Readers Write for Sunday, Jan. 17

REPUDIATING ROBERTSON

Haitians need help and prayer, not blame

I have often thought that "regular, law-abiding, peace-loving" Muslims should be more publicly critical of their fellow Muslim terrorists. So as an evangelical conservative Christian, I would be a hypocrite if I didn't speak out against Pat Robertson's Haiti comment.

It alarms me that as some Haitians are probably slowly dying agonizing deaths as they lie crushed under rubble, a fellow Christian would feel it appropriate to make this comment.

As Christians, the only appropriate action at this point is to help the Haitians and, most important, pray.

STEPHANIE CROW, ROGERS

CHARTER SCHOOLS

Just another phony education innovation

Joe Nathan contends that "innovation" is synonymous with "progress" in education (Opinion Exchange, Jan. 10). In 50-plus years of teaching, I've witnessed millions poured into scores of innovations: "discovery" learning, modular scheduling and outcome-based instruction. Not a one of them is seen in today's schools. But charter schools are worse.

Not only do they offer no improvement over the status quo, they -- as the TiZA scandal and the junk bond disgrace demonstrate -- are racked with fraud and incompetence. The closure of 30 charter schools for administrative and financial incompetence (83 percent of all charters were cited for management "errors") further testifies to the contention that tax-financed private schools ($100 million yearly) should have joined their "innovative" forerunners long ago.

MARK WELTER, RAMSEY

The Star Tribune writes that "too often charter advocates have been forced into a defensive crouch because of the screwups of a few of their brethren" (editorial, Jan. 10).

The director of Macalester's Center for School Change concludes that "this idea is popular because it allows innovation that produces results with accountability."

The president of Education Minnesota contends that charter schools are not "returning statewide benefits in the form of higher student achievement or successful new ways of teaching and learning."

Why am I not surprised by Education Minnesota's reactive response to freedom of choice in public education? Evidently, the teachers union has been "forced into a defensive crouch."

GENE DELAUNE, NEW BRIGHTON

THE POLYMET PLAN

Klobuchar and Franken can't seriously back it

Kudos to Nick Coleman for exposing PolyMet's plan to place a copper mine near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (Opinion Exchange, Jan. 10). It is nearly unbelievable that any powers that be would consider a sulfite mining operation, with unproven technology, anywhere near such a precious resource. Be aware that sulfites turn into sulfuric acid (remember chemistry lab?), a very potent chemical that has had a long history of escaping fool-proof retaining pools.

And for both our U.S. senators to be in support of this travesty tells me how out of touch they and their staffs are with reality. A few jobs and votes for threatening an irreplaceable asset. Shame! Living downstream from the Twin Cities, we know what it is liked to be dumped on, and now it continues up north.

DEAN FLUGSTAD, LAKE CITY, MINN.

REID AND OBAMA

This president is biracial, remember?

I'm not trying to defend Sen. Harry Reid when he called President Obama light-skinned or talked about Negro dialect, but he didn't say anything that wasn't true.

Many people say that Obama is the first black president. But doesn't his white mother account for anything? Wasn't she a part of his makeup as a human being? A lot of black Americans said they voted for Obama because he was black. Maybe, as Reid said, some white Americans voted for Obama because his mother was white, and therefore they could accept his election easier. I don't know. Color still seems to matter in politics whether one is white or black, I guess.

TOM R. KOVACH, NEVIS, MINN.

Mandatory insurance

Think of it as a taxpayer protection program

George Will's column always makes me laugh. His latest screed (Jan. 14) argues that it's unconstitutional to require everyone to have health insurance.

Funny, I don't remember any controversy over the requirement that all drivers have liability insurance. But wait, you're not required to drive. Nondrivers aren't required to have auto liability coverage. However, we're all health care users. Even if you're healthy today you could be hit by a bus or get brain cancer. And government (that's us) is on the hook if you don't have insurance. Emergency rooms can't turn away the uninsured. Medicaid picks up the tab if you're poor (as you'd be if you're sick and can't work).

So just as all drivers must have driving insurance, all health care users should be compelled to have health insurance.

TOM NELSON, MINNEAPOLIS