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As an adult newly diagnosed with autism who attends the Coffee Club at the Dogwood location in St. Paul, I want to explain what happens there ("Gatherings welcome adults with autism," Jan. 2).

There are social barriers for us, such as transportation, manipulative people and misunderstandings because we communicate differently. It is not easy to make friends with that isolation. I attended because I already knew a few guys from another group and it was pretty easy to meet people. My group had similar interests and ways of looking at society without divisions, which encouraged me to pursue my volunteering.

Most of us had college degrees, were working or were looking for work. Almost all the people there wanted to communicate but needed to feel part of the group. Structure or circles help people feel part of the group, and a lot of us just like to discuss.

The coloring helped at first. I later sat in the circle and was asked to play games. The stickers were worn for respect. Many people didn't use the social narratives. We also needed a safe space because some of our employers don't believe we are having challenges.

We have a lot in common, and most of us care deeply about society.

Coral S. Jentz-Fofanah, St. Louis Park

The U.S. has been very fortunate to have had great men as president at very important times in the country's 250-year history. The wrong man in the White House would have caused very different outcomes. Now, a colossally incompetent jerk is statistically tied in the polls with President Joe Biden.

What if someone other than Harry Truman was president during the Korean War and Gen. Douglas MacArthur was not fired? MacArthur, commander of U.N. forces, would have escalated and continued the war against the communist Chinese army. It would have made the Vietnam war look like a walk in the park.

What if Union Army Gen. George McClellan had been elected president in 1864? Abraham Lincoln won in a come-from-behind victory for a second term as president. A President McClellan could have negotiated an end to the Civil War that resulted in two separate countries.

What if Al Gore had won Florida in the 2000 election? And the U.S. did not invade Iraq and tried to nation-build in Afghanistan? After two decades of war, trillions of dollars down the toilet and thousands of U.S. war dead, Afghanistan is now back to pre-medieval Taliban rule. The U.S. spent $750 million to build an embassy compound in Baghdad that is bigger than Vatican City. For what? The embassy is now used for target practice by Iran-allied militants.

Having a "strongman" as president can have disastrous consequences. In the case of Donald Trump, it is not hypothetical. We already saw what he did and tried to do in his first term. We don't have to speculate; Trump and the MAGA-cronies are now telling us what they will do if he is re-elected. A Trump second term will feature more tariff wars, a victorious Vladimir Putin, and a real "Deep State" with thousands of unqualified MAGA true believers replacing career civil servants in federal agencies and pardons handed out like candy at a Halloween party. It will be authoritarian rule unlike anything the U.S. has ever experienced.

If Trump is elected to a second term, there will not be a presidential election in 2028. Trump learned his lesson. He failed to steal the election in 2020 because he tried to do it after the election. Next time, he will steal the election before the election. Trump will be president-for-life.

John Wong, Edina

After all the talk about slippery slopes, legislation and the right to die, I have a question for you.

Based on my family history, there is a good chance that I will gradually become forgetful if I live past my mid-80s. It will progress to the point that I won't be safe outside of a memory care unit. Can someone tell me why I cannot commit suicide with the assistance of a doctor at the time and place of my choosing?

Who gets hurt because of what I choose to do to my own body? Why should someone else be able to deny my wish?

John Ramsey, Edina

Across American politics, one thing unites us: reducing crime. Therefore, St. Paul's recent spike in copper theft should be concerning — not least because dark streets and broken traffic lights pose a large safety hazard to almost anyone ("Copper thefts dim St. Paul streets, parks," Nov. 23).

One could easily blame St. Paul's lantern-style streetlights or the post-pandemic spike in copper prices, encouraging the city to try to solve this problem by continuing to replace lights, protecting wire, and waiting for copper prices to drop. However, not only is this approach impractical (according to the Pioneer Press, the money St. Paul spent on street-light repairs increased from $104,595 in 2020 to $777,196 in 2023), but it also ignores a clear pattern of theft. St. Paul never "solved" the similar catalytic-converter problem; the thieves just looked for something else to live off.

The source of theft isn't copper prices, or old-fashioned streetlights, but economic inequality, which was made much worse by the pandemic. A major factor is addiction, which also fuels theft, as addicts look to fund their habits. Decriminalizing drugs, as well as funding rehabilitation programs, would help reduce copper-wire theft, but unfortunately, these are outside St. Paul's jurisdiction. Minnesota Statute 152.021 states that drug possession can be punishable with a large fine, which exacerbates poverty.

Although St. Paul is most affected by copper theft, it isn't at fault; rather, it is suffering the consequences of unjust laws in a culture that is cold and unsympathetic in its attitude toward crime.

Noah Greenstein-Sheppard, Minneapolis

The Jan. 3 editorial on the new Professional Women's Hockey League (" 'State of Hockey' scores again) rang in a new era in women's sports and a step toward parity with the men. Maybe. Assuming that the women are too smart to drop the gloves to smash an opponent's face they can't compete with the men's game. Fighting is tolerated in the NHL because bloodying an opponent gives the successful bloodier a competitive advantage and it produces revenue from ticket sales and media coverage. So if the women can't attract bloodthirsty fans with this effective marketing tactic, parity is not possible. C'mon ladies. Knock some teeth out.

Robert Margolis, Arden Hills