Opinion editor's note: Star Tribune Opinion publishes letters from readers online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

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In response to "Our family's been denied justice. Yours could be next" (Opinion Exchange, Dec. 26):

I totally support Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty.

The example given in the article might be an extreme case, but I prefer a system where some bad guys go free to one that ruins the lives of kids who could have a great future.

I don't think punishment or revenge are "justice." It is bad to let kids go free only if they're going to do terrible things again. The chance of that has to be weighed against the cost — fiscal and moral — of imprisonment. And anyone who grows up in prison is gonna be messed up for the rest of their life. The only chance to save kids is mercy now.

Most of these cases are not murder. They are kids who stole a car. So many people did bad things like that when they were kids, but grew up to live good lives.

But I'm glad to see this side of it for once. It's the first time I've wondered if this is too much mercy. Because the justice system is still tearing apart more families than it saves. So this is change in the right direction. Maybe it's a little too far, I don't know the details. But it's closer to justice.

There is no prospective county attorney with Mary Moriarty's experience, compassion and devotion, but just a little bit stricter.

So I totally support Moriarty.

Shanti Pothapragada, Minneapolis

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Since the election of Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, we have read about significant departures from guidelines that shock our sensibilities. Back in April 2023, Moriarty's prosecution of the McKeever homicide by two juveniles was taken away from her by Gov. Tim Walz and given to state Attorney General Keith Ellison. This was an unprecedented public admonishment that should have tempered Moriarty. But instead, she angrily pushed back, calling the move "undemocratic" and "precedent-setting."

More recently, as we read in "Our family's been denied justice. Yours could be next," we see that Moriarty has not tempered her approach. Arriving at a plea deal that amended the charge from aiding second-degree murder to first-degree attempted assault, Moriarty chose a crime which matched Husayn Braveheart's time in jail. Judge Michael Burns was powerless to stop the plea deal. Cleverly, Moriarty used the system to advance her juvenile-justice views, which principally revolve around juvenile incarceration as a contributory factor to recidivism.

While County Attorney Moriarty is entitled to her views on juvenile justice, I suggest it is not in the purview of being the chief criminal prosecutor in Hennepin County. Simply put, her role is not that of a social worker, and in making it so she puts roughly 1.3 million Hennepin County residents at greater risk. The unfortunate reality is this is likely not to abate until her term ends on Jan. 4, 2027. This is another example to all of us that elections have consequences.

Joe Polunc, Waconia

The Dec. 23 article "Lakeville land sale met with criticism" explains how the sale of 14 acres to a developer occurred and how students and community members are expressing disagreement. A purchase agreement has been signed between Lakeville school district and Lennar. Currently the parcel is zoned public open space. Whether this green space remains as is or is destroyed to make way for houses is in the hands of Lakeville City Council.

Lennar, a respected builder, certainly would meet government regulations, ultimately profiting financially. Lakeville residents desire to preserve the natural environment to benefit their young people in athletic and academic endeavors and to ensure that the area is available to the public for sport, exercise and connections to nature now and for future generations.

This situation is not unique to Lakeville. Communities everywhere struggle between saving green spaces and advancing brick-and-mortar developments. The purpose of zoning laws is to create order in a municipality and to identify the best use of an area for most people in that area.

Saving green spaces is dependent on ordinary citizens, persistently making it clear to government leaders that they are "most" people in that area. It won't happen unless we stand up and speak out.

Angela Farrell, Lakeville

As much as I appreciated reading the reprint of the 1939 Christmas editorials in "Keep the Christmas message alive" (Dec. 25), I was dismayed the language was not changed to be inclusive. I am perplexed that didn't happen, as I view the Star Tribune as embracing inclusivity. An example of inclusion would be: "Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace, good will toward all people." The language of the Bible has been translated according to interpreters (and some of it mistranslated from its original meaning). So why not change that one line and the rest of the 1939 language? Another example: "As countless generations of people at Christmas time have repeated those words … ."

Karen Cox, Circle Pines

Around New Year's I like to check in with myself to figure out what changes in the world (and myself) I worried about, then forgot, and normalized.

Susan Hoch, Minneapolis

Oh how I loved reading Charlie Maguire's cozy Christmas Eve story "A not-so-silent night in the barn." Hurray for his parents who allowed him to seek such a wondrous solo adventure (though I have no doubt they secretly checked on him throughout the night). Even if little Charlie may have slept through a miracle that night, I happily teared up in the end, swallowed a lump in my throat, and thought, well yeah! — there's always next year. Let's hold onto that hopeful optimism for 2024.