Readers Write (June 5): Charitable giving with 'strings attached,' the Catholic Church, business coverage, police shootings, tolerance and restrooms, Mideast terminology, "Stone Lake" serialized novel

I read Bonnie Blodgett's May 29 commentary ("Strings attached," about the current state of philanthropy) with growing perplexity and, yes, anger. What is the point of criticizing other nonprofits and demeaning those who have actually been helped out of a cycle of poverty and despair? Does the misplaced criticism of Steve Rothschild and Joe Selvaggio, who have donated significant portions of their lives to help others — successfully — really accomplish anything?

To make matters worse, Ms. Blodgett's facts are simply wrong. As opposed to the "best and brightest," entrants into Twin Cities RISE! consist of individuals, more than 80 percent unemployed, many for more than one year. More than 60 percent have substance abuse in their backgrounds, and more than 65 percent have had criminal activity.

Blodgett got one fact right: "Life is complicated."

Regarding "An open letter to new archbishop" (May 29): Sensitively stated, as bespeaks a poet. There are no words, though, no matter how eloquently phrased, that will move hardness of heart. The Roman Catholic Church has been in the spotlight for more than a generation over the issue of sexual abuse by clergy members, yet its hardness of heart is evident in its lawyering up rather than pastorally embracing the victims. Archbishop Bernard Hebda of the Twin Cities diocese is only the latest reiteration. Himself a civil lawyer, he was sent to continue the legal course — that has been the modus operandi of the church. Recall Luke's story of the rich man and Lazarus — how the rich man burning in Hades pleads that someone be sent to prevent his brothers from ending up in the same place. The cynical response: Even if one were to rise from the dead, your brothers would not be convinced. Supposedly, Jesus rose from the dead. Evidently, he hasn't convinced the Roman Catholic Church to be pastoral. The only thing the church responds to is when the money stream stops. Catholics, in the end, need to blame themselves for continuing this scandal.

The writer, a retired clergy member, is the author of "The Theology of Fear."

The May 29 issue of the Star Tribune had two of the most interesting and valuable articles I have seen in any news publication in many moons.

The first, "Putting a sock in soil erosion," was a quintessential story of American ingenuity, entrepreneurship and risk-taking, the kind that built our country. Minnesotans Dan and Denise Schaaf, using their savings and credit cards plus 13 long years of patient development, created a way to stabilize shorelines of lakes and rivers — an extraordinary environmental advance.

The writer represented Minnesota in the U.S. Senate from 1978 to 1991.

In response to at June 3 letter writer's comments on police shootings in the U.S. compared with those in England and Wales: She needed to provide more info, such as that the population of the U.S. is 319 million, whereas the population of England and Wales is 56 million. Also, English police do not carry weapons. They are in their vehicles, but not on their persons. Also, the population of Iceland is 323,000, and with its bitter cold weather, I doubt many criminals live there.

Give it up already! ("A tolerant nation ties itself into knots," D.J. Tice column, May 29.) There is not one reason that any person has to like, justify, care about or feel good about any behavior.

Tolerance is strictly about who people are, not about what people do. Choices about what behaviors of others that people will support or will not support are about freedom. Period!

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I landed here about a half-century ago to observe and report. My findings have been, well, indeterminate.

Anyway, being a Martian, I am not comfortable in using the men's or women's bathrooms.

Therefore, on behalf of myself and all Martians coming after me, I demand special Martian bathrooms in all stores, stadiums and government buildings, and I want Southern Ultra toilet paper stocked in all of them, and Supermicrobe hand cleaner as well.

These are Mars' demands. Ignore at your own peril.

I'm confused as all get out and need a scorecard to know what the heck is happening in the Middle East. In one recent article, I read about the "militants," "opposition forces," "rebels," "extremist groups," the "Syrian revolutionary forces," the "ISIL fighters," the "Turkey- and Saudi-backed opposition fighters," "opponents from all sides," the "American Special Operations forces," a "coalition," a "Kurdish-held enclave," "civilians" and "Assad's forces." The writer left out any discussion of the "Taliban" (I think they are in Afghanistan), "Al-Qaida," "Sunnis," "Shiites" and the myriad refugees streaming out to the West. And I could have looked at the articles about Raqqa and Fallujah, where I probably would have found more nomenclature to confuse me.

I started reading the new serialized book "Stone Lake," and as a nitpicky car guy I have to point out that the principal could not be driving around in his maroon Ford Fairlane in 1949. The Fairlane was introduced in 1955. Otherwise, the story looks pretty good.

• • •

I just started reading "Stone Lake," the Star Tribune's summer reading serial. However, I have a question about something in the first chapter. Superintendent Magnuson is explaining to the hero of our novel, Allen Post, that it was OK to have a beer at a tavern in the next town, but to be "discrete" about it. I think maybe he meant "discreet." Not a good start for an English teacher.

P.S. I am enjoying the book.