Readers Write (Dec. 8): Jewelry shopping, too many laws, independent prosecutors, GMO foods in schools

With the holiday shopping season upon us, everyone has the opportunity to make consumer choices that make a positive impact on our world. The Democratic Republic of Congo is home to the deadliest conflict since World War II, with over 5.4 million people dead. Minerals, especially gold, are illegally mined and traded by armed groups, helping fund their atrocities. This incredibly complicated situation must be solved through a multifaceted approach, but one piece of the puzzle is ensuring that American consumers are engaged in responsible purchasing. According to a recently released Enough Project report, Tiffany & Co. and Signet Jewelers [parent company of Zales, Jared and Kay] have demonstrated leadership in addressing the gold issue by "taking steps to set up supply chain controls, contribute to solutions on the ground in Congo, and support the communities affected by mining and violence in Congo."

The holidays are a time of giving and showing love. In the spirit of this season, let that gift also help bring peace. All jewelry companies have the opportunity to be a part of breaking the link between gold and violence in Congo and the surrounding region. But companies rarely make a deep commitment — unless their consumers demand it.

Stephen Carter's essay "Too many laws, too many risks" (Dec. 5) was an interesting read. However, his argument that if we had fewer laws, then we would have fewer opportunities for police to use deadly tactics enforcing those laws is simply a diversion from the real reason for the repeated tragedies of police using excessive force.

Many people believe there are too many laws and regulations. The first step should be to ask why those laws were passed in the first place. They were passed to solve some problem and to hopefully deter people from engaging in the behavior that caused the original problem.

Carter lists some examples of "bizarre statutes" to support his argument. One was an Illinois law against damaging anhydrous ammonia equipment. Anyone who works in agriculture or the chemical industry knows this chemical can be extremely dangerous if not stored or handled properly. To the untrained person, this may seem like a bizarre or trivial law with little merit. It was passed to prevent severe injury or death to innocent people.

Like it or not, our numerous laws are necessary to make our economy and democracy work for every citizen. Enforcement of our laws to ensure compliance is essential to the smooth functioning of our society. However, the improper and violent methods in which some laws are being enforced is what is killing people. That is the real reason, not the number of laws on the books.

A recent letter writer expressed the opinion that grand juries are independent bodies that toil to achieve justice (Readers Write, Dec. 5). Not true.

Prosecutors decide what evidence to present and how to spin it, and grand juries almost invariably rubber-stamp what prosecutors want. As a good friend and retired public defender recently put it: "A halfway skilled prosecutor could indict a ham sandwich."

The prosecutors in New York and in Ferguson got the results they wanted to get. Prosecutors work closely with their police departments and have a vested interest in protecting officers — even those who abuse their duty and negligently kill those they are sworn to protect and serve. Prosecutors also have a strong interest in protecting the counties that pay them from expensive lawsuits.

One way to police the police is to have truly independent prosecutors — from a different county and district — present police misconduct evidence to grand juries.

Another is to dump the fairy tale of the independent grand jury and hold prosecutors who protect bad cops to account by releasing the transcripts of grand jury presentations to the public.

Laws regarding the secrecy of the grand jury should be changed so that morally corrupt officers and the prosecutors who protect them cannot hide behind the myth of the independent grand jury.

Body cameras are necessary but not sufficient. What is additionally necessary is assigning a special prosecutor when there is a possible criminal case against a police officer for what he/she did acting under the power of authority. Such special prosecutors should be drawn from the criminal defense bar. They have the same familiarity with the criminal justice system as regular prosecutors do, so they are qualified. They also have the same familiarity with the police involved. Give them the same powers to prosecute or convene a grand jury as they deem appropriate, have them sign up if they wish to be available for such assignments and compensate them fairly. Should clear up at least the grossest cases — such as we have been seeing lately — of abuse of power in short order.

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Three simple lessons that parents of all ages and skin colors should be teaching and reteaching their kids:

1. Always obey the law.

2. Always respect authority.

I was disappointed to see that the Star Tribune didn't cover five Minnesota school districts working to phase out GMO foods until you published a letter from a reader criticizing the effort (Readers Write, Dec. 4). As a mother with children in the Hopkins district, I applaud Hopkins and the other districts participating in this effort.

Concerns about the health effects of GMOs have been growing in recent years, with independent research linking them to infertility, organ damage, and a host of other health and environmental problems.

Perhaps because the companies that develop this technology are based in the United States, we have been late relative to other nations in waking up to the health harms associated with GMO foods.

I'm glad to know my children will be eating fewer GMO foods and I applaud these school districts for putting kids' health first.