Readers Write (June 28): Edina and urban design, Texas abortion ruling, Brexit, guns, Garrison Keillor, Pride Parade, ukuleles

One wonders if James Lileks bothered to pick up the phone and call anybody at Edina City Hall when he wrote "Driven design" (Streetscapes column, June 25). It appears that the article is informed by imagery and information from the 1950s, along with the author's drive-by of the Southdale area. The result: an article that ignores steps that city staff and volunteers have taken to encourage urban design that promotes walking and biking — transport modes that curb greenhouse gases. This is a big deal, as Edina has been leading in the area of sustainable municipal design. It joined the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program in 2012 and has a complete-streets policy. Perhaps Lileks would like to experience the Edina Promenade — an 80-foot-wide greenway with pedestrian and bike trails that runs from Centennial Lakes to the Galleria.

While people can easily drive their cars to large stores and stock up on huge supplies of toilet paper in Edina, this is something that people can do throughout the Twin Cities — Edina is not unique in this regard. Look at the Target on Snelling Avenue or the Lunds & Byerlys in Richfield. The big story is that Edina municipal planning is actively promoting nonvehicular activity, walking and biking — and that is peachy-keen. Maybe Lileks should get out of his car the next time he visits our fair city.

While analogies are seldom perfect, I submit that the following proposed statute would have some similarities in its "stated purpose" and its "true intent" to the 2013 Texas law struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday. See if you can get beyond the "noble purpose" and find the true intent that five Supreme Court justices were able to see in the Texas law:

"In order to protect the lives and safety of all Minnesota voters, be it hereby resolved that all voting sites must be located in a city that has a crime rate that is below the state average."

Best wishes to Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and to Associate Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas.

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In response to the U.S. Supreme Court decision on a Texas law that required all abortion doctors to have local admitting privileges at nearby hospitals and to upgrade abortion clinics to that of hospital standards, President Obama said, "We remain strongly committed to the protection of women's health, including protecting a woman's access to safe, affordable health care and her right to determine her own future."

As an expat Brit and now a proud U.S. citizen, I was torn by the choices presented by the United Kingdom's Brexit referendum, but it is clear that U.S. citizens would be well-advised to take careful note of the significant "what have we done?" sentiment in the U.K. following its decision to leave the European Union. The confusion, anger and calls for a do-over now ringing throughout the U.K. would pale by comparison with U.S. reaction following a Trump victory in November. Ask not for whom the bell tolls …

A June 26 letter suggested holding gun sellers and manufacturers "legally liable for the misuse of their product," comparing the use of a gun for nefarious purposes to "defective automobiles or faulty medical devices or tainted food."

Using this faulty logic, we would sue the car dealership for the accident we had while texting or running a red light. We would sue the medical provider because we didn't use its device or take our medicine properly. We would sue the grocery store because we left the meat or milk out to spoil.

A defective product and misuse of that product are two separate, completely unrelated things. That some don't make that separation in logic is further proof that we need to tread carefully when enacting any sort of gun-control measures.

The genius of Lake Wobegon humor is that we see our own character foibles in those of the residents of that fictional town and that we recognize those traits as human and, if we wish, endearing. The great irony is that the Minnesotans who, like one June 26 letter writer, are offended or embarrassed by Garrison Keillor's depictions — "Thanks for the memories. (And no thanks for our reputation?)" — seem most like the provincial curmudgeons portrayed.

We had the privilege of being part of Sunday's amazing Pride Parade, and we'd like to take a moment to sing praise to four groups of people:

1) Thank you to the more than 100,000 strong who showed up from throughout Minnesota to participate in the festivities — your support meant the world to everyone who marched in honor of Orlando.

2) Thank you to the members of the Twin Cities Pride organizing committee — you've built up a Pride celebration that is truly the best in the country.

3) Thank you to the Minneapolis police force that both led the parade's lineup as well as worked so hard to keep us all safe. Further thanks to the Park Police, Metro Transit and the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, who joined them for additional security.

4) And thank you to the leaders and residents of Minnesota (who came from all points) for providing such positive affirmations to the LGBT community.

Still dancing,

The writer is co-owner of the Hell's Kitchen restaurant.

I was distressed by the "It's raining ukes" article (June 16), with the quote: "God loves ukuleles."

For years, I have been a staunch advocate of issuing every newborn child a banjo.

This is going to make things considerably more difficult.