Readers Write

Beecroft's life sentence
Grim evidence of a conflicted society

The tragic killing of her newborn daughter by a teenage mother reflects the conflicting messages of our freedom of choice culture.
If the baby had been killed a week before birth by an abortionist, the mother's choice would have been sanctioned. But seeing and holding this same baby, newly born, changes our perspective and we recognize the horror of this act. Have we wrought a schizophrenic society?

Mary Kay Ruff, Maple Grove

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I am ashamed of the human race when I read about young girls who are executed for being raped in foreign cultures. I am equally ashamed that our court system has sent Nicole Beecroft to prison for life without parole for killing her baby (Star Tribune, Dec. 2). Of course, she should be punished. But this is too much.

As the father of four children and grandfather of 11, I have many times witnessed the immature and incomplete thoughts of teens, especially when caught in emotional turmoil. We sentence career criminals and DWI killers to shorter terms for terrible crimes. Why the overkill of this poor girl who will not commit this kind of crime again? Some charity and forgiveness is required here.

James P. Stathopoulos, Burnsville

Laws on the books should govern recount

Some advice for those involved in the Senate recount: Set aside your political bias and count a challenged ballot when it's obvious which Senate candidate the voter selected. Throw the other ballots out. Don't challenge any state laws — that's changing the rules of the game after the game has been played.

Let's show our children that whoever wins, has won fair and square according to the rules currently on the book. If laws need to be modified, do so for the next election. By giving up manipulations to make the contest go their own way, Norm Coleman and Al Franken will be spared the personal turmoil of compromising their true democratic principles, and Minnesota voters will respect them. We all win if the process is clean.

Andrea E. Johnson, Lake Elmo

Seasons greetings

A Dec. 3 letter writer has initiated the official start of Christmas whining. He believes big-box retailers should encourage employees to parrot mindless "Merry Christmas" wishes to all customers, eschewing the welcome that "Happy Holidays" offers everyone.

Big-box stores offer no connection to Christmas except to promote and benefit from the materialistic aspects that sadly overshadow the spiritual meaning of this holiday.

True Christians understand the meaning of inclusiveness in our diverse contemporary society, and they are eager to extend joy to all who experience the variety of holidays encompassed within this time of winter solstice.

Shawn Gilbert, Bloomington

Obama and the governors

Gov. Tim Pawlenty's skepticism about a federal economic stimulus plan based largely on infrastructure projects (Star Tribune, Dec. 3) demonstrates a lack of vision and aligns him against the other 47 or 48 governors who favor the plan. And where there is no vision, the people perish.

What about the economic principle that says the health of the economy is related to the velocity of money moving through it? What about the positive economic effect of people's brightening expectations that things will improve?

Infrastructure jobs in Minnesota will raise money for the state in two ways: increasing income tax revenues collected from individuals and construction companies and their suppliers and sales taxes from increased spending by individuals to buy goods and services.

Andrew Mickel, Minneapolis

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I guess Easley hasn't met our fine state leader. Tim Pawlenty is out of step with almost all the folks trying to plan our way out of this financial crisis. My guess is he's more interested in figuring out how to corral support as the new leader of the Republican Party .

Cathleen Royce, Minneapolis

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We elect representatives to decide specific needs and their timing as situations change. The last election showed the majority of the people support the president-elect's vision of a better way. Hopefully our governor will open his mind and help the development of plans to solve the challenges our country faces.