STATE PARTY CONVENTIONS
Partisan derangement knows no bounds
At a time when we have been numbed by the daily arrival of outrageous behavior and little seems surprising anymore, the Minnesota GOP met the challenge and managed to do something truly shocking. At its convention in Duluth this weekend, the gathering held a moment of silence for Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis Police Department officer who was convicted of the murder of George Floyd.
Negative partisanship seems to be a heck of a drug.
FRED BEUKEMA, Minneapolis
As a Republican-leaning independent, I find the moment of silence for Chauvin at the recent GOP convention not only offensive but shocking. Therefore I will not be voting for any Republicans unless they condemn the action. This was bad politics to think it would appeal to those of us open to voting for a Republican governor or Senate candidate. Certainly, recognize officers killed in the line of duty or members of our military killed/wounded in the war in Iran, but Chauvin as a victim? Get real! Please, Kendall Qualls or Adam Schwarze, condemn this action.
BRUCE IMHOLTE, Nisswa, Minn.
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The Minnesota GOP convention held a moment of silence to honor Chauvin. This is the same party that celebrates Kyle Rittenhouse, has defended the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement killing civilians on our streets and turns a blind eye when their leader honors insurrectionists who attacked police and desecrated our Capitol. Where is this leading, and who will be this party’s next champion? The man who killed Melissa and Mark Hortman? DAVID PEDERSON, Excelsior • • •
I would like to clarify a growing misconception about U.S.Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s bid for governor, in relation to the DFL endorsing convention in Rochester last weekend.
Klobuchar received far fewer delegate votes than one would expect for a widely respected candidate running essentially unopposed, and this has been incorrectly described by some as a weaker-than-expected start to a gubernatorial campaign.
It is not, and in fact, it represents something very good about the DFL Party. Allow me to clarify.
Since caucuses in early February, all sorts of candidates have been giving stump speeches at DFL events. One of those individuals is Kobey Layne, a public policy expert and former legislative assistant and self-described progressive. Convention delegates such as myself were very impressed with Layne’s speeches and felt that many of her policies resonated with us, and we liked the way she presented her case. We wanted to see her talk at the convention, as evidenced by the strong support of the motion that she be considered for endorsement. She gave an inspiring presentation, and when it came time to vote, many of the delegates voted for her as a sign of appreciation. That is why she garnered 27% of the vote, when most “alternative” candidates rarely get more than a few percent.
There is absolutely no lack of support in the DFL for Klobuchar’s gubernatorial bid. She is a powerful individual who loves her state enough to walk away from a career trajectory that could have put her at the head of the U.S. Senate over the next few years.
GREG LADEN, Plymouth • • •
As a U.S. Air Force veteran, I am very pleased to see fellow veteran Qualls win the Republican nomination for governor.
I had the opportunity to speak to Qualls by phone several years ago, and he is a strong leader and class act who will do far more good for Minnesota than the divisive, “do nothing” Klobuchar.
The Democratic Party has controlled the Minnesota governor’s offi ce for 15 years, and here is what they delivered to Minnesotans: radical-left politics and riotous carnage that hurt Minnesota’s image on the world stage, failing schools and worsening standardized test scores of our students, rising crime rates, massive fraud, higher taxes with lesser-quality service, massive illegal immigration that overly burdened our social services and fleeing businesses and taxpayers moving elsewhere.
If Minnesotans want an improved image that brings people here instead of scaring them away, they should vote for Qualls for governor.
If Minnesotans want to improve our school system and bring back the era when Minnesota schools were top in the nation, they should vote for Qualls.
If Minnesotans want safer streets, an end to massive fraud, controlled immigration and reasonable tax policies for people and businesses, they should vote for Qualls.
Minnesotans cannot keep voting for the same failed politicians and expect a better result. Klobuchar had her chance to improve the lives of Minnesotans, and she failed. It is time to make a positive change and vote for Qualls.
CORBY PELTO, Minneapolis WALZ
ADMINISTRATION
A selective recent history of Minnesota
Reading the Star Tribune’s new contributor Jim Schultz, I was disappointed at the shallow analysis of the Walz administration and hypocrisy offered (“Tim Walz has been a terrible governor. Would Amy Klobuchar be any different?” Strib Voices, June 1). I am certain I am not the only reader who tires of Republicans blaming the Walz administration and Democrats for fraud and economic challenges we face while failing to acknowledge the obvious: the fraud and corruption rampant in the Trump administration.
Yes, we face some serious economic challenges, and it would be refreshing to hear at least one Republican acknowledge the damage done to our economy by thousands of masked, armed federal agents during “surge” directed by the Trump administration.
Instead we are directed back six years ago to the riots that followed the murder of George Floyd, riots sparked by an enduring challenge in our society, racism, and our failure to honestly address it.
I would love to read a conservative who exhibits some real courage by acknowledging that we have a deeply rooted problem with racism in our society and acknowledging the fraud, corruption and abuse of power of the Trump administration, which the Republican Party has allowed, rather than ignoring real issues and engaging in shameless hypocrisy.
LEIF GRINA, Minneapolis • • •
Congrats on adding Schultz and his conservative-leaning thoughts to the Strib Voices lineup. I thoroughly enjoyed his initial contribution about Sen. Amy Klobuchar, and I sincerely hope to see more of his writings. This will add a bit of balance to the Strib opinion pages.
MATTHEW L. ROWLES, North Oaks
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Hallo to Minnesota.Schultz presents an extremely selective set of figures in his assessment of Gov. Tim Walz’s tenure. A pretty bad start as a columnist. Viewed from afar — from Germany — Walz will be remembered for his courageous actions during the era of Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportations.
Best wishes from Germany.
ULRICH DIETZ, Engelskirchen, Germany
EDUCATION
Back to the stylus?
Strib Voices, May 29). A paradigm shift back to the future is exactly what teachers across our country ought to encourage!
Working with pen and paper, chalkboards and all, is far more impactful on the brain, recent peer-reviewed studies explain.
It was shown that even reading from actual books or newspapers is more beneficial for learning than reading from e-books or exploring online information. Text should come from hard copies in order for students to fully absorb facts and plot lines.
Reading comprehension is key!
I challenge teachers and professors in higher education across Minnesota (and our country) to embrace our history of higher expectations and excellence by reversing course and trying something new!
SHARON E. CARLSON, Andover