Letters to the editor for Saturday, March 14, 2009

The March 12 Letter of the Day blames American drug users for the Mexican drug wars. The letter writer misses half the story.

In my part of the state, we have had numerous large-scale drug busts. Most of those drugs came from Mexico. And most of those arrested also came from Mexico -- primarily noncitizens. If not for the Mexican drug trade, many of the drugs traded in my area simply would not be available, and would therefore not be used.

Yes, it takes users to create demand. But it takes producers and pushers to create supply. Don't blame Americans for the supply side of the equation.

JAMES MATHEWSON, FARIBAULT, MINN.

The sulfide mining industry has a long, long history of broken promises. Whether they like it or not, this is the track record the companies have to live with, and they shouldn't be upset when the citizens of Minnesota aren't gullible enough to believe them whey they say "this time we're going to be good, really."

We need the strictest laws we can get to make sure that, if this mining is going to be done here in Minnesota, it's done right. Sure, it might be more expensive to ensure they don't pollute, but either they put the money up front, or we are all going to pay eventually once they've walked away with the profits.

RACHEL HOSKINS, MINNEAPOLIS

The Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association supports legislation that is before our Minnesota lawmakers to close these opportunities for prohibited persons to obtain weapons.

These bills are not a form of gun registration, but rather use existing law to ensure that buyers undergo a background check, just as they would if purchasing a firearm from a federally licensed gun dealer. It is important to note that these bills do not apply to the gift, inheritance or transfer of firearms between family members.

In poll after poll, an overwhelming majority supports common-sense laws and stricter enforcement of the laws that are now on the books. Notably, a majority of gun owners voice support for laws that would reduce illegal gun trafficking and require background checks in these secondary markets.

SCOTT M. KNIGHT, POLICE CHIEF, CHASKA;

CHAIRMAN, INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CHIEF OF POLICE FIREARMS COMMITTEE

Would he be willing to store nuclear waste in his California back yard since it's not a problem?

He goes on to say "Nuclear power plants have never killed a member of the public, and have never had any measurable impact on public health over all the decades of their operation."

Has he forgotten about Chernobyl? April 26, 1986, an estimated 5.5 million people were affected by a nuclear meltdown. More than 130,000 people from 76 towns were forced to leave their homes. From 1992 to 2002, 4,000 cases of thyroid cancer are reported. A 19-mile exclusion zone that is uninhabitable, and this contamination will last for tens of thousands of years.

DIANE HINIKER, BLAINE

The March 12 story "Secret Service is investigating hacking of data on Coleman donors" featured a lot of scary quotes from Norm Coleman's entourage. In the second paragraph, the reporters even referred to the matter as an "online theft," as if it were a fact.

Seems to me those facts should have been mentioned somewhere in the article.

DAVE HODGSON, ST. PAUL

What do our local police get out of opposing Sara Jane Olson's application to serve her probation in Minnesota? Revenge? That's not a pretty thing. More punishment? This would punish her family as well.

Olson has served her sentence. The local community did not "harbor" her here, because it was not aware of her other identity. She lived here for a very long time, and, yes, she did make a contribution to this community.

Let her return here, and live a law-abiding life in peace. Can't we all move on now?

I was dismayed to learn that the University of Minnesota is considering requiring U employees to pay a portion of the cost of tuition for classes they take.

As a former instructor at the university, I know many of my most committed students were U employees trying to complete their degrees while working full time.

Given many employees' already low wages, asking them to pay tuition is wrong.