Readers Write: Trump and the G-7, urban density, 'belittling' obituary, Miss America's erstwhile swimsuit competition and men's intrigue

I am fairly certain that Angela Merkel, Justin Trudeau, Emmanuel Macron, Theresa May and other leaders attending the recent G-7 summit in Canada do not read the opinion pages of the Star Tribune. That's a pity, as I wish to apologize to you all on behalf of the citizens of the United States.

The purpose of this apology is not to debate the merits of the "America First" agenda of the Trump administration, tariffs and trade sanctions, immigration policies, or any substantive topics. I am neither authorized nor qualified to do so. Rather, I would like to apologize for the manner in which you (and by your presence, your countries) were treated by our president.

Yes, Donald Trump does speak for the United States, but not necessarily for Americans. Within our borders, politics has become a vile and uncivilized exchange. Not of ideas, but of vitriol, hatred and elitism. Simple common courtesy is nearly a thing of the past. And you were subjected to this swing in American values and cultural change.

You have been our staunchest allies for decades (and I sincerely hope will be again in about 2½ years). We have had each others' backs in times of economic crisis, war and natural disasters. With the world smaller than ever before, we will need each other more than ever going forward. Please understand that the American people stand with you and that we are happy to discuss our differences and find common ground in a civilized and respectful manner. Just as soon as we elect a leader capable of that.

I read Lisa Albrecht's June 9 commentary ("An open letter to elected officials, planners and developers") with a mix of disbelief and dismay. She represents the exact type of NIMBY-ism that has caused the current housing shortage. How someone can lament the lack of affordable housing while simultaneously opposing higher housing density is beyond me. The luxury market-rate housing of today becomes the affordable market-rate housing of 2040.

As employment opportunities continue to concentrate in urban areas, we city residents can choose to share the opportunities with newcomers (which Albrecht once was) or shut them out by opposing new housing developments. The Minneapolis of the 1990s, emptied out by mass exodus to the suburbs, no longer exists. We must be forward-looking to solve the current and future housing needs of our growing population.

As people continue to move to Minneapolis for economic opportunity, population density will continue to rise. Hopefully, a multifaceted approach can move housing density toward meeting the demands of this new normal.

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I've always thought that negligent parents, crooked lawyers and dishonest business people must be immortal, since they never show up in obituaries. So maybe the critical obituary published in the Redwood Falls Gazette was not all bad and we can drop the Latin phrase "De mortuis nihil nisi bonum" ("Of the dead, [say] nothing but good") and use "Quondam veritatem dicere" ("At times, tell the truth").

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Did this obituary, by two abandoned children (now adults) about their biological mom's passing, seem too vindictive? Maybe, but the pain from these siblings, who were ignored by the deceased, is all too real — and not the only incident of child abandonment. How many of us would like to tell the world the real truth of how someone close to us is not worthy of all the glowing niceties included in a standard obituary?

The news editor for the Springfield Advance-Press said that "it seemed quite vindictive" and that a lot of relatives and friends would be hurt. She went on to say, "we need to be a more civil people." Oh, you mean like the deceased, who figured to abandon her children and start a new life without them, a civil act? Alas, those two kids are being dismissed and abandoned again, now as adults, by so-called relatives and friends. I am far from being a person in a position to judge others and their actions, but I do know hypocrisy when it happens. I don't condone, nor do I criticize, the scathing obit, but I understand where it came from.

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To the male letter writer ("Oh, man," June 10) who wonders whether he is "an ancient, sexist pig" because he will miss "seeing beautiful, young women in bathing suits" in the Miss America pageant: Go to the beach. We'll be there: young, old, brassy, poised, wrinkled, unenhanced, tanned, flabby, toned, perfectly proportioned or not — in a word: beautiful!

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The June 10 letter writer sounds like the fine gentlemen with whom my female colleagues and I worked for 40 years. I have precious memories of our workplace, of the harmless jokes shared, the work assignments shared, the personal stories and family stories shared, and the friendly connections we still have after retirement. I think the women of America could trust such gentlemen to admire the Miss America pageant and not bring personal danger to the rest of us. Guys should be free to just be guys.

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