Readers Write (Nov. 20): Adrian Peterson, 'Upper Midwest,' Minnesota Sex Offender Program, pipelines vs. trains, Jim Ragsdale

I am pained and ashamed by Jim Souhan's column blaming Adrian Peterson for the ruling of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell ("Peterson can only blame himself after this ruling," Nov. 19). Contrary to the assertion of Souhan and Goodell, Peterson has publicly expressed "remorse" for the inappropriate disciplining of his son and has affirmed that he would not repeat that parental behavior. Making amends is between Peterson and his son. The real issue is that Peterson, a disciplined athlete and a proud black man, was not sufficiently "remorseful" in front of Goodell. Souhan, who is neither disciplined nor a proud black man, is alarmingly insensitive to that issue. Apparently, Souhan is angry that because Peterson was uppity with the commissioner, he will not be able to play for the Vikings in the near future.

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Adrian Peterson is banned from football for the rest of the season? What about Zygi Wilf? He lost a civil racketeering case in New Jersey in August and was liable for fraud, breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty. Has he been reprimanded, punished, fined or banned from the Vikings offices by the league? NFL and Mr. Wilf, let's get it right!

Kim Ode asks ("The region formerly known as the Midwest," Nov. 18), if we're not Midwest, then who and what are we?

I propose that our true region is a northern triangle stretching from the Upper Peninsula to North Dakota and plunging down the Mississippi Valley. Minnesota is its heart and center, but a swath of northwestern Wisconsin deserves to be included (except when the Packers play the Vikings.) We'll ignore Wisconsin's southeast corner, which is Chicago Jr. and has never heard of lefse. Western Wisconsin, by contrast, faces west. Its great rivers, including the Chippewa and the Wisconsin, help make the Mighty Mississippi, and its economy is based on selling antiques to Minnesotans. Northern Wisconsin belongs here, too, with its logging past and recreational present shot through with lake homes owned by Twin Citians. The U.P. is another purveyor of summer and winter fun and should be welcomed because Michigan's not doing anything with it, anyway. To the west, the rich Dakota farmlands that supplied the grain that made Minneapolis into Mill City ought to be included. .

That's my vision of a new and true region. The Twin Cities make up our hub and capital, Duluth is our seaport, Lake Superior our ocean, the Mississippi our commercial and recreational highway. As for a name that captures our essence consider the term I've used for some time: Deep North. If America has a Deep South, and it does, then surely we are the Deep North. While that may have too chilly a ring, it's at least an improvement over the truly awful Upper Midwest.

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I'm wondering if [the article] wasn't written by someone who is not from here. As a born and bred Minnesotan, I have always heard of this area as the "Upper Midwest" — ask any TV weatherman. In fact, in the process of reading old newspapers, which is my avocation, I stumbled across an article in the Minnesota Daily from Jan. 8, 1947, reporting that the Minneapolis Morning Tribune conducted a contest to replace the former term, "Northwest." "Upper Midwest" was the winner. The term "Mid-North" was suggested many times but rejected because it suggested "frozen wasteland." The former "Northwest" was clearly poor geography, and the new name covered the five-state area. Why "Upper Midwest" was not seen even once in your article truly puzzles me. Maybe they figured it out in their panel discussion.

We stand ready to offer assistance to our grandson when he finally emerges from the draconian Minnesota Sex Offender Program's "treatment" program ("Experts: Sex offender program a failure," Nov. 19). Civilly committed at 19 for mistakes made at about 13, he now has real hope that he will move on before his 30th birthday next October. It is time, past time, for Minnesotans to do the right thing by all these men!

I usually like the comics by Steve Sack, but I am disappointed that he perpetuates the myth that our choice is between oil pipelines and oil by rail. How about the third option, proposed by many environmental groups: getting the United States and world off petroleum energy?

Today my oldest brother told me this awful news: "Uncle Jimmy died."

To lose an uncle, people murmur, "I'm sorry," and bang, right back into the normal busy work of the every day. "Sad," but …

But having an uncle, a good uncle is such a gift.

And of course, he is a lovely uncle ("Jim Ragsdale: He penned political news with integrity, grace," Nov. 19). I have only one uncle, so there were great expectations — which he exceeded.

Even that day our passionate political differences led to such a row that we barely avoided a type of snow-road obstacle skid-out. We made it to the State Capitol, fuming at each other. Still, minutes later, he invited me into the governor-elect's office — a tripartisan triangle of me, him, and Gov. Ventura — for his one inauguration-week interview with Jesse. Uncle Jimmy, such a liberal!

In all the best ways.

God bless all uncles. God bless and care for my Uncle Jimmy. A writer, a native Californian who Midwested well, a strikingly handsome, funny man who lived deep the many virtues of the 1960s. A boon in the life of his brother's youngest son.

James Ragsdale earned the peace and love eternally his.