Open Forum: Simple answers are usually wrong

No talent in the basketball program? Not true. Boys and girls coaches in grades six through eight terrible? Which coach, or coaches? As in almost any athletic program, almost anywhere, there are coaches that you may be very enthusiastic to have your son or daughter play for, and some you're not. To tar all coaches with the same brush is inaccurate, unfair, and drives a wedge between the coaches on one hand, and parents, players and complementing player development programs on the other.

The letter also demonstrates the chief flaw in Vox Pop. With no need to sign one's name, there's no incentive to be well-reasoned, or fair.

Despite this, some Vox Pop writers do demonstrate good judgment. And some, it's evident, do not.

Mike Rahn

Brainerd

Those tough Brainerd students

Well, I think the Brainerd School District needs to be congratulated. We must have the toughest children in the area, and our buses must be superior to those of the other surrounding school districts.

At 5:45 a.m. (Friday) it was 21 below zero with a windchill of 38 below zero, and our superintendent elected not to delay school or close it. At that point, I elected to keep my children home, safe and warm. Everywhere I turned there were warnings out about the dangerous wind chill, but our superintendent chose to ignore all of the warnings and risk the health and safety of each of our children. Does he think that all children in his school district dress appropriately for the weather? All he has to do is drive around Brainerd right before school starts to see the countless children walking to school with no hats or gloves, either because they have none, or, being children they choose not to wear them for whatever reason. Many parents leave for work before their children leave for school and are unaware of the way their children dress for school. I urge all parents that are concerned about this to call our superintendent and voice your opinion. The number is (218) 828-5312. I can't be the only parent out here that feels this way.

Sharon LeClaire

Brainerd

Editor's note: The Brainerd School District superintendent was out of town and the decision to keep the schools open was made by the assistant superintendent.

Quick response to accident

I would like to thank Justin and his boss who stopped to help me after my vehicle rolled in the ditch on Highway 4 on Wednesday, Jan. 5, the gentleman who called 911, Todd Thomsen of the Nisswa Fire Department and the Nisswa Fire Department, First Responders, Crow Wing County Sheriff's Department, North Ambulance, and Peterson Towing. I appreciate everyone's help and quick response to my accident. We are very fortunate to have such dedicated people in our area willing to help when called, even on a subzero morning. Fortunately, I suffered no injuries.

Thank you again for your help and dedication.

Dawn L. Michel

Breezy Point

MCCL and positive alternatives

Thousands of Minnesotans will cover the state Capitol grounds in St. Paul Saturday Jan. 22 at the annual MCCL March for Life. Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL) is a pro-life organization that works to educate the public about life issues and pass legislation protecting the right to life.

Jan. 22 will be the 32nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court rulings that legalized abortion on demand. In Minnesota, 485,000 unborn babies have been killed since Roe v. Wade; 46 million have been killed nationwide since the ruling.

The MCCL March for Life will give citizens the opportunity to publicly stand up for the right to life and to promote MCCL's new Positive Alternatives Act, which would help women in need.

Positive Alternatives would provide state funding to Minnesota's 100 pregnancy care centers, which are limited by tight budgets in helping more women in need. The bill would also fulfill the 1978 Minnesota Statute 256B.011, which established that the state prefers childbirth over abortion and will support a woman in choosing so.

Pregnancy care centers help women with an unplanned pregnancy by providing emotional support, medical attention, housing assistance, adoption services and education for parenting and employment.

"At the heart of this bill is the compassionate effort to provide positive, practical help to women in need," said Scott Fischbach, MCCL's executive director.

On Jan. 22, thousands of Minnesotans will be present at the Capitol to support these women and the rights of unborn babies by calling for passage of the Positive Alternatives Act.

Bill Poehler

MCCL Communications Associate

Is it OK for other people?

On the subject of abortion, many "pro-choice" people say, "I don't believe in abortion, myself, but it's OK for other people."

That's like saying, "I don't believe in murder myself, but it's OK for other people."

Patrick Borden

Brainerd

Unprecedented attack on Christmas

In my opinion, the rebuilding effort by the Democratic Party, because of the Nov. 2 election defeat, has self-destructed. As long as the party is in lockstep with the far left support groups, it can expect future setbacks.

I predict the unprecedented attack on traditional Christmas celebrations by the ACLU and other leftist groups will cause a big voter backlash against many Democratic candidates in the 2006 mid-term elections.

Specifically, the Hispanic population is now the largest ethnic minority in our country. The population of California alone is 35 percent Hispanic (Goode's World Atlas, 20th ed, p.81). Their Catholic culture has always embraced a traditional, faith-based Christmas. Maybe the Democratic Party doesn't feel it needs California's 55 electoral votes in the next election?

I believe many liberal standard-bearers including my favorite, Hillary Clinton, might enjoy singing Christmas carols in their local neighborhoods if they weren't afraid of getting caught by the ACLU.

Then, finally, why did Republicans win 81 percent of the county-by-county voting for president in the entire U.S. (USA Today election map)? It's simple. The Democratic Party platform fails to realize the importance of God in the "everyday lives" of "everyday people." That is more important than any government-supported economic benefit.

Feliz Navidad.

John Holley

Ironton