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Last legislative session, a group of hedonistic legislators and Gov. Tim Walz legalized recreational marijuana and Anoka's social district. Both are unnecessary, unsafe, and unhealthy for Minnesotans. There was no social benefit or community-building reason for these legalizations. The rationale for both, not the reason, was that many other states were doing it, and “hey, it's 2023.”
So, with these same justifications, the Legislature is poised to pass another unnecessary, unsafe and unhealthy add-on bill for Minnesota this session: sports betting. Congress is once again helping hurt families. Do you think a law with a 1-800 dependency line is appropriate? How many sacks does Daniel Hunter get in a Vikings game? Or how many strikeouts does Caleb Thielver get in a relief appearance? What is the social value of crab bettors? Legislators are trying to pay lip service to this problem by earmarking some of the proceeds for youth sports. Can Minnesotans bet on those games to get the most out of their youth sports investment?
I don't expect it, but I do hope that enough lawmakers vote no on legalized sports betting.
Rick Greenfield, Minnetonka
Discussion about IVF
this is completely impossible
With the exception of a few micrograms of DNA in the man, every molecule in the fetus comes from the food and oxygen ingested from the woman's bloodstream.
Until it is born, it is literally a part of the body, and is not yet a “cute baby” or a “person.” This is a special stage of development, similar to the contents of an unhatched chicken egg or an insect pupa. In any case, they cannot survive without special support containers. It is not the same as any kind of functioning individual.
No one should be able to tap into another person's bloodstream (and/or live within their body cavity!) without the host's initial explicit permission and continued permission and consent for the resulting lifelong commitment. there is no.
If all pregnancies are desired and the parents are timely, healthy, and have a strong family support system, abortion is not necessary.
It's not that far yet, right?
It doesn't matter if some people find abortion completely unacceptable in their religion or other personal beliefs. They don't need to have an abortion. But they have no right to force their beliefs on others, especially in such a complex and difficult field.
We have a highly sexualized culture, with lots of sexual urges and pressures, and imperfect birth control.
A woman may ovulate more than 300 times in her lifetime, but she may only actually want to have a child between zero and a few times in her lifetime. At that time, she must decide for herself whether to choose that outcome or not.
The debate over IVF usefully points out the absurdity of the “personhood at conception” position. If you can't eat or breathe on your own, you're still not a “person.”
During pregnancy, the fetus is most similar to a “bud” in the woman's body, it is a special kind of organ of the woman's body, it is 100% dependent on the woman, it receives all its nutrition from her and removes all its waste products. deposit things into the blood. This is not a normal situation. An “arm's length” relationship between two separate “people”.
Greg Buckland, Minneapolis
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The majority of human fertilized eggs fail to implant in the uterus. Will the women of Alabama be prosecuted for forcing these “human beings” out? If not, why not?
Anthony Sinner, Bloomington
education
The public is now paying attention
In 2021, the National School Boards Association equated parents who began attending local school board meetings to domestic terrorists and asked the Department of Justice to intervene. It may come as no surprise that three years later, this thoughtless action had the opposite effect than intended. Advocacy groups like the Minnesota Parents Alliance (MPA) dedicated to promoting results-based leadership in public education are springing up across the country.
Historically, the Minnesota School Boards Association was the only organization that provided policy and governance direction to school board members. This month, MPA joins dozens of state-based organizations across the country to celebrate the launch of the School Boards Network for Academic Advancement (SBAE). This is a national capacity development initiative that provides training and support to school board members who are results-oriented. We provide the guidance you need to innovate policy solutions and champion the accountability and transparency efforts needed to get our K-12 education system back on track.
For too long, the public has paid little or no attention to the governance and performance of public schools. School board candidates ran unopposed, and school board members, guided by the school board association, drove Minnesota's once highly ranked public school districts into decline. The MPA and SBAE networks represent a new generation of community leaders who are taking on the challenge and responsibility of ensuring a bright future for our children. This bold, collaborative effort, led by deeply committed and invested parents and community members, is making a huge difference in the K-12 landscape and is perhaps the last step in restoring public education in America. It represents the best hope.
Christine Troyen, Wayzata
The author is executive director of the Minnesota Parent Alliance.
presidential primaries
You can vote next week. Yes, you.
The Star Tribune and other Minnesota media outlets are reminding Minnesota voters that their votes on Tuesday, March 5 will decide whether Nikki Haley or Donald Trump will be on the Republican ballot this fall. Did it actually play a role in communicating that it was important? i don't think so. When I talk to thoughtful and engaged citizens, I'm shocked that some don't know that Minnesotans can vote on Super Tuesday. Some people mistakenly believe that the precinct caucuses (February 27) will lead to the election of the president. Still others are unable to vote for Ms. Haley because they mistakenly believe they are “registered” as Democrats. Friends of Minnesota: We are having an “open” primary. That means someone at a polling place on March 5th can ask whether they want to vote Democratic or Republican and then vote in the primary regardless of whichever they choose.
I hope that reporters at this newspaper, MPR, WCCO, and other major Minnesota media outlets will begin clearly communicating this season's most important election news to Minnesotans on a regular basis. Your March 5 vote will directly affect the selection of Minnesota delegates to the presidential convention. Voting for Nikki Haley on March 5 is the best way to give Americans an alternative to the expected voting choices in November.
Daniel Ritchie, St. Paul
human bones
Using the former skull as the main character
In a recent editorial, the Star Tribune denounced the use of human bones as antiques, without mentioning one of the most famous uses for human skulls: as props in Hamlet's graveyard scene. “Say no to human bones sold as antiques'' (editorial, February 24). One of the most famous scenes in theatrical history is when Hamlet holds up the skull of the King's Jester and says, “Oh, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio.” Good theater uses good props. And what better prop for Yorick than a real human skull? In fact, many people like to use their own skulls as props. In this way, even actors who could not get good roles during their lifetime can get good roles after their death. More people volunteered than you might think. Some say that Shakespeare himself contributed to the theater in this way. (His skull is not clearly visible in ground radar photographs of his grave.)
In 2008, actor David Tennant used the real skull of composer Andre Tchaikovsky, who died in 1982, and bequeathed it to the Shakespeare Company for use in Yorick. The audience was horrified. These wills prove how desperate some people are to become stars on stage.
David Wiljamer, Minneapolis
