Readers Write (July 3): Children as caregivers, temp worker's attack, Dakota County conservation easement, mental health, racial makeup of orchestras

The heart-wrenching stories of the families featured in Chris Serres' June 26 article "Army of kids made to play caregivers" are symptoms of a deeper problem — the need for adequate community services for families so parents with disabilities aren't forced to turn to their children for daily care and support.

Serres alluded to this need when he mentioned the budget cuts in 2007 and the caregivers finding higher-paying jobs. When our policymakers made reforms to personal care assistance programs and slashed funding, families were the ones who paid the price through fewer hours of assistance or a total elimination of services. Families have also paid the price for our elected officials' failure to pass funding increases to raise caregivers' wages that would give Minnesotans more incentive to take and stay in these very skilled and demanding jobs.

The vast majority of the online comments about this article have directed their wrath toward the parents with disabilities for asking their children to help. Our anger should instead be channeled into changing policies and funding that will make life better for these parents and their children alike.

The writer is senior policy director for The Arc Minnesota.

In his June 26 column "She trusted temp, and paid dearly," about a temp worker with a criminal record who assaulted a customer after his employer did not conduct a hiring background check, Jon Tevlin stated, "Minnesota passed a law in 2014 that prohibits employers, with some exemptions, from asking about crimes." This is an incomplete explanation, and misleading. I lobbied for the law he is referring to, known as "ban the box." It does not prohibit employers from asking about criminal records and conducting a background check. It only prohibits them, with some exceptions, from asking about criminal history on the employment application. They are free to conduct a background check after selecting candidates for an interview or at conditional offer of employment if no interview is conducted.

The policy is meant to give those with criminal records, which is estimated at 1 in 4 people, a chance to be fairly evaluated based upon their current skills and qualifications. It may give them the opportunity they otherwise wouldn't have to be hired when their criminal history is old and/or irrelevant to the position. Employers are generally not required to conduct a background check by statute, but for positions like this one where employees will have significant unsupervised contact with customers, a background check is certainly best practice.

The writer is an attorney.

Future predictions are that Minnesota will see the creation of one huge supercity stretching from Rochester to St. Cloud. How sad! Our grasslands, prairies and woods are being developed at a shocking rate, paved over for malls, highways and housing developments, to the detriment of wildlife, air and water quality, and the beauty of the natural environment. We need more people who are willing to forgo getting top price in exchange for a priceless gift to us all.

Regarding "Unwell and untouchable," the June 26 commentary that highlighted barriers to helping people who have mental illness:

While anosognosia leads individuals to deny that they have a mental illness, they often do not deny that they need help. As they come into contact with the mental health system, we can make considerable impact simply by trying to understand the ways in which they want help and targeting our treatment to meet their goals. As they receive help in ways that meet their needs, they become better engaged and may be willing to even try a medication. The medication needs to be presented as a tool to help them further meet their goals rather than a way to control what others perceive as their problem.

While it may take years to get there, hearing from someone who was once opposed to medications, and who now has an apartment and is working, that it could not be done without medications is a fulfilling moment. Sometimes we get better results by inducing, rather than forcing a person into treatment. Can we as a society find a better balance between the carrot and the stick?

The writer is a psychiatrist.

Somewhere along the way, common etiquette has been missed by many people — especially those who are interviewed on local and national news and talk shows. The correct response to "thank you" is not "thank you." More appropriate responses are: "You are welcome," "no problem," "my pleasure," "you bet" (Midwestern), "it was nothing," and so forth.