Readers Write: History, Slayton’s electricity struggle, HCMC, male Vikings cheerleaders

Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes letters from readers online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

•••

President Donald Trump’s executive orders that attempt to align the apolitical functions of our federal government with his political vision are disturbing, to say the least (“White House orders a review of exhibits at Smithsonian museums ahead of nation’s 250th birthday,” StarTribune.com, Aug. 12). Our precious historical records, housed in the prestigious Smithsonian Institution, have been sourced and reviewed by hundreds and hundreds of researchers working for untold hours over the past 200 years. Should these learned observations be replaced by the political ideology of one man? This man, by the way, is no expert on history, geography or even sociology, and by virtue of one election has not been given the right to irreparably damage hundreds of years of core information that the public deserves access to.

If the funding priorities of scientific research are skewed by subjective, politically biased decisionmakers, instead of using the qualified assessments of highly trained academics from each specific field of study, then we can rely on the adage, “Garbage in, garbage out.” If the freedom to innovate and create is stifled by ignorance, we will be rudderless in our attempts to objectively and effectively deduce what the real world is trying to tell us.

Connie Clabots, Brooklyn Center

The Slayton-versus-Xcel-Energy struggle sounds like a classic territoriality-versus-customer-service issue (“Slayton wants to give Xcel the boot,” Aug. 9).

Xcel’s nearest base is Mankato, 103 miles (nearly two hours) from Slayton. Nobles Electric Cooperative is much closer. The co-op already serves a large part of Murray County. If Slayton became independent, it would contract with Nobles to service the system.

This can be a triple-win situation. Slayton gets faster service and avoids an iffy battle with the Public Utilities Commission. Xcel retains its customers and infrastructure and avoids costly, unneeded crew travel. Nobles gets more service utilization in its backyard.

What’s not to like?

David Drummond, Bloomington

It is with some sadness that I read about the turmoil at Hennepin County Medical Center (“County to take control over HCMC,” Aug. 13). My relationship with the hospital goes back to about 1969 or so when it was Minneapolis General Hospital. As a medical student at the University of Minnesota, I spent many nights and days (in that order) at that institution. I delivered my first baby there. I learned how to hear heart murmurs there. I stayed up all night there.

After I graduated in 1972, I left and went to the Navy and residency. Then back to Minnesota into a rural practice. By this time MGH had become HCMC with a new building and resources. I returned many times to the “hallowed halls” for continuing education. Also, when I was a doc in a small town, HCMC never said “no” to a complex referral (mainly trauma) when other hospitals did. And that was from outstate.

I don’t know a lot about hospital finance, but it is worth a bit of all of our time (and money) to keep this treasure open.

Peter Smyth, Eden Prairie

•••

The events of the past couple of weeks may portend the sober reality that living in Minnesota, what many of us have held as a saving grace in these troubling times, may not protect us one iota from the loss of our democracy, our civil liberties and, most critically, our moral commitments to our fellow neighbors.

In the moral commitment arena, I was so proud to be a staff member at HCMC, a world-class trauma center and an organization truly committed to providing care where needed. I moved to Minnesota to practice in that community. I am watching the dismantling of the Hennepin Healthcare Board by the Hennepin County Board with apprehension and confusion.

No doubt the looming losses of federal support for health care have influenced our commissioners to believe they can do something different or better. They certainly can do something different, but it is highly unlikely to be better, particularly if it begins from a business model looking to cut costs or, God forbid, privatize services. No, the services HCMC provides are a true measure of the moral fiber of a community that sees the expense of providing medical care to those who need it as a fundamental duty of good government.

Those days are behind us as a nation, but I was holding out hope Minnesota would stand firm. And, if the county commissioners have a plan to continue the delivery of robust medical care to those who need it, I will be relieved and continue to have great pride in the ethical Minnesota I call home. But if not, and this is the first of many closures, prepare yourself. I, for one, will gladly pay more state taxes to keep my community safe and healthy.

Mary Winegardner, St. Paul

The recent shooting at a Target in Austin, Texas, should shake us into confronting an uncomfortable truth: Our mental health system is broken, and lives are being lost because of it (“Gunman at Target had a history of mental illness,” Aug. 13). Time and again, we see individuals with serious, documented mental health issues spiral toward violence, yet the system waits until a crime is committed before taking meaningful action.

Families, friends, police officers and social workers often see the warning signs. They know when someone is in crisis. But without stronger laws that allow for mandated treatment in severe cases, those warnings go unheeded. Instead of proactive intervention, we rely on a patchwork of underfunded services, overburdened staff and voluntary programs that too often fail the very people they aim to help.

The Austin tragedy was preventable. So were many others. If lawmakers don’t prioritize mental health reform, we will keep mourning victims while pretending nothing could have been done. The truth is, something could have — and must be — done now.

Rick Fraser, Prescott, Wis.

On Aug. 14, Laura Yuen published a powerful column spotlighting the Minnesota Vikings’ two male cheerleaders, Louie Conn and Blaize Shiek (“Yuen: Outrage over a male Vikings cheerleader makes for a heartsick mom,” StarTribune.com). She invited readers to share their thoughts in support of these trailblazing performers. But within hours, the comment section was taken down.

It’s deeply disheartening to think that the discourse became so toxic the paper felt compelled to shut it down. If this is how some readers respond to men challenging outdated norms, it speaks volumes about the work still ahead. I can only imagine how Conn and Shiek must feel — stepping into the spotlight with courage, only to be met with hostility from the sidelines.