Letters to the editor for Tuesday, April 7

I had hoped to read a Star Tribune condemnation of Rep. Michele Bachmann's incitements to violence. Instead, we get a puff piece ("The Messenger," April 5) calling her "colorful."

Bachmann wants Minnesotans "armed and dangerous." She wants people to "take 'our' country back." She calls for an "orderly revolution." Then Bachmann adds the disclaimer, she meant it "figuratively, not literally." Let me assure the Star Tribune that the most dangerous people out here don't know the difference between "figuratively and literally."

There is an alarming rise in hate speech and hate groups, some calling for the murder of us Obama supporters, African-Americans in general, Jewish people, gays and lesbians, and President Obama. Just a few weeks ago some maniac out here in the heartland told me killing Jewish people might solve the economic crisis.

If, God forbid, the killing starts, it won't be "orderly," and Bachmann and, now, the Star Tribune staff will have blood on their hands. Why aren't Christians speaking out against this incitement to violence?

DONNA BUCKBEE, RUSHFORD, MINN.

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"The Messenger" shows Rep. Michele Bachmann is serious neither about policy nor legislation. Instead, her bombastic and divisive rhetoric is calculated only to attract the attention and money necessary to keep her firmly entrenched in Washington.

If Bachmann were serious about advancing public policy and achieving legislative results, she would convert at least two of those "communications" team members into substantive staff assistants. Bachmann's constituents, Minnesota and the nation would be better served either by a change in her priorities or by a change in representation of the Sixth District.

THOMAS W. GENG, SHOREWOOD

Regarding the April 5 front-page article "Gang cops' meeting in Hawaii under fire": Considering the increased presence of gangs in our Twin Cities area, we need to do whatever it takes to reduce and control this problem. Even if it is a seminar in Hawaii.

Apparently this did not cost the taxpayers anything as it was funded by forfeited money from the strike force. The $16,800 sounds like it was spent wisely. We are learning about $15,000 spent for replacement doors of the attorney general's office, so the Hawaii trip sounds like a bargain.

CHARLES STENNES, EDINA

The bigger story behind this story is the extent to which police departments across the country use drug forfeiture money to fund expenditures, which would be problematic if tax money was involved.

This is a significant conflict of interest that leads law enforcement officials to lobby against any change in our drug laws that would lead to decriminalization or legalization of marijuana. Forfeiture money from drug arrests is the law enforcement equivalent of winning the lottery, and it contributes to clouded policy judgments.

BRUCE WHITE, ST. PAUL

In the last week, I have seen news stories about the legalization of rape in Afghanistan and the systematic murder of gays in Iraq. Is this the freedom and democracy we have been fighting for over there?

If this is the way these people are going to treat their own, they deserve neither one cent of American tax money nor one drop of American blood.

To all the lower-income Democratic voters who smoke: Remember when you buy a pack of cigarettes today and in the future the recent tax increase was voted for and approved by your Democratic-controlled U.S. Senate, House of Representatives and the president.