Letters to the editor for Aug. 5, 2011
Waiting for explanation
To the Editor:
With the state shutdown behind us, I am still waiting for an explanation why those of us who make less than six figures a year should pay 12 percent of our income to state taxes, while those making 10 times what we do pay 9 percent.
Republicans seem to want this issue to disappear, but it won’t.
My parents are Republicans so I know they are good people. I don’t think there is anything wrong with being rich. I simply want an explanation.
I’ve heard the talking point that we can’t raise taxes on our job creators. What does a CEO’s salary have to do with job creation? Demand for goods creates jobs and demand is higher when more people can afford it.
I’m aware the rich pay a significant share of taxes, but state revenue department figures show they pay 3 percent less than I do. This state’s citizens have been kind to the wealthy. I’m willing to pay 12 percent why can’t they?
Some are concerned that rich folks will leave the state in droves if their taxes go up. I don’t believe a 3 percent tax increase would cause people to sell their homes and cabins, uproot their families and surrender the quality of life Minnesota offers.
The fastest growing areas of Minnesota are in the wealthier suburbs. Why are these people moving to Minnesota if the taxes are so unbearable?
Some say Minnesota has a spending problem. I work as an instructor for the mentally handicapped at a state-funded facility.
Confidentiality laws limit what I can say, but rest assured our facility is not adequately funded and we just got cut again.
I know other states are cutting their budgets, but I really don’t care. I live in Minnesota for the quality of life and am willing to pay my fair share to enjoy it.
Meanwhile, I’m still waiting for that explanation.
Sincerely,
David Frederick
Coon Rapids
Worn-out phrase
To the Editor:
I get so tired of the worn-out phrase that homosexual advocates like Melissa Thompson and the Gay Equity Team continually repeat — “Homosexuality is who they are.”
Let’s set the record straight. It is not who they are. It is what they do. No one is born homosexual. We are all born heterosexual. That is how our bodies were designed. It only takes two eyeballs to see what goes where.
Since “normal” is “that which functions according to its design,” homosexual acts — oral and anal sodomy — are not normal. And the misuse of our bodies is leading to oral and anal cancer, and AIDS (especially among homosexual young men).
Here in the United States, gay and bisexual men account for more than half of all new HIV infections.
According to the CDC, one in five men who have sex with men (MSM) has HIV. Think about this. If you knew that one in five people going off in a car would not come back alive, would you ride in that car? I don’t think so.
No one is forcing anyone to commit homosexual acts, yet this is the risk that “gay” men are willingly taking. And then they proudly lure others into the lifestyle as well — especially young boys.
For some of us, things happen early on in life that cause our feelings and desires to get off track.
For me it was sexual abuse. As a result, I rejected men and for 14 years lived in lesbian relationships. It was a counterfeit to God’s plan for my life.
Oh yes, I believed the deception that I was “born that way.” No longer. It is a lie. I have now been out of the “gay” lifestyle for 12 years and have no desire to return.
My brother bought the lie as well — resulting in sexual confusion. He started stealing my clothes. During the day he was Robert, but at night he was Barbara. The world of transgenderism and cross-dressing soon led him to commit acts of homosexual sodomy. As a result, he paid the ultimate price for believing the lie — he died of AIDS.
No one should be promoting Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender (GLBT) behaviors. They are not born that way. There is no scientific evidence that proves they are. None.
If we really care about our young people, we will do everything to steer them away from homosexuality and transgenderism, and the unhealthy sexual acts that are a part of these lifestyles.
Parents, start telling your kids that homosexuality is unnatural, unhealthy, and changeable. As an ex-gay I am living proof that you are not born gay.
Sincerely,
Janet Boynes
Para in District 11
Compassion not hate
To the Editor:
In “Hate filled letters” July 8 written by Mary Boyle Tokar, she states that she had thought of writing a letter of her own in the past “But I didn’t …shame on me.”
In her uncalled-for rebuke of Barb Anderson’s letters that she describes as “hate filled,” Mary Boyle Tokar provides no specifics of anything that can be regarded as hate.
Why is it when homosexual activists read something that disagrees with their view of homosexuality, they automatically cry “hate”?
Is that because they have nothing of substance to say?
I read nothing of hate in Barb Anderson’s letters. She merely presents the facts and warns parents to protect their children from homosexual clubs and this unnatural, unhealthy lifestyle that is causing so much confusion, depression, disease and death among young people today.
I call that compassion not hate.
Sincerely,
Dave Henke
Ramsey
Respectfully disagree
To the Editor:
I would like to respond to Rev. Margo Richardson’s June 17 letter, “Dittrich vote is criticized.”
First, I have to say I have great respect for all clergy. This group of people spends countless hours studying and preparing to lead the communities they reside in on their spiritual journey. What a calling.
After reading Rev. Richardson’s letter, however, I have to speak up and respectfully disagree with a few key statements in her article.
With regard to her statement about placing the definition of marriage — one man and one woman in our state’s constitution — on the 2012 ballot for “we the people” of this great state to vote on, Rev. Margo Richardson is taking the stand that the “rights of our fellow citizens should not be put to a popular vote” as that “will embed discrimination into our state’s constitution.”
Now if that does not shake the very foundation this country was built on I am not sure what does. Exactly who should make this critical decision? A select few? A judge? A politician? No!
“We the people” should have the opportunity to vote on such a cornerstone decision to express our own opinions via the ballot.
Thank you, Rep. Denise Dittrich and thanks to all the other hard working men and woman inside and outside the Capitol that worked diligently to get the definition of marriage as between one man and one woman on the ballot.
