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Despite taking up a quarter of a page of newsprint to ratchet up the topic of crime and offer specious solutions, Jim Schultz is unqualified for the office of Minnesota attorney general on a variety of fronts ("I'll fight crime, support cops," Opinion Exchange, Oct. 18).
First, he doesn't seem to understand the job. Except in rare circumstances, e.g., Derek Chauvin, the type of violent crime that alarms most citizens is not adjudicated by the Office of the Attorney General. Those offenses are prosecuted by city, county and federal prosecutors. The attorney general seeks to protect the rights of all citizens of Minnesota including those of consumers, small-business owners and farmers and those who breathe the air, drink the water, etc. The position is responsible for oversight of various state agencies and boards as well as serving as the administrative head of an agency with hundreds of employees.
Second, Schultz has never actually tried a case, much less against a phalanx of corporate lawyers or skilled criminal defense attorneys. He claims graduating from elite schools is preparation enough. Real trial attorneys don't talk about their diplomas. They reminisce about their big cases. Keith Ellison has not lost a case as attorney general.
Last is Schultz's dismissive attitude toward the rights of half the population. He tries to downplay his commitment to anti-abortion actions by offering the now-standard Republican response that abortion rights are protected by the Constitution. Right. That's as credible a statement as Brett Kavanaugh's assurance that Roe v. Wade was settled law.
Ellison is regarded as one of the country's most effective attorneys general. He has the institutional knowledge at both the state and federal levels to leverage existing laws and available funding streams for the benefit of all Minnesotans. He is articulate, smart and innovative in problem solving. His lawsuit against Fleet Farm is a good example. He is looking to attack the problem of the proliferation of guns by requiring a company to follow the law and live up to its reputation as a good corporate citizen. If the allegations of turning a blind eye to "straw purchases" prove to have merit by a court, it will benefit both the company and all Minnesotans.
We need our experienced, successful Attorney General Ellison to continue finding creative ways to ensure all citizens enjoy happy, healthy, safe communities with equitable opportunities for success.