When the first settlers came to America, it was to escape religious persecution and the tyranny of a nonelected king. They thoughtfully created a system of democracy that is unique worldwide. They guaranteed free speech.
What is troubling about the State Fair incident discussed in a Sept. 1 commentary ("Threats replace political debate at Fair") is that the Donald Trump supporter would argue that his confrontation of the author represents "free speech." However, there is a fine line between respectful free speech and threatening or forcing speech on someone else. We have moved too far away from civil discourse and tolerance. Even basic politeness is now snidely referred to as "political correctness."
People are angry because our political parties in Washington no longer represent real people. People are angry because they do not have a voice in their communities, so they take it upon themselves to influence the dialogue through force and intimidation. What made America great in the first place was that we ARE a democracy. In order to live and maintain that democracy, we must first respect and understand the viewpoints of others. We then are each responsible to set an example, calmly and respectfully in all situations.
Vote. Run for office. Arm yourself with facts, not conjecture. Treat everyone as you would treat a member of your own family, because we are the family of man.
Jane Montemayor, Excelsior
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Perception becomes reality and lies become truth. That is happening, as was pointed out by Susan Mallison's commentary about the incident she experienced at the fair. Here is a person calling Hillary Clinton "a convicted criminal," when this is a complete lie. As Susan pointed out, Clinton has "never been indicted, much less convicted of a crime." Yet many people continue to repeat this lie until it is becoming reality for some.
Gordon Kelley, Dundas, Minn.
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I am sorry that Mallison was harassed by a man who I assume was a Donald Trump supporter. I know as a person who has volunteered for more than a decade at a political party booth and who has been political for a long time that these incidents are common. In 2002, the Republican Party put up a cutout of the late Sen. Paul Wellstone, calling him a liar. In 2004, a man went flashing his anti-John Kerry presidential button in people's faces. In 2010, I wore a political party shirt, and a man implied that people would be wise enough not to vote for the party. In 2014, an activist at the Libertarian Party booth mocked the political party that I stated I belonged to. And last year, a Ben Carson presidential supporter kept picking fights with a Hillary Clinton booth volunteer. My advice to people is to use public civility at the State Fair, and if you can't be civil, do not engage in politics there.
