapolis police officers donated their time to coach a bunch of kids to keep them off the streets. We had to get good grades to compete and travel with the team. One of the officers was Lt. Rick Thomas; he was a great coach and was always there for all of the lifters.

Oh, and did I mention that police officers put their lives on the line every single day and yet still find the time to volunteer to help the youth? So let's not just report the bad news about police, let's remember the good news, too.

SAM SEELY, MINNEAPOLIS

Taxes, taxes, taxes! Is that the only solution the DFLers in the Legislature can come up with?

First, the House comes up with a tax increase plan, and then the Senate follows with one of its own. I can't help but wonder how many of them campaigned on the promise of a tax increase. Let's get back to work and come up with some imaginative ways to solve the problem. If you can't, tell us when you are campaigning for reelection that your solution to everything is higher taxes. That way we can vote for someone else.

STAN MENNING, DAWSON, MINN.

You should take a lesson from a gentleman and statesman, Al Gore, and just give it up, Norm. We are tired of your antics. You are really making the Republican Party look like a bunch of losers -- as if they couldn't do that on their own.

DARLENE THYEN, PAYNESVILLE, MINN.

John Muir said, "We need beauty as well as bread, a place to play in, and a place to pray in. Where nature may heal and give strength to bodies and souls alike."

All of us need the striking beauty of one of the most beautiful big, wooded inland lakes in the 10-state region and one of the best in the United States -- Lake Vermilion State Park.

Bravo to DNR Commissioner Mark Holsten and Gov. Tim Pawlenty for their vision, effort and perseverance to save this special place from development and turn it into a park for all, thinking of the future rather than just of today.

Let's keep up the effort to make Vermilion State Park a reality!

JEFF OLSON, EDEN PRAIRIE

One of President Obama's rallying calls was for unity. But the anti-Bush, anti-torture and anti-America stories are doing nothing to unify this country. There are many of us who believe that most of the Bush administration foreign policies were necessary to contend with a growing and sometimes hostile, anti-American sentiment in some parts of the world.

If President Obama truly wants to unify this country, he will move forward to get our country back on track and stop using the past administration as an excuse when he doesn't have all the answers.

MARY MCIntosh Linnihan,

The present generation in power will likely not be able to accept collective guilt for allowing torture to happen on its watch. The same was true for the adults of post-World War II Germany. Like their descendants, however, our children and grandchildren will decide differently. History does repeat itself.