Readers Write

Minnesota elections

Dire assumptions sully our honest system

Katherine Kersten rants and raves in her Nov. 12 column and accuses others of doing what has become an issue only because of Republican efforts to deny people the right to vote and then to cast doubt on the integrity of our elections. Before 2000, most Americans had no reason to question the outcome of elections, but Republican actions in Florida in 2000 and Ohio in 2004 have given the entire country anxiety over election results.

Enough already. Could Kersten take a deep breath, observe the recount closely and just maybe acknowledge not everyone is determined to steal every election? Minnesota has a well-deserved reputation for clean elections. Could we assume that reputation will produce a transparent process and an accurate outcome? We all want our candidate to be the winner, but beyond that we want to be able to trust the outcome of our elections again. Really. Trust. Please let us have it back.

Judy Finger, Apple Valley

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It is obvious that Katherine Kersten would feel more comfortable if it were a Republican in charge of the Senate vote recount. That would ensure the recount would be nonpartisan in the mold of the fabled Florida recount.

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Katherine Kersten's column failed to put the Secretary of State Project into context. In 2000 and 2004, the secretaries of state in Florida and Ohio, the focus of hotly contested presidential elections, were Republicans. I wonder if Kersten was concerned about the veracity of the Florida vote in 2000, for example, when a Republican secretary of state was in charge.

In Minnesota, at least, there is an election for secretary of state, whereas in some states that individual is appointed by the governor or state Legislature, which is even more partisan.

Ellen Mitchell Gallagher, Minneapolis

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With this in mind, the Star Tribune might want to conduct one of its polls and predict the winner. The question could read like this: According to the voting machines, Norm Coleman won the election. Secretary of State Mark Ritchie will now oversee a recount. Who do you think will win the recount?

Michael Bird, St. Anthony

Religion and politics

Public officials can't govern by faith

In "American Muslims get country's cold shoulder" (Opinion Exchange, Nov. 11), Allie Shah accurately pointed out that Americans are wary of electing a Muslim as president. But the story is more than that.

While every person in America has the right to practice his or her own beliefs, we as a people also have the right to speak out against that person if we believe he or she will make political decisions based on personal faith.

Sam Boeser, Minneapolis

Statins and heart disease

An ounce of prevention vs. a pound of cure

Your Nov. 10 front-page news story on the newly proven benefits of using statins to fight heart disease was not very balanced in assessing the costs of wider use of these wonder drugs.

Elizabeth J. Hinds, Morris, Minn.

Racial double standard?

Attack at Augsburg prompts speculation

The recent attack on the white Augsburg college student by four black women is an example of the double standard that exists in our society regarding racial issues. If the roles were reversed, black leaders would have been so outraged that this incident would have led to a major confrontation with college representatives and other civic leaders. While this attack was covered by the television and radio media, it certainly was not headlined like it would have been had four white women attacked a black female student.

Let's apply equal attention to the fact that bad behavior can come equally from both sides of the color spectrum.