Open Forum

Congratulations Minnesotans! On Oct. 1, you and your fellow citizens will no longer have the right to smoke legal tobacco products in privately owned businesses, regardless of the owners consent. Thank you for bringing the state government into local privately owned establishments to ensure that we will no longer harm ourselves while frequenting bars, restaurants, and private clubs (all bastions of health, you know). Your willingness to voluntarily give up your constitutional rights in the name of "public health" is admirable.

Edward Young

Brainerd

National news is biased on Iraq

We want to thank the Dispatch for your article on military profiles in the Sept. 7, 2007, paper. It was very satisfying to read the comments of Capt. John Wisniewski, 2nd Lt. Kyle Nguyen, and Spc. Max Dominguez serving in Iraq. Their comments when asked whether they'd seen any positive changes included, "While we were in al-Anbar province you could see the change. A lot of civilians volunteering for the Iraqi police, a lot of markets were opening up, more kids outside being kids, attacks on coalition forces way down compared to when we first got there." and "The people were fighting back on their own, without us leading the charge."and "Don't listen to what you hear on the news! While I was home on leave I didn't see anything positive about Iraq on the news. I know otherwise. The amount of success we have achieved in our time here is very promising."

It makes our blood boil to realize that, because of the biased reporting of most of our national news services, with their theme of gloom and doom, the effects of the dedicated and brave troops are being minimized and actually criticized. In fact they should be singing their praises. The fact the news services are selling their professional souls to further their own agendas is shame on them. If we continue to swallow their drivel and repeat it as fact - shame on us.

Joe Lanz and family

Nisswa

Iraq's pork barrel projects

I have to laugh, laugh until my side aches! Rep. Jim Oberstar recommends a gas tax to take care of this country's ailing bridge problems! Only to hear our Sen. Norm Coleman and George W. Bush say no! No, because it would lead to more pork barrel projects! The one-track mind of these two is boggling! We have a useless, stupid, foolish, costly war in Iraq that Herr Bush started with lies, ringing the cash register to the tune of close to a trillion dollars! Yes, a trillion dollars, also the profiteers of Cheney's Halliburton and related Republican companies' pork barrel projects! We would have to add one dollar or more to our gas tax to even start to pay for those porkies! Better yet, we have nothing to show for it, other than Cheney's Republican millionaires and billionaires! Yes, a wake-up call is in order for Bush and Coleman and other Republicans for our country's massive problems! Yes, but, they are too busy campaigning now!

James Cummings

Nisswa