In reading more of Rev. Margo Richardson’s article, I think her concern is that in all the states that have allowed the citizens to vote on the definition of marriage as between one man and one woman, the amendment has passed – 31 times.
In states who left the decision with a select few, those states did change the definition of marriage and went against the majority. Talk about discrimination!
Marriage between one man and one woman is a cornerstone of what made and continues to make this country great. The Founding Fathers along with our Heavenly Father had that in mind from the beginning.
The second topic I want to challenge Rev. Richardson on is her statement that she is an “advocate for a safe and respectful community.”
When she mentioned the word “safe,” I hope Rev. Richardson has seen the alarming statistics from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) under HIV and AIDS and read how the homosexual lifestyle choice has impacted hundreds of thousands of men who have contracted HIV and have died of AIDS.
I will mention just one of many statistics listed on the CDC website – “Men who have sex with men (MSM) account for nearly one half of those living with HIV in the U.S. (48 percent or an estimated 532,000 total persons). MSM are the only risk group in the U.S. in which new HIV infections are increasing.”
The government even classifies this group as a “risk” group right along with injection drug users.
As a parent of three children — that is scary, and I feel it is information that needs to be conveyed.
Please be advised that the parents of this great community want what is truly best for all our children. That includes their long-term health and safety. When I say all the parents, that includes parents of LGBT identified children.
Defining marriage between one man and one woman is the foundation on which to build a healthy and safe society. We must not redefine it.
I hope that when Rev. Richardson talks to anyone struggling with same-sex attractions, that she shares with them that this is not how they were born and they are not destined to live out that lifestyle. They do have choices and options!!
Yes, all children need to be loved (like Jesus loved) and given hope. Let’s be respectful of everyone. But let’s not put more children in the “risk” group for AIDS where they will be given no hope for a safe, healthy future.
Bryan Lindquist
Ramsey
Confusing children
To the Editor:
I am glad that your publication prints a variety of points and I was particularly glad to see the letter from Laurie Thompson on July 8 talking about the gay agenda in our public schools. To be honest, I agree with her and that there is a movement to confuse our children as to how things normally work. I am glad that there are other parents who are concerned for our kids.
It is sad and interesting that we even have to try and standup against the attackers from the gay community, just so we have a decent learning environment.
And that is where this issue can easily be resolved. We wonder why our kids aren’t competitive in the world and why we lag behind in math and science.
Perhaps it’s because we have such nonsense courses about sexuality and sex education in the first place, that merely add to the everyday struggles that our teens go through to begin with.
Such topics are for the home environment and not school.
We have emphasized sex and abnormal behavior, which has shocked our kids so much, that nothing shocks them anymore to the point of apathy.
We need to eliminate sex-ed from the curriculum and the gay community needs to stay out of our schools.
K-12 is no place for sex-ed…that stuff can be saved for your sociology course in college when you choose to take it.
Let’s make our kids as successful and competitive as they can be by having worthwhile courses like finance, accounting, engineering, etc.
Let’s not distract our youth with personal topics that detract from learning.
Bill Fields
Andover
Vote for Brenda Look
To the Editor:
I’ve lived in Ramsey for 23 years and I do remember when Sarah Strommen was on the Ramsey Council.
She was on the Ramsey Council that thought it was necessary to build an extremely expensive and unnecessary new city hall, got the city in way over its head and into the horrendous mess the Town Center is in today and she was the main person pushing the spending of $700,000 for flowers to be planted along the empty streets and lots in Town Center.
With a record like that, do we really want her back in office, making the same kind of decisions she made before?
I’ve talked to both Tom Towberman and Brenda Look and I’d pick Brenda Look for my ward representative.
Jim Bendtsen
Ramsey
Common technique
To the Editor:
An important public dialogue was held last week with candidates for the open Precinct 4 seat on the Ramsey City Council.
It was probably the only chance for voters to hear, live and in person, the candidates spontaneously from their own mouths before the special election Aug. 16.
It was the kind of forum that we have all been longing for in our politics. The candidates were thoughtful, sincere and respectful. They represented their various views on city government. Three of the four competitors were present.
It appears that the infamous Look sign language will have to suffice for communication from the missing fourth candidate.
Brenda Look was a no-show, a common technique of the common politician. We are told that a picture is worth a thousand words, therefore her 100 signs would equal a 400-page soft cover book.
Like her appearance at the candidate panel, it would probably be a fiction. Never mind, it will not be published, so just don’t Look.
Will Erickson
Ramsey
No show at forum
To the Editor:
This evening July 27 I attended a candidate forum at the Rum River Library for the Ward 4 Ramsey City Council seat up for special election on Aug. 16.
Four candidates have filed for this seat being vacated by David Jeffrey.
It was very informative question and answer session with a excellent opportunity to compare and contrast the ideas and vision for the city of Ramsey and the fourth ward of each candidate.
Unfortunately one candidate, Brenda Look, was not in attendance to take part in this forum. I found it very telling that the someone who wants to represent the ward could not find time to meet with the residents of the ward and field some questions.
Mrs. Look apparently has time to put up her lawn signs up around the ward, but yet she could not find time to meet with the citizens she wants to represent on the Ramsey Council and answer questions face to face for less then an hour?
I find this very disappointing since I took some of my valuable time to attend this forum to learn about all the candidates.
The only thing Brenda Look contributed to this forum was helping eliminate one candidate from possibly getting my vote. If you don’t have time to meet the citizens then I don’t have time to vote for you.
Steve Thurler
Ramsey
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