Readers Write: National Guard in D.C., Omar Fateh’s un-endorsement, Jewish statehood

Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes letters from readers online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

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“For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.” A paraphrased version of H.L. Mencken’s observation has been applied to economics, engineering, education and nearly every other human activity. Generally, the cause of the wrong answer is that we try to fix the problem without asking why the problem exists. If a product arrives at the end of the production line with a defect, the defect can be spotted by an inspector and then fixed. That fixes the defect, but it doesn’t solve the problem of why there was a defect. Adding more inspectors and getting really good at fixing defects just adds cost and never fixes the problem.

This country has a violence and crime problem. For decades, we’ve tried to fix that problem by building more jails and prisons. No matter how many we build, they all fill up. We add more police. The crime continues.

The president is now trying to fix the complex problem of crime in Washington by using FBI, Drug Enforcement, ICE and National Guard officers to patrol the streets. But the crime rate has not gone down. Most citizens of Washington do not feel safer. Most visitors do not feel safer, except in the most tourist-visited areas, which were already very safe. Adding heavily armed personnel to be seen in public areas is a simple solution. It’s wrong.

Gary Brisbin, Fridley

The recommendation by the Constitution, Bylaws, and Rules Committee (CBRC) to revoke the 2025 Minneapolis mayoral endorsement of state Sen. Omar Fateh is wasteful and undemocratic. It demonstrates the culture in some well-funded, powerful factions of the DFL that shows punitive contempt for the will of the rank-and-file members.

Equally concerning is the recommendation that the state DFL have oversight over electronic balloting in all DFL units. Hours of volunteer effort are required for an organization to conduct digital voting with integrity. If the intention is to standardize electronic voting in DFL units, then the solution is to provide them with access to high-quality digital voting resources and the expertise to implement digital voting in the unique Wi-Fi environments where elections will take place, such as Target Center.

Our July 19 convention was run in good faith by volunteers who invested thousands of hours over months to prepare for precinct caucuses, ward conventions and the city convention. At least four DFL leaders on the convention dais area were capable parliamentarians. Contingency plans were made for the possibility of the electronic balloting system to fail. The contingency plans were implemented by convention leadership in a public and transparent way. Proposals for rule changes were made by multiple campaigns and voted on appropriately by the delegates. Some were passed, others were rejected. The howls of Frey representatives in the final hour of deliberations, without waiting to be recognized by the chair, screaming from the convention floor in clear violation of the DFL Code of Conduct, still echoes in my mind. It seems the state DFL has listened to them.

Byron Richard, Minneapolis

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I’m astonished and dismayed that there are Democratic leaders critical of the decision to void the endorsement of Fateh. This decision wasn’t about the merits of his candidacy; it was about the process used in his endorsement. Fair process is essential to our political principles; it means being ethical, fair, transparent, and following the rules. The rule of law matters because it is the foundation of our democracy, and it is being violated nearly every day by our federal government. Aren’t we better than that? As Democrats we should be holding tight to these principles if we want our fellow citizens to support us.

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As I read the letters and opinion pieces about the Minneapolis DFL convention, one thing stands out for me. Everyone is focused on the bitter fighting. No one is talking about the bright star in our candidate firmament. I have to talk about DeWayne Davis.

Instead of engaging in party infighting, Davis has focused on his campaign. Talking to people in small groups, convincing them 10 or 20 at a time, Davis is earning the support of voters. With 20 years of policy experience, in addition to his work as a pastor, Davis has solid, specific policy ideas about housing, public safety and transportation among other things. Davis is a gay Black man who moved to north Minneapolis when he arrived here more than 12 years ago and has stayed put — committed to his community and his neighborhood. He cherishes this city and wants it to work. He wants Minneapolis to work hand-in-hand with the county and the state, to leverage our funding possibilities and our shared values. He longs to govern — to work with the City Council, not fight with them. He loves Minneapolis — and, as he says — we deserve better! I encourage people to look away from the enmity and bitterness that has grown between Mayor Jacob Frey and Fateh. Look instead to DeWayne Davis — to a man who wants to govern Minneapolis for the good of us all.

Laura Schlatter, Minneapolis

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Tamara Kaiser, Minneapolis

An Aug. 23 letter describes the threat of antisemitism, arguing that there is no distinction between anti-Zionists and antisemites. As Jews, we have been taught to stand firmly against antisemitism, lest history repeat itself. A necessary component of standing against antisemitism, I have been told, is supporting our right to statehood in Israel.

Let me be clear: Israel has long been a beacon of safety for Jews fleeing persecution around the globe. Israel accepted Jewish refugees after the Holocaust, when so many other nations closed their doors. Let me also say that the actions of Hamas are indefensible — disgusting, horrifying and traumatic.

For too long, however, we have been blind to the displacement, terror and oppression that accompanied our statehood. From its inception, Zionism has entailed the forced removal of Palestinians. The father of modern Zionism, Theodor Herzl, recognizes this in an 1895 diary entry, where he notes that “both the process of expropriation and the removal of the poor must be carried out discreetly and circumspectly.”

I was always taught that Zionism meant Jewish freedom from persecution. But to Palestinians, Zionism is the ideology that, for over a century, has justified their violent expulsion from their own homeland. ​​Both realities can be true. But reconciling the undeniable harm Zionism has inflicted on Palestinians begins with one step: standing unequivocally against Israel’s ongoing ethnic cleansing in Gaza.