Letters to the editor for Saturday, Aug. 16

As a member of the broad majority of elected delegates who supported Mark Olson's candidacy for Senate District 16, I strongly disagree with the Aug. 14 editorial's comments on the fitness or appropriateness of Olson's representation of our district.

It's a sad commentary on the use of language that a domestic argument that resulted in no injury -- or even any attempt to hurt another -- can be considered worthy of this term.

On the other hand, there exists a very real, always lethal, assault that enjoys the full endorsement of the editorial board -- that is the assault on innocent life that goes on daily in Minnesota's abortion clinics.

Another less-than-lethal "assault" on Minnesota families also enjoys the full support of your editorial board -- the assault on family budgets that occurs as legislators pick our pockets in order to finance the private financial empires of their most fervently active contributors.

It's true your positions and those of Olson are widely divergent on these issues. Further, he isn't a party hack and can't be relied upon to support such "needy" causes when the party's full court press is on.

Your term for this characteristic of Mark is "loquacious"; we call it faithful representation.

BRUCE G. FRYKMAN, ELK RIVER;

News reports indicate John McCain is sending his campaign's representatives, Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham, to Georgia. For what purpose other than politics? I assume we will see campaign ads in a few weeks.

Isn't this presumptuous, even uppity? Isn't this interfering with foreign policy? And isn't there one president? Wasn't that the Republicans' criticism of Barack Obama's European trip? I guess it is OK if you are a Republican.

By the way, one of McCain's principal foreign-policy advisers is Randy Scheunemann, a Washington lobbyist who has worked on behalf of Georgia.

MARTIN LEE, ST. LOUIS PARK

Target Corp. and all those involved in the humiliation of an elderly woman, including the police who forced Christina Brown into an ambulance, should be ashamed of themselves ("'Cranky' lady tangled with 'Mr. Nasty'," Aug. 14).

The Aug. 14 headline, "A new heart, a dark heart?" that accompanies the story about the boy from Woodbury who had a heart transplant and is now charged with felonies was so sadly sensationalistic.

Although I am not in the medical field and have no medical expertise, I feel pretty confident that the idea that the heart of an 11-year-old boy, whose grieving parents generously donated to save another boy's life four years ago, could be "dark" is ridiculous. You didn't need that headline for people to read that story. I hope that all families involved in this tragedy were spared from seeing this headline.

DONNA ERICKSON, WOODBURY

As of Aug. 1, I can't text while driving anymore. Darn! But I can still talk on my cell phone while driving. Whew! Despite the facts that it's been proven to be dangerous and cities like Chicago have outlawed driving while holding a cell phone.

Minnesota traffic code, which includes laws about signaling and careless driving, indirectly covers both texting and talking on your cell phone. So, rather than coming up with new laws, why not just enforce the ones we already have?

Indur Gaklany and Jerry Taylor continue the "I-don't-feel-your-pain-and-neither-should-you" comments that Phil Gramm started ("Actually, you can afford it," Aug. 13). Stop whining and realize that you, the "average American" has $1,627 more disposable income than he did in 2007!

Well, dry my tears!

Unfortunately the "average" American has reaped too little of the economic largesse cited by these fellows. Gains have gone to the wealthy who are demonstrably feeling no pain.

MARY K. LUND, MINNETONKA

It's a sign of hope for the GLBT community when a company like Flatiron Construction will not tolerate acts of violence and hate and fire any employee who participates in it. Hats off to the company for having the courage and integrity to fire the employees who assaulted a man for being gay.

Priscilla Lord Faris has evolved as a most interesting and appealing political candidate. Even the present incumbent in the contested U.S. Senate seat publicly recognizes and endorses her wisdom and courage in standing up for basic values.

I have known Priscilla and her family since she was a young teenager. Throughout her life she has been exposed to and personally immersed in politics, following the high standards of public service demonstrated by her dad, Miles Lord, and by Paul Wellstone, Hubert Humphrey, Walter Mondale and all the other founders and leaders of the DFL Party.

Priscilla has learned and practiced her lessons well, and on important issues is prepared to challenge even those whom she admires. She is fully equipped to be what almost all of us keep asking for and looking for -- a true public servant and representative with the highest degree of personal integrity.

Priscilla Lord Faris needs and deserves the active support of everyone who believes in honest, caring and efficient government.