North letters: Driven by greed

It is my opinion that the entire city council of Arden Hills should resign. Council members have forgotten whom they are servants to: the People!!!

Instead, they seem to be driven by their own greed for land. They are being given the land that once was the Twin Cities [Army] Ammunition Plant and plan a multibillion dollar project there. Now they plan on ousting some of their lower income residents from a mobile home park, Arden Manor, to make way for their own greed. Rather than give up a few feet and move the Hwy. 96. project onto vacant land they plan to develop, they choose to force residents from their homes.

Doesn't it make more sense to move the road over on land we the taxpayers already own rather than pay the extra costs to drive people from their homes?

But in their wisdom Arden Hills chooses to hoard that land so they can make more money for themselves. It would be terrible to lose a few feet of their prime real estate just to save a few of those homes. They are just trailers anyway. The council seems, as most do, to look down at these residents as only trailer trash. So who cares if we chase a few out? Well, look again!

Most are just normal people living within their means. No, they don't live in homes worth tons of money. And these are their homes. They are still taxpayers and residents of Arden Hills.

JAMES L. CLARK, MOUNDS VIEW

PLEASE!!! Don't say it again!

I am an 82-year-old mother, grandmother, great-grandmother who loves being so close to children and their spouses, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Without their love, help and closeness, life would really be dull and uninteresting -- and I'm including everyone through my great-grandchildren.

I would be extremely lonely without them and feel very fortunate to be able to live within driving distance of all of them.

BETHEL Z. HAUGEN, NEW HOPE

In response to the letter regarding cyclists and respect, let me say that I would like nothing better than to respect cyclists. Unfortunately, over the past three days I have counted the number of cyclists on my route to and from work in Minneapolis who actually obey the same traffic rules of the road that I do as a driver of a vehicle. Not surprisingly, eight out of every 10 cyclists who I have encountered DO NOT follow the rules of the road that I must obey or be cited for it.

Cyclists will get my respect when they act like a part of the solution and not the problem by obeying the rules of the road and yielding when it is not possible for them to even come close to the posted speed limit. I ride and when I do I use the bike paths ... and I am courteous to and respectful of drivers. I stop at traffic lights, use hand signals, and avoid being in a traffic lane if there is a more sensible lane to use. Respect works both ways.

Another comment on the spanking issue. While the Legislature considers the legal side of it, we, as parents of five boys and now grandparents, have learned that spanking, like any other form of hitting, is not only non-productive, but quite to the contrary. Whether physically injurious or not, it is psychologically damaging. Use any superlative you like, but it is degrading, humiliating and produces nothing but resentment and lack of self-esteem.

If you think that's a little strong, consider what bullying produces, because that's exactly what spanking really is. It's a person of more power or authority forcing another, by violence, to do their will. If you wouldn't want your child to be bullied, whether verbally or physically, by another person, think about what you're going to do when you spank. And perhaps equally damaging to a child when bullied is that it teaches that it is an acceptable way for problem-solving. ...

Level with your youngster and talk it out, not as an authority, but as an understanding and patient parent. If it simply doesn't work, get help -- but don't hit.

GUNN & CAPPY ERICKSON

WHITE BEAR LAKE

Luckily, the recently botched raid by Minneapolis police on a sleeping family did not result in casualties (despite gunshots on both sides). Were it my home that was raided illegally, (since the local police have begun a campaign against our constitutional rights), the results might have been a bit different.

I really hope that this letter does not disqualify me from obtaining a firearm license -- it shouldn't since they seem to hand a badge out to anyone willing to shoot first and ask questions later.

CORY LA COUNT