Letters to the editor for Saturday, Jan. 31

The GOP caucus in the U.S. House appears to have not heard the deafening roar for change uttered by a majority of American voters and reiterated by the nearly 2 million people who attended President Obama's inauguration. I hope there is a provision in the stimulus bill that passed -- without one Republican vote -- precluding any of the funds from going to these lawmakers' districts. That will leave more for those of us who have representatives who are concerned about the people they represent.

PHYLLIS RODEN, MINNEAPOLIS

•••

How ironic that Rep. Collin Peterson suddenly got religion and voted against the federal stimulus bill on the basis of fiscal responsibility. As chair of the House Agriculture Committee, he presided over the construction of a farm bill that is the epitome of fiscal irresponsibility, sending big subsidy checks to landowners and farmers -- whether they need them or not.

LOIS BRAUN, ST. PAUL

I voted for Norm Coleman. Well, actually, I didn't vote for Coleman so much as I voted against Al Franken. Maybe Coleman should ignore how Franken got the extra votes and just give up. That way, with the Democrats firmly in control, they can take either the credit or blame for what happens.

MIKE MCLEAN, RICHFIELD

I don't understand Coleman's lawyer calling Douglas Thompson as a witness (Star Tribune, Jan. 28). Thompson's ballot was properly rejected. Training material for election judges states a ballot should be accepted if, among other criteria, judges are satisfied that the signature on the ballot matches the signature on the application. Thompson's girlfriend filled out his application while he filled out his ballot.

I think this witness strengthens the case that Coleman and his legal team are grasping at straws.

DAVID FRAME, ELKO

It was a sight to be seen. People toting signs and chanting in a seemingly unending sea of faces along Minneapolis' Lake Street, all braving the winter's cold to support Kristen Boyne, a recent victim of a violent gay-bashing crime in Uptown. Yet this was a peaceful demonstration -- a demonstration to those in Uptown that love, compassion and solidarity are truly the only way to conquer acts of cowardice, violence and hatred.

It was also a way for not just GLBT-identified individuals, but a community, to begin to heal from such a senseless crime of ignorance and hate.

JOHN HARMELING, COTTAGE GROVE

I was very disappointed in Jill Reilly's decision as president of the Academy of Holy Angels to strip alumnus Rep. Paul Thissen of its Activities Hall of Fame award because of his record of supporting abortion rights (Star Tribune, Jan. 30).

If Thissen were a proponent of war, an advocate for capital punishment, a supporter of "enhanced interrogation" or if he had a history of looking the other way when governmental support was needed for pregnant women and their children, the church would be happy to bestow any honor that came his way.

Prochoice advocates recognize that ethical people who value high morals disagree on this subject, so as champions of personal rights, they respectfully step aside as legislators and allow the manifestation of free will.

Labeling prochoice as "abortion rights" is misleading, as is "prolife" when so many of its proponents are blind to the disrespect for human life intrinsic in capital punishment, war and refusal of federal and/or state funds for the poor.

SHAWN GILBERT, BLOOMINGTON

"Bleakdale," indeed! Rick Nelson and Claude Peck make a down situation even more depressing with their sarcastic comments about Brookdale Mall ("Withering Glances," Jan. 25).

This part of our metro area needs a boost, not another kick in the teeth. The dollar signs in glitzy, growing Maple Grove attracted Penney's and others to follow the money and leave Brookdale. Many thanks to Sears and Barnes & Noble for being there -- we need them very much. Not every customer has the wherewithal to drive to or live in Maple Grove.

Brookdale Mall was renovated and enlarged by Texas owners several years ago, but the owners never followed through with a grand "reopening."

Local ownership and a thorough evaluation of the consumer base in this area could save Brookdale Mall. Its location, accessibility and beautiful one-level structure are very attractive. With sensible, steady ownership, strong promotion and stores catering to the nearby populace, Brookdale Mall could rise again! We long for the '60s when my family said, "If it's not at Brookdale, we don't need it!"

I find it very strange that the IRS has the right to demand that citizens document where every dollar they earned came from and where they spent it, and have the attitude that you are guilty until you prove yourself innocent, but no one seems to know where the $350 billion went that was given to the "banks."

ALEX COLE, GOLDEN VALLEY

Thankfully many children with Type 1 diabetes aren't old enough to read the Jan. 30 letter from a reader who questions why so much money is being spent on finding a cure for diabetes when the focus should be on nutrition education.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease and is not caused by a bad diet or eating too much processed sugar. People with Type 1 diabetes will have diabetes for the rest of their lives. They are dependent on constant blood glucose monitoring, insulin injections/infusions and potential damage to organs. The people who donate to and support these researchers understand that a cure is the only answer -- including the 16,000 walkers who attended the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Walk for a Cure at the Mall of America on Jan. 24.