Opinion editor's note: Star Tribune Opinion publishes letters from readers online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

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In a Readers Write contribution published Thursday, the writer, who works for the Center of the American Experiment, puts forward the false choice typical of persons who oppose any action on gun safety legislation ("The plan needs to actually work"). In his view, rather than enact legislation, we should do a better job of holding the perpetrators of gun violence accountable through our judicial system using the laws we already have; to do otherwise is to be just reacting emotionally. I beg to differ. If the staff of the Center of the American Experiment are truly interested in addressing the crisis of gun violence, and not just diverting attention away from gun safety legislation, they can do the public a service by identifying and reporting the names of judges they believe are responsible for the failings of our judicial system, so we can vote them off the bench and vote in better judges. I look forward to seeing their report before the next election.

Meantime, the Legislature can do what it can to address the problem posed by rising gun violence by passing universal background checks, red-flag laws, and yes, even an assault weapons ban. We don't have to choose between either legislative action that may at least reduce some gun violence or better responses by our criminal justice system once the violence has been done. Surely it is rational, not emotional, to say that the threat to public health and safety posed by the rise in gun violence merits both.

Bill Kaemmerer, Edina

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The Star Tribune has recently published two letters about gun control that essentially declare that applying existing law will be enough to curb gun violence. Both overlook glaring gaps in their arguments.

In Thursday's letter "The plan needs to actually work," the author declares that not prosecuting the added gun charges has led to more gun crime. How? There's no causal relationship between the two. The author also ignores that these added charges are usually removed as part of plea deals to clear the backlog in court and that the perpetrators are often sent to prison on the main charges.

Another detail that the author overlooked is that the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban worked. Assault weapons became harder to acquire, so they were used less frequently. Overall gun violence declined by significant amounts, though the exact numbers elude me. I didn't understand why the author would overlook this given that it supports his thesis that successful methods should be used.

Daniel Beckfield, St. Paul

Trading arms dealer Viktor Bout for the release of basketball player Brittney Griner was a terrible deal for the international community ("Griner is freed in swap for Russian arms dealer," Dec. 9).

Thousands of civilians in Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Sudan, Sierra Leone and a number of other countries were allegedly injured and killed by weapons he supplied.

Aside from this injustice, it sends a terrible message to international terrorists. All they have to do now is kidnap an American to secure their release.

Jim Piga, Mendota Heights

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Welcome home, Brittney. Maybe we could trade the Russians ex-President Donald Trump for Paul Whelan?

Harriet Johnson, Prior Lake

What the writers frame as "real" history by "real" historians describes a framework that wishes to silence Black voices and Black perspectives.

Annika Fjelstad, Minneapolis

Thank you to Craig Hansen for "Assisting and engaging the blind" (Opinion Exchange, Dec. 9).

I could have used this about five years ago. I was heading down Nicollet Avenue to 9th Street to catch my bus home after work — this was when the street was torn up due to construction.

It was at 8th Street where I saw one of the saddest things ever: A blind guy had tried to cross Nicollet, had walked into a dirt hole surrounded by that orange fencing — and nobody would help him! I can't even imagine the frustration he was feeling. I did announce myself, explained his situation and said I was coming down to help.

I think it would be great for the Star Tribune to do more of these stories. You'd think these things would be taught in school.

Rob Godfrey, Minneapolis

Regarding "Why Europe's buy-American beef has merit" (Dec. 7): The continued espousal of the idea that "free trade" benefits all ignores the long-term damage done to the workers in the United States and other countries. No country has effectively reconfigured its economy to replace jobs lost to globalization. The wealthy have benefited from lower prices and investment opportunities at the expense of middle-class economic security. The opening of trade under President Bill Clinton and the destruction of unions begun under President Ronald Reagan have led to the staggering economic inequality here and abroad. We do not owe the international system free trade at the expense our laborers. But if you think that the threat only comes from trade, look no further than the railroad "settlement" forced on workers by the "pro"-union governing party.

Is it any wonder there is such despair and cynicism among today's working class? No one and no system has their back. Dark days indeed.