Open Forum

The Disaster Relief Fund of the American Red Cross enables prompt and direct assistance and support to the victims of the recent flooding in Minnesota and North Dakota, as well as other disasters. Last week, in response to record floods in Roseau, Minn., and parts of North Dakota, the Red Cross set up four shelters and delivered more than 11,000 meals and snacks to all those affected. Red Cross workers also provided more than 1,500 clean-up kits and other emergency supplies to victims and offered mental health counseling to families traumatized by this disaster.

I ask that you consider making a donation to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. All Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. You can help; the victims of the Minnesota and North Dakota floods and thousands of other disasters across the country each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling, and other assistance to those in need. A Red Cross representative will be contacting you shortly to tell you more about the importance of your support. In the meantime, should you have questions about what you can do to help, please do not hesitate to call Peg Senarighi, executive director at the Northern Lakes Area Chapter in Brainerd. Your support of the Disaster Relief Fund will enable us to continue providing the unique and vital Red Cross services on which Americans have come to depend.

Peg Senarighi

Executive director

Northern Lakes Area Chapter

American Red Cross

Children and air travel

I understand that the new airport regulations were implemented to try and protect American citizens, however there is one issue of the new security measures that concerns me, and that is children traveling alone. My children travel back and forth to Alaska each year to visit their father. They have been doing this for several years and consider themselves seasoned travelers.

This year however has been an experience! I took my 13-year-old daughter to the airport and could only accompany her to the security checkpoint. When she changed planes in Seattle they pulled her out of line as she was boarding her plane and searched her. It was a "random search." Usually her grandmother meets her plane and gets her on her connecting flight. This year we hired an escort service. These were strangers she did not know and quite frankly, she was terrified. Second, my son just flew in from Alaska last week. When the flight he was supposed to be on had been in for over an hour and a half and there was still no sign of him I was panicked. No one would tell me where he was. He showed up later on a different flight. Had his grandmother been allowed to escort him to his gate I would have known what was going on and not been so worried. Had that been my daughter, I would have been even more worried as I am sure even child molesters buy airline tickets!

Is it really too much to ask that a parent or relative be allowed to escort children flying alone to their gate, or to meet them at their gate when their plane arrives? If this issue is not addressed by the airlines I foresee many angry parents in their future.

Annett Ritter

Emily

Her two cents

Important to add my two cents regarding the abusive priests. They are pedophiles! They have broken the law. They should go to jail like any other lawbreaker. And these are the worst, those who prey on trusting and defenseless children.

A pox on them.

Betty McMullen

Onamia

'Drive-by photography'

I'm very disappointed with the "drive-by photography" of the Pinetree Patchworkers Quilt Show last weekend? Steve Kohls' photo of the quilt show in your Sunday edition showed a rain-soaked window with some blurry people outside the Brainerd High School. We only have a show every other year with "one-of-a-kind" quilts that have taken thousands of combined hours to make. Please come in and take a photo next time.

Diane Kuck

Rural Brainerd

Pinetree Patchworker