Readers Write (Oct. 22): Socialism, Minneapolis work rules, school shootings, Grand Avenue parking, climate change

Creative redefinition of terms can be a useful way to approach an issue, but Ron Way ("Democratic socialism: We're already living it," Oct. 21) broadens the definition of the word "socialism" to the point where it is indistinguishable from "government." Socialism has traditionally meant social control of the means of production. We do not have that in the U.S. We do have government-administered welfare programs as well as privately administered ones. So did many medieval societies, but they could not be called socialist. The government controls the protection of the populace through the military, the police and other agencies. Such control is a hallmark of the modern state, but it is not socialist. Victorian England — the standard model of a capitalist society — had a strong military and a police force. The government provides services such as water supplies. So did Rome, but one can hardly speak of the Roman Empire as socialist.

The debate among Americans today is about the size and scope of the national government. Mr. Way provides us with examples of government programs that have worked well and one that has gone spectacularly wrong, Veterans Affairs. Few of these are associated solely with socialist states.

There are two other very important things to consider when discussing Minneapolis' proposed work rules: Choice and circumstance ("Here's my side of the story on Minneapolis work rules," Oct. 20, editorial counterpoint to "Anti-business agenda should be scrapped," Oct. 16).

We all make "choices" on how we live our lives. All of those decisions are ours to make: going to school, having children, to work or not to work. A city is not responsible for the choices you make.

On the other side, there are "circumstances" that are beyond our control: the family we are born into, the neighborhood our parents choose to live in or the wages that any given job pays. With these options, if you do not like them, you may choose paths that lead you to better outcomes.

A city has the responsibility and duty to all of its citizens to decide how much of any one person's current situation is "choice" or "circumstance" and base its decision(s) accordingly.

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This disparity highlights my major concern of implementing workplace rules in Minneapolis that differ from our surrounding cities. Minneapolis' businesses do not operate in a bubble. Every day we compete with similar businesses in our surrounding cities. For example, with different workplace rules, existing businesses on the Edina (west) side of 50th Street at France Avenue will have a competitive advantage over existing businesses on the Minneapolis (east) side, if the cost to operate our businesses is higher. In addition, new and expanding businesses have a choice of where to locate and may choose the neighboring cities' more attractive business environment.

The Working Families Agenda creates inherent inequity among Minnesota's businesses, which is why this type of legislation belongs at the state level — so there is a level playing field for all Minnesota businesses. While this fact is not groundbreaking information, it's a major point that's getting lost in Minneapolis' workplace-rules discussion and future minimum-wage discussion.

An Oct. 21 letter writer, on the topic of school shootings, states that "teachers should instruct our children not only to make better choices, but help them develop character traits that will help them do it." Once again he's making a point, as many do, that it should be left up to the teachers.

Parents have these children in their care for the first five years of their lives — before teachers get them in a class — so why should it always be left up to the teachers to teach kids the values and character traits that they should have? Teachers can only teach so much in the short time that they have them during the day, plus the fact that they sometimes have 25 to 30 kids or more in their class at a time, making it a little hard to get their point across on character development when they are there to teach reading, writing and math.

I would like to admonish parents to start training their children in the way they should go, at a very young age, and then teachers won't have such a difficult time teaching children the education that they need in order to succeed in their lives. Parents, please start doing the right thing the day your child is born, and he/she likely will have a happy and successful life.

If meters were installed, I would shift my shopping to Highland Park and farther west on Grand Avenue, since those areas have similar shops and no meters. Grand Avenue businesses and the residents of the area will be the losers.

To Mayor Chris Coleman and the City Council: The cost of the city budget shortfall must be spread to all city residents and not just placed on users of Grand Avenue businesses. Other options: Raise property taxes of all city residents by a few dollars or add a small sales tax on items purchased in the city.

After seven years, President Obama stumbled onto the solution to a problem, despite both his friends and his enemies. The key is this: The people who have both the financial resources to uncover the truth about global climate change and the financial incentive to respond appropriately are the leaders of multinational corporations ("Local firms commit to climate goals," Oct. 20). Unlike American voters and politicians, they cannot be fooled by slick propaganda.