Letters to the editor for Saturday, Sept. 20

I was dismayed and angry to read about the Blaine High School senior who may be expelled for the remainder of the year under the school's "zero-tolerance" weapons policy for inadvertently leaving a box cutter he used at his after-school job in his car in the school's parking lot (front page, Sept. 18).

While no one questions the need for schools to take a strong stance against weapons possession, where is the judgment here?

"Zero-tolerance" policies should not mean that schools cannot evaluate each situation for its unique characteristics and exercise some discernment about the best response. Anything less is a gross disservice to students and displays the kind of rigidity that serves no one well. Surely a one-day suspension and a stern reminder of the policy would have been more than adequate here.

Anyone who works with kids knows that sometimes a single event, badly handled -- especially including expulsion from school -- can mean the difference between success and failure for a student for the rest of his teenage years. A little time spent actually thinking about individual kids and their conduct in these situations is not too much to ask of our schools.

PHEBE HAUGEN, EDINA

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The article quotes a school official saying, "We try to apply these policies in a uniform way to all students. It isn't fair to them if we don't." This individual has confused "fair" with "equal."

The premise of "zero-tolerance" is fundamentally a lack of trust in the authorities to exercise policies fairly.

Oh, by the way -- if it had been a teacher with an after school job leaving a box cutter in the car -- would the zero-tolerance policy have been applied "equally" then, too?

MICHAEL AYERS, MINNEAPOLIS

While everyone focused on recent front-page news about the economy tanking, the most devastating news was on Page 5. In a small article we learn that former GOP House Leader Richard Armey says Vice President Dick Cheney misled him when Cheney said Saddam Hussein had direct ties to Al-Qaida and Iraq was making progress on a suitcase nuclear program.

Armey, who had wavered on support for the war, reversed his opposition after hearing from Cheney that the "threat was more imminent than we want to portray to the public." From much current information, from the Woodward, Dean and Suskind books, to the Downing Street memos, there is clear evidence that the president and vice president lied to both Congress and the American people about Iraq and launched an unnecessary war. With over 4,000 Americans killed, untold thousands of Iraqi civilians killed, and a Middle East in turmoil, this added revelation proves that the most unbelievable thing happened: An administration risked the lives of Americans for no credible reason.

What a sad day for America. There are things worse than losing money.

PAUL HOFFINGER, EAGAN

If we are to believe the rhetoric that public welfare rewards people for not working hard and traps poor people in poverty, then what impact does $1 trillion spent in corporate bailouts have on business?

It may be time to expect corporations to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. I thought this was the American way.

KRISTIN BOETTICHER, MINNEAPOLIS

So much for letting the free market of the capitalists take care of itself. If AIG is "too big to be allowed to fail" (due to predicted rippling effects throughout the worldwide financial structure), that says volumes about Republican administrations repeatedly allowing corporate consolidations of companies into gigantic megaliths -- in every industry.

Competition as a factor of free-market capitalism has been increasingly out the window in recent decades. The captains of industry who repeatedly steer us wrong have their millions from parachutes of every hue, and most taxpayers are now left holding the (brown paper) bag, and nothing more.

DENNIS DILLON, MINNEAPOLIS

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John McCain proposes a "commission" to deal with the current economic crisis. When a politician like McCain proposes a commission to study an issue it usually means:

CURTIS EVAVOLD, MINNEAPOLIS

Remember the transportation bill that was passed last session, over the governor's veto? Speaker of the House Margaret Anderson Kelliher said that we Minnesotans wouldn't notice the small increases in gas tax and license plate fees.

Well, I just bought the new license tabs for my now 1-year-old vehicle. Under the old system, the second-year tabs were $199. Now they are $386. Gee, Speaker Anderson Kelliher, I did notice. And, by the way, I vote!