Readers Write (March 15): Smartphone encryption, Como Park High School, Martin Olav Sabo, Minnesota's job climate, the war on terror, airport security

The president doesn't think strong encryption strikes the right balance ("Obama addresses encryption debate at SXSW," March 12). I'd like to remind him that much of the drive for end-to-end encryption comes from people's reaction to the government's unconstitutional spying on American citizens. That spying came to light when it was disclosed by Edward Snowden (and others). Politicians on both sides of the aisle call for Snowden to be prosecuted. This even though the spying was authorized by the congressional branch, approved by the judicial branch and carried out by the administrative branch. To whom could Snowden turn when all three government branches were involved in this act?

As for the president's call for backdoors (which is what he is asking), I can give my response with a single, unencrypted digit.

The writer is an IT professional.

Thank you for the March 12 editorial addressing the violence at Como Park High School ("If teachers aren't safe, students aren't safe"). I have a granddaughter who attends that school, and at no time did she feel her life or safety were in danger. She claims that conversation with students who were in the classroom where the incident started indicates that they did not feel threatened, either.

The Star Tribune Editorial Board commended a teacher whose actions all but guaranteed his hospitalization. My recommendation: School officials, please train our teachers how to safely handle trespassers in their classrooms. How to summon security officials who are only 30 seconds away might be one course of instruction. And, for your students, to include the two now charged with third-degree assault, please teach them the most important instruction you can give them — how to properly manage the daily conflicts they surely will encounter with other students, parents, teachers and the public.

I read about the passing of former U.S. Rep. Martin Olav Sabo and remembered the years of service he put in as a representative at the state and federal level. I recalled playing golf with him at Hiawatha Golf Course and talking to him about one of his pet projects, the limitation of corporate pay. Each year he would introduce legislation to limit the pay of the corporate elite to a more reasonable number. In the 1960s, that ratio was as low as 14 or 15 times the average earning of people in the company. Now it stands at 400 times for Fortune 500 companies. Citizens United wouldn't be such a problem if his bill had passed limiting the amount individuals could amass. It's still a timely concern.

State Rep. Jim Knoblach ("Sorry, baby boomer retirements don't explain lagging revenue," Readers Write, March 13) may have skipped math class the day Zeno's Paradox of Achilles and the Tortoise was discussed.

Employment growth here is slowing for the simple reason that Minnesota's rate of unemployment is approaching its realistic lower limit. Because Minnesota helped lead the nation out of recession, we now necessarily see other states catching up with our previously higher growth rates. That's because they're reducing their larger rolls of unemployed, and moving toward Minnesota's already-achieved level of success in growing employment.

As the pool of unemployed but employable Minnesotans shrinks, the rate of possible employment growth shrinks with it. This fact implies no failure of our politics or business climate. It's just a demonstration of the simple math of Zeno's paradox.

David Pence's March 6 commentary ("Our struggle: Redefining our friends and foes") did a good job of indirectly explaining the folly of keeping our state's 2009 legislation requiring public pensions to divest of holdings in companies doing business in Iran, covered later in the week ("Pension funds face an Iran dilemma," March 10). We are being held hostage to a hostage crisis 40 years in the past.

However, Pence did not stress enough that not only Shiite Muslims but also the vast majority of Sunni Muslims are suffering at the hands of the Salafists, losing sons and daughters, cities, world heritage, safety and whole economies to this reactionary and violent movement. Tunisia, our ally, is a case in point. The birthplace of the Arab Spring and sole Arab democracy to emerge is struggling for its life against this scourge and deserves our close attention and support.

It looks like we will have another unproductive legislative session, as suggested in the March 14 commentary "As DFL leaders, we have these goals for the session." By throwing the gauntlet down right at the beginning of the session, when, if I may ask, will the leaders of the two parties work for the welfare of the people of Minnesota instead of the respective parties? Isn't there something to that effect when they are sworn into office? Perhaps a recall or two might help. Let us hope that some "adults" may emerge in both parties so that this legislative session can become productive.

When it was close to our son's boarding time, he went quickly through, no line, and soon texted that he was about to board the plane. Perhaps there are not as many flights departing at that time, but the notion that the airport always has long lines is not true.