Readers Write (June 12): Medical marijuana, state government, weight and exclusion, political glass houses

What is it with these doctors? They can't prescribe medical marijuana because it might, what … turn them into addicts or heaven forbid, kill them ("Patients scramble for pot doctors," June 11)? It bothers me that they've justified their actions on that basis when, really, all they're thinking about is their own professional safety.

I watched my mother die of ALS over the course of a year, and I would have moved heaven and earth (or to Colorado) if there was the slightest chance something might ease her suffering. No human should have to suffer like that when there is something that might ease their pain. Shame on all of you doctors for hiding behind the veil of unknown risk when the known risk is a horrifying, painful death.

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Regarding Ed Gogek's June 8 commentary "Why docs don't favor medical pot": While there have been studies showing that marijuana can shrink cancerous tumors, medical marijuana is essentially a palliative drug. If a doctor recommends marijuana to a cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy and it helps the patient feel better, it's working. Medical marijuana is a quality-of-life decision best left to patients and their doctors. Drug warriors waging war on noncorporate drugs contend that organic marijuana is not an effective health intervention. Their prescribed intervention for medical-marijuana patients is handcuffs, jail cells and criminal records. This heavy-handed approach suggests that drug warriors should not be dictating health care decisions.

The writer is a policy analyst for Common Sense for Drug Policy.

Wrangling to deal with the 2015 Legislature's disgusting mess involved gutting responsibility of the state auditor and abolishing the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's Citizens' Board. Both were sleazy, backroom deals orchestrated by Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, in retaliation for anyone even thinking about how to mitigate harmful effects of nonferrous mining in northeastern Minnesota. To restore transparency and trust in our democratic legislative process, the first item in a special session should to be to strip Bakk and his scheming cronies of their legislative leadership positions.

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The June 9 headline read "Dayton backs down on audit dispute," but I think people might have been given the wrong impression. House Speaker Kurt Daudt had already told the governor that his caucus was willing to see 9,400 state employees go off the job rather than negotiate on this one item, as they have done in the past. The governor's action was the responsible position, and I congratulate him for being the bigger man.

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I now understand why Gov. Mark Dayton has been such a fan of early education. Apparently, he never learned to read. He didn't read that the farm implement tax was in the bill; he didn't read that the seat licenses were in the bill and he signed the bill even though the auditing provision was in it. His math could use some work, too, as evidenced by the woeful performance of the electronic pulltabs to pay for the Vikings stadium.

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Dear Gov. Dayton, Rep. Daudt, and Sen. Bakk: I am very sorry about the fight you are having with each other. I have a way for you to stop fighting. My second-grade teacher Mrs. Sturm taught me and my classmates a way to get along with each other when we are mad — it is called the "Stop Steps." Here they are: "S" = Say your feelings. "T" = Tell what you want. "O" = Own your part. "P" = Peaceful Partners. Even if you are enemies, you can be peaceful partners and get your work done if you use these steps with each other. I wish you good luck!

The writer is a student at Randolph Heights Elementary School.

The perceived threat of home-radicalized Muslim terrorist wannabes has led to the spending of millions of tax dollars to identify, monitor, and imprison men and women in a futile effort to prevent them from joining like-minded sociopaths seeking martyrdom ("Parents knew of ISIL plan, feds say," June 11). A case can be made to allow them to go. Forever. If they cannot reach the battlefield of their choice, perhaps they will create one here. These people want to leave — without the outrageous complexity of deportation. Let them go. Just never let them return.

Not only should we let them go; we should facilitate it. Spend some tax money wisely for a change and transport them all to the battlefield of their choice. One-way.

It's a three-way victory. First, they exercise their freedom to travel. Second, we don't have to coexist with people who eventually will want to kill us. And third, the civilized world will have a much easier time exterminating these sociopaths if they can all gather in large groups.

To the June 11 letter writer from Sioux Falls, S.D. ("Weight: What it's like to be excluded"): On behalf of the citizens of Edina, I apologize for how you were recently treated while visiting our fair city. No one should ever be treated as you were treated. Once again, I apologize. To the buffoon of an employee who chose to make him/herself feel good by running down another: Shame on you. I'm sure your employer would take immediate action if they were aware of your behavior. Definitely not cool, and definitely not representative of Edina.

Ms. Sioux Falls, my family has been through your great city several times and has thoroughly enjoyed visiting each time — because of the people of Sioux Falls. Perhaps we could send our buffoon of an employee to Sioux Falls to learn people skills and true customer service. I hope you'll give Edina another opportunity to prove that one misguided employee does not a community make.

Steve Sack may have created the greatest political cartoon — ever — in the Star Tribune (Opinion Exchange, June 11). It depicts a community of shattered glass houses with an entrance sign, "Hypocrite Hills Estates." Someone is giving directions to the Hastert house, past the Duggars', the Gingriches' and a list of other prominent Republican hypocrites.

This is simply cartooning at its best — hilarious and true. But no description of the cartoon is adequate. It must actually be seen. So I encourage everyone to access it online (http://tinyurl.com/pu3laod) or go to the library to find the paper. You will not be disappointed — unless you are an avowed Republican. Then, you will have some soul-searching to do.

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The cartoon providing directions to Dennis Hastert's house was quite amusing. Unfortunately, it was incorrect. The driver should have been told to proceed down the road to the Mary Jo Kopechne Memorial Monument and then take a left on Lewinsky Lane.